The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1869-08-27


fair complexion and if your lady"
1 paused here, and glanced towards Mrs.
Ross, who smiled graciously, and then
clasped the bracelets round her shapely
wrist, the necklace over her flne throat,
and placed the tiara in her Unlocking
almost regal as she stood before us.
"You see the difference" l said, draw
ing back. .,.r,
"they look well enough on her but they
are for quite a girL-Take them of,
Lila"
Mrs. Ross obeyed, and the ornaments
were replaced in the case; when / pro-
coed to display the other jewels, but ap-
parently to find no favor.
"Here, Lila, give me glass of sherry
-Confound this thing, it almost chokes
me-" He tore off the respirator, and
hurled it to the other end of the room.
For my sake, DEAR" l heard her whis-
per to him, as, stepping lightly across the
room, she picked up the respirator, and
brought it back.
"Well, there; get out the sherry, then"
he said, pettishly, as he took back the in
strument.
"No, no, dear; Sir Ealing said"
"Confound Sir Ealing! III am to die,
let me die comfortably, and not to be tor
tured to death. Get out the sherry, l say,
the port too"
saw a tear trickle down Mrs. Ross
cheek as she fetched couple of decanters
from sideboard where they stood with
glasses.
Haven't you some cake, or did you
send it DOWN." he said impatiently.
Il have it here, DEAR" said Mrs. Ross
softly and she placed portion of small
pound-cake upon the table.
"Give me glass of sherry" he said,
mpatiently.-"No, not that glass-the
other-Mr-Id don't know your name-try
that sherry" He slipped little. you'll
find it very good"
al thank you," 1 said quietly; but I
never take wine in business hours"
Wont you try the port, then? p he
said.
would much rather not" I replied.
"A little cake?" suggested the lady.
eve are simple country people, and not
much acquainted with London etiquette.
Pray, excuse us if we trespass"
l bowed, and declined, when Mrs. Ross
re-adjusted her husbands respirator, lean
ing over him the while.
"NOw let me see that bracelet" said
Mr.. Ross, pointing to one upon the table.
"But are these all you have brought?"
"Yes, sir" 1 said; "but can easily
bring a fresh lection,"-though had
brought over two thousand pounds
worth.
"Hem, yes" he said; "of course do
you like that bracelet, Lila? ?"
"Yes," said Mrs. Ross "Ipicked it out
particularly yesterday. That emerald is so
beautiful"
"Put it on" he said, CURLY; and she
clasped it upon her arm.
"How much ?" he said, shortly.
"Thirty-five guineas," replied.
Dear" he said-"very dear. The
bracelet we bought at the shop was far
more handsome at the same money"
mo, love; it was sixty guineas," said
Mrs. Ross
"Ahl was it? I forgot" he said, care
lessly. "Well, lay that aside: don't
want you to come for nothing"
/ fastened to assure him that it was the
wish of the firm to satisfy their patrons as
well as to sell their jewelry, and that we
should only be too happy to bring or send
on fresh selection for his choice.
He assented almost rudely, and turned
over the various rings, asking the prices
VI ONtIN ll,t
when, suddenly throwing himself i'm
patiently back, he exclaimed, "Good
heavens, Lila, this room is insufferable (;
throw some of that vinegar about"
Mrs. Ross smiled family and taking a
flexible tube from the mantelpiece, she
pressed it, so that in a fine shower finely
scented aromatic vinegar diffused re-
| freshing perfume through the room.
"That's better" he exclaimed" Now
show me those pearls again. How much
did you say they were?"
Four hundred guineas the suite"
said, Fastening to lay them before him.
Take them awayr' he exclaimed. II can't
"afford four hundred guineas; four hun
dred shillings more likely. The confound-
ed doctor is running me. Let me look at the
watches; or, stay, let me look at the pearls
again.-No; never mind, l won't have
them unless you will take half the money"
l smiled and shook my head. 1--WE are
n dealers of that sort, sir" l ventured
to say.
II don't know-I don't know. 1 believe
you jewellers get most terrible profits.
| Show me the watches"
Twas fastening to place the halfdozen 1
had with me in his hands, when he ex-
claimed again: "Insufferable! Have you
any more of that vinegar, Lilla?"
Mrs. Ross nodded; and taking a cut
glass bottle from her pocket, she placed it
with handkerchief by his side
"No, no" he SAID, giving me back the
watches. Sprinkle the room with another
of those tubes-Now you I'll have that
little plain watch. I'm getting tired of
this. Let me have chain to match-a fine
one, mind-the thinnest you have-and
that will do for today"
As selected four or five chains, after
putting the watch aside, Mrs. Ross took
up another tube, unscrewed it, and then
| appeared to be taking especial notice of the
chains which bore across to the invalid
"Those are sweetly pretty" she ex-
claimed II don't remember noticing
them so much yesterday"
As she spoke, she stood close to my side,
when, the invalid exclaimed impatiently !:
"There, pray, be quick, dear; and at
one and the same moment, he poured out
the contents of his bottle upon his hand
kerchief and / felt a fine spray of
peculiar odor playing right in my nostrils.
l started back, gasping and astounded,
when, leaping from the couch, the invalid
exclaimed: GOOD heavens, sir, you are
unwell!" and he covered MY face and
ucSt WIFI Tic NCt HdHuhcTCulc1,
me backwards into chair
believe that struggled, but only fee
bly, for strange, delicious, enervating lam
guor was stealing over me; sawithings
mistily but still with an understanding
mind seeing, though unable to move hand
or foot, that the invalid was bending over
me, while Mrs. Ross was hastily placing
the various articles of jewellery in her
pocket.
Isaw all that, but in dreamy, untroubled
way, for it seemed then to be not of the
slightest cOnsequence,-nott to concern me.
Then | have some recollection of an in
tensely cold sensation as of cold water be-
ing poured over my face, while my next
impression is of hearing closing door
and the click of a lock.
How long l remained in that condition,
l never knew; but by degrees l woke to a
feeling of deadly nausea; my head swan,
my temples throbbed, and everything l
gaZed upon was seen through a mist of
dancing NOTES. But by degrees thoughts
of the present began to take the place of
the dreamy imaginings of the past. l
started up and looked around, to find that
| was still in the inner room; but the
jewels-the cases-where was the invalid
where Mrs. Ross? Was it true or was
it some strange vision! 1t was impossi-
BILE that l could have been duped like that
l ran to the door-astened. The other
door,-locked on the outside. l darted
across to the bell, but in doing so, caught
G. IN, fla fol, 90, ,oI