A Short Story

                                                                         A Short Story

                                                         Chapter 1

Lass went fishing one day and found some jewels. She took them home and cleaned them, shined them and put them away in a safe place. Her mother did not know about these jewels. There were rubies, emeralds, garnets and diamonds. Each of these jewels weighed at least five pounds. Since the family was very poor, the girl decided that she would go into town the next day to sell them and surely make more than what the whole house was worth.

The next morning she took them out of her hiding spot and started walking down the path toward the market. She was a couple miles away when a man walked out from behind a tree and greeted her. "Hello little girl. Where might you be going on this fine morning?" he said.

She looked at him warily, remembering that her mother told her not to talk to strangers. "I'm going to town." she said slowly, as if the man may be hard of hearing.

He rubbed his scraggly beard, as if he were thinking about something. "What you got there in your bag?" he asked. She tried to think of something that would keep the man from accompanying her on her trip.

"I got me some eggs that I'm takin' to the market to sell. Is that where you be going, too?" she asked, hoping it wouldn't offend the man.

He took a step toward her. In reaction, she took step back. "Mayhap I'm going there. I might be going to Rinstinville. Why?" he said. Lass knew that Rinstinville was a couple of miles away from here, surely too far for an old man to walk. She didn't want the man to be suspicious. That would not do well.

She wanted to say that he had no business wanting to know what was in her bag. Instead she said "Oh, it's just that there has been a robber in these woods. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you?"

That statement wasn't entirely a lie. There really was someone going around, breaking into people's houses and stealing their belongings. Yesterday, the old couple two houses down were ransacked. No one knew who was going to be next.

He looked taken aback, aghast even. "No! No! Now where would you get an idea like that? I've lived in these woods my entire life; I'd never do anything of the sort. Where did you get a silly little idea like that miss?"

Lass thought that the man looked hurt by her words, but once he saw that she wasn't smiling anymore, he quickly changed from sad to stuttering. "I'm sorry girl; I just don't like be 'cused of something I didn't do. Don't let my actions hurt yer feelings. I wish I knew who them scoundrels were who goes round stealing what ain't theirs. It's down right awful. Now you run along to sell them eggs, missy. I'll be seein' ya."

He turned and started to walk off, but then swirled around as if had remembered an important detail. "A little birdie told me that them there robbers are lookin' for some lost jewels. You know anything about that?"

She looked down and shook her head no, hoping he wouldn't see the deceit written across her face.

Chapter 2

            Lass went down the dirt road, intrigued by the old man and the questions he had asked. Why would he want to know what was in her bag? No matter, she thought, at least he is gone. She saw a sign that said that she was one mile away from the town, and therefore, a good forty-five minutes away from the market. Lass wondered why the old man was walking out on the road this early in the morning. She was thinking this when a coyote scuttled across the road a good ten yards in front of her. It stared at her for a moment then went on its way across the road.