Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1869-09-23
Ass, who was lying very HAT the

MT. T9ss, who was lying very HAT the
II have brought back the cross to bs
repaired" she said, drawing the little
tooroceo case from her rich sable muff
; .The ring was too slight, and it broke
: from my necklet the second time it was
. worn. i had narrow escape of losing
it; bit Mr.. Ross found it himself upon
the lawn, trodden into the grass. ]
thought would leave it until we came
, up again. OF course you can mend it ?''
: | expressed my sorrow, and promised
to have il seen to at once
4 lyon need not hurry for a few days.
: Mr.. Ross is in town to consult Sir Eal-
: ing Dean, and fear he will send Us TO
: Madeira. The climate is killing nay
poor husbandr
The distant hauteur was all gone and
in ladylike, courteous manner, our
customer bowed to my few sympathetic
remarks, and hints ofits being an unus-
ually trying season, etc
''Our friend was delighted with the
I little bracelet, which we wish to supple
ment with something little more val
liable. Perhaps 1 could be allowed to
select a few things for you TO submit to
bis choice at the hotel? I know his
taste pretty well now, and it will save
trouble"
Anything you like to select shall be
i sent, ma'am" said; aud then l pro-
ceeded to open and display TO their best
advantage some very valuable bracelets;
which were one and all rejected.
YES" she said sadly, 'they are very
handsome; but Mr.. Ross would not like
them, 1 am sure, and it is useless to take
things on that he would not approve.
His taste was always good; and as his
health fails, it seems to have acquired
an indescribable tone that / cannot ex-
plain, except that it is artistic, and
dreamy"
i / brought out some plain but good
pearl and.diamond ornaments in suiteo,
one suite in particular taking her atten-
ton.
"Yes; 1 like that. You might send
that"
sit is suit made to order; but it
could be made again in a very short
time" said.
"That would not do, /" she said, "unless
it could be supplied in fortnight"
81 think we could get over that diff
Guilty." | said with smile; and then
bracelets, rings, chains, and Watches
certainly the most chaste and elegant
we had-were selected and put aside.
It is only fair to say" said the lady
smiling-at least, l could see that she
was smiling, in spite of her respirator-
''that Mr. Ross will not purchese many
of these elegant ornaments. l know he
would like a watch and chain, and a
ring. Perhaps, too, if he admired them,
one of those pearl suites; but / thought
it better to speak, as since his illness he
has become, not irritable-but-but per-
haps little hard to please, and should
be sorry if he rejected everything you
brought"
So much delicacy was displayed in
these remarks, that could only cOurte-
ously assure her that we should only be
too happy to attend again and again
upon Mr.. Ross, till we had hit upon
something that he admhed; and upon
promising to send the selected goods on
the next morning at eleven, our visitor
rose 70 go. &
81 would ask you to send this after
noon" said the lady, on rising, "but l
don't think Mr.. Ross quite well enough.
He saw our physician this morning, and
the interviews are always very trying
to his nerves.
placed the little cross in the work.
mems hands for repair; and the next
morning, punctually at eleven, was at
Moore's Hotel, accompanied by porter
with goodly assortment of jewelry.
A few words with the manager set ne
quite at ease, though my inquiries were
mere matter of form. Mr.. Elliston
Ross lived in Yorkshire, owned coal
mines, and was in town to visit the
court physician, Sir Ealing Dean; had
been there once before for the same
reason: perfect gentleman; his lady quite
an ~ngel-waited on him night and day.
4 IL H. M
Ross was seated-this time without her
respirator. She rose with q sad smile,
and motioned me to seat; while put
ting on her respirator, she went into the
next loom, remaining absent few min
utes; and then returned, requesting me
to bring in my cases for Mr.. Ross to see.
/ had left the porter down stairs; so,
taking up the two small leather boxes,
1 followed Mrs. Ross into q slightly
shaded room, where, looking deathly
pale, the gentleman who had visited our
place of business lay upon a couch read
ing the Times. He was attired in a
blue cloth dressing gown, and had a
small table drawn up to his side, on
which were bottle, glass, and caraffee,
which seemed to contain barley water.
He, too, wore respirator; but he re-
moved it for few moments to take a
lltIl6 pdIiCN WdlCit anu thCh NbAOiOiAy
replacing it, coughing hollowly all the
while.
"Sorry to bring you into sick room" !"
he said courteously. "Sorry, in fact, to
bring you here at all, for / would much
rather have chosen the trifie or two |
wanted at your shop trust you have
not brought many things, though?p
"Only few that Mrs. Ross thought
you-that your lady chose, sir" 1 said.
He nodded, and then listlessly exap-
ined first one and then another orna-I
ment, as 1 opened them out, but always
with dissatisfied air.
Don't you like those. dear?n said
Mrs. Ross, in rather disappointed tones.
as displayedin the best lights the pearl
suite.
"Too plain; almost yulgar.is7
might | be allowed TO suggest" |
said earnestly, s'tffat 20 see pearls to ad
vantage they must be worn. 1t is a
well-known fact that pearls are gems
which show to as great advantage upon
a dark as upon fair complexion; and if
your lady"
l paused here and glanced towards
Mrs Ross, who smiled graciously, and
then clasped the bracelets around her
shapely wrist, the necklace over her fine
throat, and 1 placed the tiara in her
hair-looking almost regal as she stood
before US.
You see the difference" 1 said draw
ing back.
"Yes, yes,n said the invalid impatient
ly; "they look well enough on her; butt
they are for quite q girl. Take them off
Lila"
Mrs. Ross obeyed. and the ornaments
were replaced in the case; when pro-
ceeded to display the other jewels, but
apparently to find no favor.
"Here, Lila, give me glass ofsherry.
Confound this thing, it almost chokes
me-" He tore off the respirator, and
hurled it to the other end of the room.