The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1870-08-19
#isesIIany.
SAVED BY A RING.

He had heard the boats keel graf
ON the sand half an hour before, ant
he knew his ship but waited for him Ii
the harbor below to lit her anchor, an<
away; and when before had he beei
last on board? Standing in the deeI
embraSure of window, q glance with
out now and then showed him the tws
sailors walking impatiently up and
down the beach; but still he fingered
watching q little figure that danced q,
lightly as if Captain Charley Graysor
were no more to her than any otheI
sailor that came and went from Rock.
port.
The least bit of q figure it was, viii
great, deep, baby-blue eyes, q Skin
white as milk, a mouth like rips
cherry, and hair, not gold nor flax, but
just yellow, with not straight inch In
one of its curling threads, Captain
Grayson looked at this pretty creature
and asked himself if it wasn't all 9
dream that that cherry mouth had
kissed him only the night before; that
the yellow clrls had fl0ated over his
shoulder, while the baby blue eyes had
looked up in his dark ones, with tears
for his going. She hadn't missed Q
dance that evening, but never once had
danced with him; end as for the air at
the North Pole, that he had breathed
more than once, it wasn't to be COM
pared with the atmosphere that sur
rounded her for him, though there were
smiles enough, and to spare, he thought,
| for everybody else. =. .rs
What did it all mean? Was it true,
What Basil French said of her, that
Virginia Lawton was the veriest fiirt
in Christendon? He couldn't-he
wouldn't believe it. Well, the stars
were growing pale in the skies, and he
must be gone. But he must speak
with her first, il he had to interrupt
her in the midst of a dance. Did she
think he could vow everlasting love to
a woman one night, and leave her the
next for voyage half round the world
without a word?
Fortune favored him little, for just
then, for the first time since he had en-
tered the ballroom, Virginia stood q
little apart and alone between the dam
ces. Captain Grayson crossed the
room, and said, almost imperatively.
Come into the garden a minute, Ge-
ME. / must be gone in five minutes"
Indeed, Grayson," she answered
coldly, 1.-the dew would do neither me
no my dress good, fancy. Since you
are going, goOd-byw
And, quick as flash, she slipped a
ring from her finger; and as she gave
him her hand, as if in farewell, she
left the ring-the ring that had been
his token of betrothal-in his hand as
she Withdrew her own.
Then the music began. Somebody
came up, and claimed Virginia for the
dance, and Captain GraysOn found
himself out in the garden about mo-
Inent afterwards, without the slightest
recollection of coming thither. The
ring was still in his hand. Should he
cast it away? Somehow he could hard
ly do it. She had worn it on her little
white hand, and he was one that was
slow at unloving. And as he had held
it, feeling more bewildered than angry
yet, Basil French, his old friend, came
up to the gravel walk. "a
"You here, Charley?" he said.
"Why, / thought you out of sight of
land BY this time. What's up, old fell
low?"
"Eyerything," said Grayson, im-s
pulsively, opening his hand, and dis
closing the ring.
Basil French laid luis hand ON his
friends shoulder. -s- -.4
~ didn't thing you were so hard hit,
Charley. She has served you better
than most" he added a little grimly.
"I think her jewel-box must be quite
well filled"
At that, the ring sped out of Captain
GraysOn's hand with emphasis.
"Good-by, Basil,n he said. "My
men down at the boat have waited long
enough for this FOOLS play"
er in the garden after Grayson's depart
ure, pacing up and down the walks
with quick step, and smiling once
in while as if his thoughts were pleas
ant; and yet the moonlight falling full
on his face, scarcely showed pleasant
smile. Once he stopped, and picked
up something, and put it in his pocket.
Who knows but it may save me
buying ?" he said, in a low under
tone. "Two engagement rings exact
ly alike would be a romantic coinci-
dence, and all women love romance
pretty fools !"
you've had a merry night of it,
haven't you, child ?" said Mr.. Lawton,
as the carriage whirled them home
wards at last, just as the gray dawn
was peeping over the hills. ~ was
such an old fool seeing you SO gay, that
1 couldn't bear to take you away, and
here's daylight close at our heels.
Come, your old father is about as good
to you as any of those young pOpin-
jays could be that were SO thick round
you tonight, eh, Genie?"
The young girl crept a little nearer
her father, and laid her cheek fondly
against his. How happy he thought
she was, his gay, light-hearted Virgin
ia! If everybody could he so cared for
and protected as was this fair child of
his Ah, but there is no garrison for a
woman's heart, no fortress through
which the arrow of treachery and de-
ceit may not find its mark.
Virginia Lawton's feet had been
much lighter than her heart that night,
for she was proud and had plenty OF
spirit, for all her childish look, and no
man should imagine that she wore the
willow for him. She had come into
the ballroom with o shadow on her
bright spirit, it is true, for the parting
that was so near; but to be wTetched
when one loves and is loved again is
hardly possible. Yonth and hope and
love build such rainbow bridges across
absence. Some caprice had led her to
ask of Grayson not to speak of their
to her father.
"Wait till you come back, Charley"
she said. "You now it is all right,
for he likes nobody as well as you.
He's such tease, 1 should have no
peace of my life if he knew"
Grayson had told her that he should
not be able to come early to the ball
he was so busy getting ready to sail I;
but come he certainly would, to dance
at least one dance with the "sweetest
lass in all the round world" to whisp-
er something besides "gOod-by" i'm
a the ear that no sea-shell of any shore |
he ever trod matched"
Perhaps some memory of words like |
these haunted her brain, for her cheeks
were like rose-leaves, and her mouth |
smiled as If some one were speaking |
to her as she stood by window alone. |
1t was but for a moment; the same |
one came up. OF course she had q
bright smile for Basil French. Wasn't |
he Charley's best friend-the man who
owed his life to her gallant lover?
He was a handsome, frank, OPEN |
hearted looking fellow, you would have
said. His forehead was broad and
white, with brown hair waving back |
from it, his nose straight and shapely,
and his mouth smiling. If there was |
any fault to be found with his face, it |
was with his eyes. Perhaps it was