wind-gusts. She was so much of the gentlewoman that she could be gravely
oblivious to the exposure of her ankles. She looked as if she had never
heard of ankles when her black silk skirts lashed about them. She rose
superbly above the situation. For some abstruse reason Margaret's
skirts were not affected by the wind. They might have been weighted with
buckram, although it was no longer in general use. She stood, except for
her veering bonnet, as stiffly immovable as a wooden doll.

Miss Carew seldom left Wheaton. This visit to New York was an
innovation. Quite a crowd gathered about Jane's sole-leather trunk when
it was dumped on the platform by the local expressman. "Miss Carew is
going to New York," one said to another, with much the same tone as
if he had said, "The great elm on the common is going to move into Dr.
Jones's front yard."

When the train arrived, Miss Carew, followed by Margaret, stepped
aboard with a majestic disregard of ankles. She sat beside a window, and
Margaret placed the bag on the floor and held the jewel-case in her lap.
The case contained the Carew jewels. They were not especially valuable,
although they were rather numerous. There were cameos in brooches and
heavy gold bracelets; corals which Miss Carew had not worn since her
young girlhood. There were a set of garnets, some badly cut diamonds in
ear-rings and rings, some seed-pearl ornaments, and a really beautiful
set of amethysts. There were a necklace, two brooches--a bar and a
circle--earrings, a ring, and a comb. Each piece was charming, set in
filigree gold with seed-pearls, but perhaps of them all the comb was
the best. It was a very large comb. There was one great amethyst in the
center of the top; on either side was an intricate pattern of plums in
small amethysts, and seed-pearl grapes, with leaves and stems of gold.
Margaret in charge of the jewel-case was imposing. When they arrived in
New York she confronted everybody whom she met with a stony stare,
which was almost accusative and convictive of guilt, in spite of entire
innocence on the part of the person stared at. It was inconceivable that
any mortal would have dared lay violent hands upon that jewel-case
under that stare. It would have seemed to partake of the nature of grand
larceny from Providence.

When the two reached the up-town residence of Viola Longstreet, Viola
gave a little scream at the sight of the case.

"My dear Jane Carew, here you are with Margaret carr