"To please the child I unlocked the door. She threw it wide open, and
to my astonishment I saw that it was filled with valuable silver plate,
china, and other articles of similar kind, some of which I particularly
remembered having seen at Mrs. Dawson's."

"Perhaps she gave them to Mary," suggested Mrs. Freeman. "She was quite
attached to her."

"Impossible!" exclaimed Mrs. Morris. "Valuable silver plate is not often
given to servants. But I have not yet finished. Just as the child had
found the doll Mrs. White entered, and on seeing the closet-door open,
said sternly to the child,

"'Rosy, you did very wrong to open that door without my leave. I shall
not let you take your doll again for a week;' and looking very red and
confused, she hastily closed it, and turned the key. Now, to my mind,
these are suspicious circumstances, particularly as I recollect that Mr.
and Mrs. Dawson were robbed of silver plate shortly before they went to
Europe, and no trace could be found of the thieves."

"True," replied Mrs. Freeman, thoughtfully; "I recollect the robbery
very well. Still I cannot believe that Mary had anything to do with it.
I was always pleased with her modest manner, and thought her an honest,
capable girl."

"She is very smooth-faced, I know," answered Mrs. Morris, "but
appearances are certainly against her. I am confident that the articles
I saw belonged to Mrs. Dawson."

"There may be another side to the story, however," remarked her friend;
"but why not mention your suspicions to Mrs. Dawson? You know she has
returned, and is boarding in the upper part of the city. I have her
address, somewhere."

"I know where she lives; but would you really advise me to meddle with
the affair? I shall make enemies of Mr. and Mrs. White, if they hear of
it, and I like to have the good-will of all, both, rich and poor."

"I do not believe that Mary would take anything wrongfully," replied
Mrs. Freeman; "but if my suspicions were as fully aroused as yours seem
to be, I presume I should mention what I saw to Mrs. Dawson, if it
were only for the sake of hearing the other side of the story, and thus
removing such unpleasant doubts from my mind. And, indeed, if you really
think that the articles which you saw were stolen, it becomes your duty
to inform the owners thereof, or you become, in a measure, a partaker of
the theft."

"That is true," said Mrs. Morris, rising, "and in that way I might
ultimately gain the ill-will of