The Elk advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Elk Co., Pa.) 186?-1868, 1864-12-17
NO 10


| opened first one and then another of
dark morocco cases, and showed me the
jewels my father had ordered. A very
superb prosnt it was, tastefully magnif
cent and such as a peeress might have
been proud to wear. | was quite daz
zled by the FIRST fash of the sparkling
necklace, the blood red rubies glinting
the brighter for the moony lustrc Of the
pure white pearls. I had expected
that the jewels would prove handsome,
but their beauty far surpassed my anti
cipationa, and | felt that a certain ner
vous uneasincss at the idea of walking
] London streets with such valuables in
my pocket. Spray and brooch, 4 baracc-
| lets, rings and earrings, and tiara, were
all equally splendid and elegant aud l
was half disposed to scold my father for
generosity, but consoled myself with the
recollection that nothing could possibly
be TOO goool for Carry Le.hrilge. Old
Mr.. Miles accom- panied he to thestreet
door, chatting as yolubly as was his
practice, his tongue running mostly on
the splcndor OF the wares ne had just
delivered over to my charge.
"Pretty, very pretty, the design" he
said as he opened the plate glass door
of the shop. "And as for the stones,
defy the sharpest eye TO make out a
flaw in any one of the rubles. Better
stones never came from Ceylon, nor
pearls of a finer water. All Mr.. Henly
it is not every one who is able to give
such presents as your good father. /
sent set nearly similar. last week, for
the wedding Of Lady Florence Fether
ton, but not so fine. give you my
word, as a tradesman Of fifty years
standing, not 50 fine"
~ a lVe''''~l 104U v".AI s:tTe ~, tI.,y,-
jewellers discourse, or lull 10 the roll
and rumble Of the carriages made them
unusaily distinct, bnt at any rate th,eo
or four Of the passers-by turned their
64o Ar yocn, as rrJ atOUu III ,u5'J1Trn t5,o,
way. And among those three or four
was the ugly foreigner with the red, brown
beard. lie was repas,ing the shop,
, coming down from the opposite direction
} to that in which he had previously been
walking, A coincidence, no doubt
Merely 4 coincideuce
I beckoned to the driver Of 4 Hanson,
sauntering past in quest Of fare, aud
ratified down TO the club. it wanted
some time as yet to the dinner hour, but
preferred waiting at the club for my
friends arrival TO driving back to my
fathers house in Harley street. The
second editions Of the morning papers
had just come in rs arrived, and there
was Il hum and buzz of conversation
going on upon the subject of some I'M
portaut kilograms from America which
they contained 1t was Just then that
Mcclellan was meeting with his first
reverscs, if l remember rightly, in his
} Peniusularcampaigu, aud [ gladly sccu.
red one OF the copies Of the T'iases, and
applied myself 10 read. In vain A
strange feyerish lstlcssncss oppressed
me; there was q dull weight upon my
spirits, ana NY mind seemed to be
possessed by sort of ailAless activity
that wearied my thoughts tono purpose,
In vain, [ fixed my eyes upon the news
paper, resolved to concentrate my facul,
tics upon Mr.. Reuters kilograms. The
big black words swan before my eyes,
and the sounding sentences were barren
ofmeaning. Had atthat moment been
put on my examination before the stern,
est Of commissioners, with all l valued
at stake on the results, [ could not for
my very life given lucid definition as
who was iording the Chickahominy or
passing the James river, or what the
bone Of contention might be. Vague,
formless apprehensions ofsome invisible
of something too shadowy to be eboldly
grappled with-foated through my brain,
and | found myself looking forward with
positive dislike to the solitary journey
that lay before me that night.
All these gloomy fapces, vanished,
however, at the first grasp Of friendly
human band, and the first sound of a
friendly human voice. [ was in excel.
lent spirits at dinner time, and took the
ire Of good humored banter with which
my companions piled me in very good
part. We fingered rather longer over
our wine than | had anticipated, while
we talked of old days, and wondered
when our next meeting would be; but
at last l jumped up, looked at my watcl,,
and found that l must Griva fast if [
me@IGats 10 catch the train. Ishook hands
cordially with my friends, and babe them
goodby; and, amid shower of hearty
wishes Tor my future happiness-how
little did | think that / should never see
the speakers more? left the club A
Hanson cab had been called for me by
one of the messengers, and l found it
drawn up by the curbstone, as l briskly
descended the steps. 1t was twilight
by this time in the streets, and the
lamps had long been twinkling. no
ticed as [ steDned into tho ooh tbot