The body of the dead child looked beautiful.  The snowy folds of the dress were looped up with the orange blossoms which Mrs. Wentworth had restored to their natural beauty.  On her cold, yet lovely brow, a wreath of the same flowers was placed, while in her hand was placed a tiny ivory cross, that Ella had worn around her neck while living.  The transformation was complete.  The dress of the young and blooming bride had become the habiliments of the dead child, and the orange blossoms that rested on its folds and on the brow of Ella, were not more emblematical for the dead than they had been for the living.

“Oh! how pretty sister looks,” exclaimed the little boy, who could not comprehend why the dead body lie so motionless and stiff.  “Wake her up, mother,” he continued, “she looks so pretty that I want her to stand up and see herself.”

Mrs. Wentworth smiled sorrowfully at her son’s remarks, but she did not remove her features from the dead.  The saint-like expression of her child, and the placid and beautiful face that lay before her devoid of animation, had awoke the benumbed feelings of affection within her.  A bright light flashed across her brain, and the long pent up tears, were about to flow, when the door was widely opened, and a dark shadow spread itself over the body of Ella.  Checking her emotion, Mrs. Wentworth looked around and beheld the figure of Mr. Swartz, accompanied by two police officers.

She spoke not a word at first, for in an instant the cause of his visit was known.  One look she gave him, which sunk into the inmost depths of his soul; then turning to the dead child, she slowly extended her hand and pointed to it.

“There,” she said at last.  “Look there,” and her face again wore its former colorless and rigid aspect.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SECOND.

IMPRISONMENT OF THE SOLDIER’S WIFE.

We must now take a glance back at the time that Mrs. Wentworth committed her act of despair in taking the package of money from the safe.  Mr. Swartz, as we stated, was then gazing intently at the open pages of his ledger, and, in her leaving the room hurriedly, did not take any other notice of her, than mere glance.  He then resumed his calculations, nor did he rise from his seat for nearly three hours afterwards, so intent was he on the books before him.  Rising up at last, he walked to the safe, and observing that the package of money was gone, called out to his clerk, who quickly answered the summons and entered the room.

“Vere is dat package of money I had on de safe dis morning?” he enquired, as soon as the clerk had entered.

“I have not seen anything of it, since I gave it into your hands this morning at nine o’clock,” the clerk replied.

“Vell, I put it on top of dis safe,” observed Mr. Swartz, “and I forgot to lock it up, ven Mr. Elder came in, and kept me talking nearly two hours, den de beggar came in and remained for a long time.  After dat I vas busy mit the ledger, and didn’t think of it.”