Weekly Trinity journal., 1864-12-24
The Diamond Ring.
ny AMY RANDOLPH.


Dark and over-clouded, with white gusts of
driving snow and air that insnuated itself
into every fold of the most volumnous wrap
pings. A night which was uncomfortable enough
to the rich but dreadful to the poor.
Mr. Amayne did not observe the little blue
nosed boy, crouchng in the angle formed by the
brilliantly illuminated plate glass window, as
he sprang from his carriage and went slowly
across the pavement, into the bright, throngcd
shop. How should he? But little Ben Morrow 5
eyes, eager with the sickly light of starvation,
took in every detail Of the rich mans equipage,
and his purple fingers clasped one another tight
he looked
" On = he thought, " how nice it must be to
be rich-to have cushioned carriages and big
red fires. and mince pies every day Oh
wish l were rich =
/ And Ben shrank closer into his corner. as the
wind fluttered his thin, worn garment, and lifted
the curls, with freezing touch from his fore
head.
! Nor did Mr.. Almayne observe him again when
he entered his carriage, drawing on his expen-
sive fur gloves, and leaning among the velvet
cushions, with sigh scarcely less earnest than
! little Ben's had been
J The childs ideal of = a big red FIRE would
have been quite realized if he could have seen
the scarlet shine that illumed Mr.. Almavne'
luxurious drawing-rooms that night, glowing
softly on gilded tables, aabaster vases and walls
of rose and gold. While just before the genial
flame the pale widower sat- thoughtfully watch
ing the Pickering spires of green amethyst light,
and very lonely in his splendid solitude
~ wonder what made me think of home just
then he murmured, idly tapping Iii; foot upon
the velvet rug. - | wonder what alchemy con-
iurcd upon the old house under the walnut trees
and the broken bridge, where the willow hranche:
swept the watcr-thc bridge where little Glare
Willis used to sit and study her lessons, while
angled yainly for the fishes that never would
! bite How lovely she was, that golden haired
girl, with her bluc-veined forehead, and hel
| dark. downcast eyes was very much in love
with Clara Willis in those boy and girl days.
should like to know on what shore the waves o
time have cast her little barque-it is not Otter
/ that person one has known in lang syne van
ishes entirely and utterly from one horizon
Poor Clara-what glittering air palaces we bull
in the tuture-how solemnly we plightcd oul
childish troths And when | came back. viii
the fortune " on whose golden colonnades oul
fairy castle of happiness uprcared its pinnacles-
she was gone. And Mary was good wife to
me, and true-but she was not Clara Willis =
As the thought passed through his brain, he
/ instnctively glanced down at the finger upon
which he wore the betrothal gift of his dead
! wite-the ring gone
Lost-it can't be lost he murmmred td
himself, trying to think when and where he had
last observer IL. - Va! IL nave uipPISH nun
my finger without my knowledge? | must mott
fy the police at once, and have it advertised
Poor Mary ring-I would not lGse it for twice
its value and that would be no mean sum y
1t was a narrow and murky little street, with
here and there dim light fAring feebly through
the white obscurity of the driving snow bu
little Ben Morrow knew every one of its warped
hagstones by heart, and ran whstins down the
alIey-way of tall, weather stained building
undaunted hy the wind or tcmOeSt
@ See, sis, what jolly glove I've found y he
calculated, diving suddenly into narrow door
way, and coming upon a tiny room, only hal
lighted by kerosene lamp beside which sat {
woman busily at work.
Z" Halo is the fire ont ?''
Wrap this old shawl round you, Ben" salt
the woman looking up, with smile that par
took more of tears than mirth, 90 and you won
mind the cold so much. Every coal is gone ant
can't buy any more until am paid for thes
caps. Did you sell any matches ~
. Not two papers, sighed the boy. 81 wa
SO cold. Clara-I couldn't 90 round to til
houses -
" Well, never mind, Benny" she said cheer
fully. " Sit close to me, dear-we'l II keep eac
other warm. Oh, Benny, should like to hav
given you nice whole coat for Christmas"
% Don't cry, sis said the boy, leaning hi
head against her knee. Didn't you give m
your shawl for comforter, eniy | lost it tina
windy day. You're just good and sweet
you can be, Clara, and love you just as wen a
if you my whole sister instead OF only mai
q one -
She smiled through her tears.
:. What was it about glove, Ben!
He sprang suddenly up as if rememDering
"a gentleman dropped it liz the street RAJ
after the carriage but il went too fast for me II
catch up. Ism it nice, sis ??
: Very, Ben.
She drew the fur glove abstractly on her COLI
hand. and looked at the rich, dark fur.
..Whv, Ben, what's this 2
For her touch had come in contact with some
: thing in the little finger of the glove, and sh
: drew it ont. Even by the dim light of the LAM
} she saw the myriad sparkling baskets of a dla
mond ring
The gentleman must have drawn it off witt
his glove" she said, while little Ben stood by
in open-mouthed surprise and delight. - Ben
this is valuable-we ought to return 1t to til
owner at once.
- But how can we if we don't know who h
is? p said Ben.
at will be advertised, dear; every effort vii
be used to recover 80 valuable jewel. To-mor