Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1865-06-20
NUMBER 3Ol.

''Bcn, this Is very valuable. We ought
to turn 1t over to the owner at once" ,,
How can we if we don't know who ho
is ?" said Ben. 9a ' tH r't7o9
lit will be advertised, dear; every effort
will be made to recover 80 valuable ajewel.
To. morrow morning you must borrow Il
newspaper, and we Will look over the a0-
vertisements." i'' % .hi - - ifiHti
"Sister," said Ben, under his breath, ais It
very valuable? Is 1t worth a hundred dol
lars?"
"More than that, Ben. Why" ""0 9a1
"0h, Clara !" he sobbed, burying his face
In her lap; "a hundred dollars would be 20
nice! Iwish it wasn't wrong to keep it?'
Clara did not answer. She only smooth
ed her little brothers tangled curls, and he
never knew how hard 1t was to keep back
her own tears. fr. .rH. ..I.t. l,.I-l ,,lt
Mr.. Almayne was walking impatiently
up and down his long, glitterlng suite of
rooms In the Christmas brightness Of the
nextdays' noon, when his pretty footman
presented him inthe doorway. a.pfrxo
l,"Wel, Porterg"
There's young person and little boy
down stairs, sir, about the advertisement"
'h''Ask them to walk i'm, Porter" IraaY1
Porter glanced obviously at the velvet
chairs and Wilton carpet.
"They're very shabby and muddy, SIR"
'Never mind-show them in."l 7H'ii5
i Porter departed, by no means pleased.
and in minute or two threw open the door
and announced: ...,-
"The young person and the little boy"
"Be seated" said Mr.. Almayne, courte-
oilsly. 'Can you give me any information
In regard to the ring have lost!" ,,.5
ID, Ben Morrow's sister was wrapped In
faded shawl. with thick green veil over
her face. She held out the fur glove, and
within it Il little paper box, from which
blaZed the white fire of the lost ring.
My brother found it In this glove last
night, SIR" she said in low and timid
voice. hfa .. "i ..raU ..iuUym
''The initials, M,, A., correspond with
your advertisement, SO we brought 1t at
once to the street and number specified"
Mr.. Almayne opened his pocket-bo0k
IL have promised a liberal reward" he
said, taking out a fifty dollar bill. "WiH
this be sufficient" l,.f....
Clara Willis threw back her veil. 'a
1--WE are very poor, sir" she said, ''but not
SO poor as to take reward for doing our
duty. Thank you all the same. Come,
Ben"
Henry Almayne's cheek had grown very
white as he saw the golden brai0s and clear
blue eyes of his sweet first love beneath the
faded biased bonnet. , ...,....
"Clara!' he exclaimed. "Clara Willis!
Is it possible that you do not know me9"
She turned at his wild exclamation, and
gazed fXedly at him with dawning recog-
milton. r;.-. ......
Are you-can it be that you are Henry
Almaynt?" she faltered, only halfcertain Of
the correctness OF her conjecture. .'.
He took her hand tenderly and reverently
in his. If she had been a duchess the action
could not have been more full Of courtly
respect. ". '1 n.l
"Clara, do not goyet,n he said pleatlingly.
"Let Inc unravel this strange mystery Of
our two lives, Oh, Clara! if this Christ
mas day has brought me the sunshine Which
never irradiated my life L shall bless Ii 70
my dying day!n ,.Tr yJa..i ..-.d.ry,.,
The low sun famed redly in the west be-
fore Mr. Almaynp'S carriage-the very one
which Ben so ignorantly admired the night
before-was summoned to carry Clara and
her brother, for the last time, to theirsqualid
home. FOrere the new year dawned above
the wintry earth Clara was married TO the
man who courted her under the green will
lows that overhung the wooden bridge, ten
years ago. II was very short engagement
and yet it was very1ong one. edt
And little Ben Morrow, basking in the
reflected sunshine of his sisters happiness,
found out what it was to be rich '17 ''tN