The Republican journal., 1872-11-21

said Ri
Ri had gone sleigh riding next morning
when Mr.. Rossitur called. and we had the
| drawing room to ourselves. and | can't
tell you all the splendid things he said
Tom would have called them spooney-
things that brought bushes. and made
ones heart thrill for happiness; thoughts
so well put, so softly chosen, that they
conveyed no suspicion of flattery, en-
hanced as they were with lingering sweet
ness of voice, with glances that expressed
more than lips dare utter, with brief hesi-
tations, and that lovely melancholy OF
his. making his smiles like sunshine after
a storm, and giving one the impression
of a heart struggling gracefully to forget
its sorrow, so appealing to the sensihilities
of q young and romantic gill.
How many drives and walks we had
| together later, over the country roads,
into the green heart Of winter wood. re-
turning home, rosy and blisslully weary,
to tea and toast IN the little back parlor
before the open CRATE! He never ran up
to y without remembering rs, with
out bringing back some nick nacks a
| ball of purple violets TO swing in the
| arch Il nest OF hollywood boxes painted
| in. wild flowers to remind rs Of spring
time, photographs of foreign Spiendors,
| and art Journals that we liked On his
return he would make the remark, care
lessly enough, Il met Mr.. Vanrogue at
| the bank today" or II dined with Mr.
Vogus," or ~ declined an invitation to
Mrs irundy's ball for sweet sakes."
AS matter of course two inexperienced
village girls We're ready to lall down and
| worship such hero in society, and am
not sure but we looked forward TO the
day when the Vogue would open doors to
u.s. and the Grundy iddles do US service
! When | look back upon ii. cannot be-
lieve | was in love with Mr.. Raou Ros-
| situr; but there was charm OF novelty
in his atmosphere, a flavor of romance in
his bearing, added to the knowledge that
| half the girls III town were conrtlng his
| favor and receiving none. Moreover a
young person is dangerously flHttered by
her first lover, and Tom had never said a
| soft thing to me in his lfe-no matter
| whatever he may have thought
| Well, affairs went on in this manner
for some weeks, when discovered that I
was growing Jealous of Ri jealous if he
| danced with her too often, if he leaned
over the tall back of her chair coniiden-
TALLY. | know there are some who be
| lieve that jealousy is n test Of love- but |
| do not. was never Jealous of Tom in
my life. It's test OF vanity and self
love, admit, and had a supply Of these
attributes in those days, II prime quality.
| think Mr.. Rosstur must have observed
that his attentions to ri annoyed me; for
later. he treated her with perfect cvihty
when in my presence, but also with entire
| Indifference. Now ! was fond of Ri She
might wear my trinkets, my gowns, my
laces, or anything that was mine; but
when it came to my lovers | rebeIled.
| One day the conversation turned upon
| Jewels, and | wish you could have heard
| the fine fancies he had about them; he
was like the girl in the fairy tale who
talk pearls and rubies; so that nothing
must do but | must show him my neck
| lace that descended to me from don't
| know how many great-orand-
| bless their hearts As famous As that
necklace which
| Undmc with trembling hand,
| Snatched from he wave fn IIlpbran,le''
1t came originally from Venice, had hpon
| presented at court. been shipwrecle,l.
and had seen a great deal of life no doubt.
| ''lt's my only heir LOOM" I said "ColIsin
titSlcl lHllihS IL Wotittl ne btllef thnAtr-
| ed into railway stocks and paying divid-
ends. He has no regard for olnsty heir
! looms rs he calls them; they remind him
to strongly of mortality But like to
| think of all this necklace had survived.
| just consider how many times il capered
through Lady Washington's Reel bow
much love-making ii had witnessed. how
| it has trembIed with every beat of hearts
| that beat no morci'
"Dear mer' said Ri, ''you are getting
| pathetic; handkerchiefs OUT
| And then we all laughod and Rosstur
took ii in his slender hands Just Us You
| have seen y musician handle his tavorite
violin, and leaning slightly forward placed
| it upon his neck. In u moment the whole
coil was slipping and shimmering down
| ward across the folds Of gown, like q
green and gold serpent, when he caught
| it before reaching the floor.
"Ah," said he, :" When You drop a
| Jewel, they say you lose Il friend. How is
| this ? the clasp is broken :"
"That happened years ago" answer
| ed, "lt has never been worn since grand
| mother Heaherleigh's day You see; she
wore it to Lady Somebody's ball when
she was abroad, and just stepping from
/ the door to the carriage 4 stealthy hand
reached out OF the darkness and snatched
at it. The thief only succeeded in break
| ing the clasp"
"And vou-you never wear it ?''
"Never. We have no suitable occasions
here. Tom says | must wear it to the
county ball, and he will take me"
"Anl that takes place?"
"NeXt month. Dear | must send it
| to Tom Immediately and have the fasten-
ing repaired. Won't il he lovely with
| white tulle, Rip"
can see Mr.. Rossitur now, where he
| stood at the bay window. his dark, hand
some face with its rich cnlorin@, its in,
tense brown and vivid reds; his siIken
| monstache, that the light touched and en-
| riched, curled lust enough to look fine
without appearing tnical and broad
sunbeam striking sparks from his eyes
| and slanting across the Jewels in his
hands, that seemed TO hold the lustrc OF
| the SEA wave, the green magnlicence Of
centuries of summers, and then to speak
of the green woodland places of clear
brooks sliding over rushy beds beneath
June skies, OF the first warm breath of
spring that coaXeS the crocuS from its
grave, and FURNISHES the hedges with
| leaf and blossom. Then Mr. Rossitur
| made a movement, and the sun orsook
him and fell like 4 loving hand across
Ri's shoulder and entanged itself in the
| webs of shining hair. until each separate
tilament was a welt OF red gold | re-
member wondering at the time if it was
the sun that made her lids drop and the
color deepen in Ri's check Could it have
been any glance Of Rossitnr's that stirred
| the blood at its source? | never once
| dreamed of such thing.
81 shall run down to " to-mor-
row." said Mr.. Rossitur. after pause :;
"permit me the pleasure of being of ser
vice to you. Allow me TO carry your
necklace, not to the ieweler-that is too
much to 4 k-but to Mr. Field, your
| cousin" :"
"Oh, Mr.. Rossitur Will you?" |
cried. "Will yon be bothered with it !?
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
Y, and one hesitates to entrust such a
valuable to uncertain conveyance, and
hot