The mountain Democrat., 1864-09-10
FHE DIAMOND RING.
H Any RANDOLPH.
Il vas the night 6efore Christmas.

7fgdsts Of driving SNOW, and raw dir, that
insinHated itself into every fold of the
most voluminOus wrappings A night
which was uncomfortable enough to the
rich, but dreadful to the poor.
Mr.. AImyne did not observe the little
blue nOsed boy, crOuching in the angle
formed by the brilliantly ilIumined plate
glass window, as he spFang from his car.
riage and went slowly acrOss the pave.
ment, into the bright, thronged shop. -
How should heS But little Ben Morrow y
eyes, eager with the sickly light of star
vation, took in every detail of the rich
mans eQuipage, and his purple fingers
clasped one another tighter as he looked.
oh + he thought, 'how nice it must be
to be rich-tO have cushioned carriages,
and big red fires, and mince pies every
dayi OIL I wish were rich l.
And Ben shrank closer into his corner,
as the wind huttered his thin, worn gar
ment, and lifted the curls, With freeSing
touch, from his forehead.
Nor did Mr.. Almayne observe him again
when he entered his carriage, drawing on
his expensive fur gloves, and leaning
among the velvet cushions with a sigh
scarcely less earnest than little Ben's had
been.
The child'a ideal Of a big red fire. would
have beer quite realized If he could have
seen the scarlet shine that illulned Mr..
| AlMayne's luxurious drawing rooms that
night, glowing softly on giIded tables. ala
baSter vases, and walls of rose and gold.
While just before the genial fame the
pale widOwer sat thOughtGully watching
the Pickering spires Of green amethyst
light aud very lonely in his splendid soil
tudei
4 wonder what made me think of home
just them he murmured, idly tapping his
foot upon the velvet rug. Il wonder what
alchemy cOJured up the old house under
the walnut trees, and the broken bridge.
where the willow branches swept the wa
ter-the bridge where little lara Willis
used to sit and study her lessOns while
anglcd vainly for the fishes that never
would bitel How lovely she was, that
golden hsired girl, with her blue veincd
forehead, and her dark, downcaSt eyes !
] was very much in love with Clnra vii
lis in those boy and girl days. ! should
like to know on shat shMv the waves Of
time have cast her little barque-.t is not
often that person one has known in lang
syOe vaniSheS sO entirely and utterly from
ones horizon. Poor Clara what glitter
ing air palaces We built in the future
hOW Soleennly xe plighted our childish
trothsl And when l came back, ~ith the
fortune on whose golden colonnadeS our
fairy castle Of happiness appeared its pin
nacles-Shc Was gone. And Mary was a
good wife to me, and q true but she was
not Clsua Willis +
As the thought passed through his
brain, he instinctively glanced down at
the finger upon which he wore the be-
trothal gift of his dead wife-the ring vas
gOneI
'LOst-it can't be lost lie nurmured
TO himself,trying TO think VI hrn and where
he had last observed il. Can it have
dropped from NY finger without my
knOwledge4 must notify the police at
once. and have it advertised! P~r Mary's
ring-I would not lose it for twice its
value. and that would he no mean sum 4
II was 4 narrow and murky little street,
with here and there dim lamp flaring
feebly through the white obScur;ty Of the
driving snow; but little Ben Morrow knew
every one Of itS warped Gagstones by
heart, and ran whistling down the alley
way Of tall, weather stained building, un-
daunted by wind o" tempest
See. sis, what a jolly glove I've foundl'
he rJaculated, diving suddenly into mar.
row doorway. and coming upon tiny
room, only half lighted by kerosene lamp
beside which sat woman buSily at work.
HailOi iS the fire OutS'
Wrap this old shawl round you, Ben,
said the woman, looking up, with q smile
that pnrtook more of tears than mirth,
and you won't mind the cold 50 much
Every coal is gone, and I can't buy any
more until am paid for these caps. Did
you sell any matcheS?'
Not two papers, sighed the boy. !
was 20 cold. Clara-I couldn't 60 round
to the houses +
We'll. never mind, Benny she said,
cheeriully. Sit close to me. dear well
keep each other warm. Oh, Benny,
should like TO have given you nice whole
coat for ChristmaH.'
Don't cry, Eisfesaid the boy, leaning
his head against her knee. Didn't you
give me your shaw for q comforter, only
! lost it that windy day. You're just as
good and sweet as you can be, Clara, and
lore you just "a well as if you were thy
whOie sister instead Of only half one /
She smiled through her tears.
what waH it about q glove, Ben
He sprang suddenly up sb il remember
ing.
"A gentleman dropped it in the street.
! ran after the carriage. bot it vent too
fast for me to catch up. Isn't il nice, sis
Very, Ben.'
She drew the fur glove abstractly on
her chill hand, and looked at the. rich.
dark fur.
why, Ben. what's this
For her touch had come in contact with
something in the little finger of the glove,
and she drew it out. Even by the dim
light of the lamp she Raw the myriad
sparkling facets Of diamond ring!
The gentleman must have drawn it off
with his glove, she said. while little Ben
stood by, in open n-mOuthed surprise and
delight Ben, this il valuable - We
ought to- return. II IT, the owner Al once"
But hos can We II We don't know whn
he isy' said Ben.
1t will be. advertised. dear every rf
fort will be used to recover 80 valuable n
jewel. Tomorrow morning you must ask
the newSrnan to lend you paper for five
minutes, and We will look al the advcr
tiSements.'
Sister said Ben Morrow, under his
breath. 'is It very Valuablei is 1t worth
hundred dOllArs1'
More than that, Ben-whyV
'0b, Clara. he sobbed, bnrying bIs