Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1872-06-22

situr took it in his slender hands
Just as you have seen musician
handle his favorite violin, and lean
IN" cljrh'lv forwqrd rlacod it upon
uy neck. Ia lDUmunt The Whole
coil was slipping and shimmerlng
downward across the folds of gown,
like Il green and gold serpent, when
he caught it before reaching the
floor.
"Ah," he said, "when you drop a
iewal, they say, you lose a friend
How is this? the clasp is broken?'
"That happened years ago, l an
swered. ut has never been worn
since grandmother Heatherleigh's
day you see; she wore it to Lady
Somebody's ball, when sne was
abroad, and just stepping from the
door to the carriage stealthy hand
reached out of the darkness and
snatched at it. The thief only sue
ceeded in breaking the clasp.
"And you-yOu never wear lt?'
"Never. We have no suitable oc-
casions here. Tom says l must wear
it to the county ball, and he will take
me-"
"And that takes place."
"Next month Dear me- l must
send it to Tom Immediately and have
the fastening repaired. Won't it be
lovely with white tule, Ri?'
can see Mr.. Rossitur now, whel e
he stood at the bay-w ndow, his dark,
handsome face with its rich color
ing, its intense brown and vivid reds;
his silken moustache, that the light
touched and enriched, curled just
enough to look fine without appear
ing fnical, and a broad sunbeam
striking sparks from his eyes and
slantiDg across the jewels in his
hands, that seemed to hold the lus-
tre of the sea wave, the green mag
nifcence of centuries of summers,
and then to speak of the green
woodland places, Of clear brooks sill
ding over rushy beds beneath June
skies, of the first warm breath Of
spring that coa1es the crocus from
its grave and Furnishes the hedges
with leaf and blossom. Then Mr.,
Rossitur made a movement, and the
sun forsook him and fell like a low
ing ban acr, IS Ri S shoulder, and
entangled itself in ihe webs Of shi-
ming hair, until e,ch separate fila
ment WAS a woft Of red gold. I'o-
member wondering at the time if il
was the sun that made her lids drop
and the color deepen in Ri's cheek.
Could it have been any glance OF
Rossitur's that stirred the blood at
its source? l never once dreamed
of such a thing
81 shall run down to X to-
morrow" said Mr.. Rossitur, after a
pause; "permit the pleasure OF being
of service to you, Allow me to carry
your necklace, not to the jewelIer
that is too much to ask-but to
Mr.. Field your cousin.
ooh, Mr.. Rossitur! Will you?' |
cried "Will you be bothered with
1t? You are so kind! You see, ]
forgot to give it to Tom when he was
here last, and there are no expresses
between here and X, and one
hesitates to entrust such n valuable
to uncertain conveyance, and Tom
may not come again before it's toe
late, Ga, you will .oblige me very
muchl
81 will give you a receipt for it,
said he shutting the case with
snap, and taking out his pencil.
"What nonsense" said Ri.
"Oh, not at all. How do yor
know that | am trustworthy? h(
laughed.
"By intuition" And then we al
; had our little jokes, while he wrote
his receipt and gave it to me.
| came across it not long ago
among other worthless things, yel
low as guineas, and showed it tt
Tom; and Tom laughed and wonder
ed how 1 could have been so green
as to fancy it of service, supposinI
Raoul Rossitur had chosen to abscon(
with my Jewels? "Its pretty be
ginning toward your collection of ia
nous autographs" said he.
Mr.. Rossitur was absent for feS
days, and in the interval ! receive,
a letter from Tom, saying that tn
necklace had arrived safely, and b
, would bring it when he came to at
tend the county ball; adding, "Ml
, Rossitur improves on acquaintance
, and--well l should be willing to sac
rifce good deal for your happi
, ness | don't know whyI was so AT
CRY with Tom for that clause unless
seemed as in he were resigning IN
= too willingly, though heaven know
r he never made any claim. PerhaF
it was the saving clause, howeve
that made me hesitate when Nj
Q Rossitur proposed, as he did som'
J, what later. Marry and go away frol
J: Tom and all his interests? Ho
: could l ever think of such thinI
Suddenly 1 understood that all III
= happiness in life depended upon To
. that his homo comings were tt
= grand crisis of my existencel Mari
any one else? No, thank you NJ
;. Rossitur.
,, Mr.. Ro.situr did not tear himst
" away instantly; he staid awhile, al
y " made pretense of urging his sut
= and finally said he should return
q summer.
y The time drew nigh for the coun
ball, and all the world was in flu
ter of expectancy. One day when
d crowd of our friends were togeth
J. talking over toilettes, some one l
II marked: r..."
r "What a pity, Mr.. Rossitur d
,r not stay FOX il! Dear me, how :