The Van Buren press., 1874-11-17
MISCELLANY.
Diamonds.

=
another cigar, " it's Just this The fel-
low wasn't rich fellow, you know he
took place as secretary, or something,
with fellow like the Wandering jew
! No one knew how old he was; and he
spent his time and money collecting big
! diamonds DIAMONDS, some OF
them, you know-that he got of Wild iel
| lows that never guessed their value, and
some that he took for debts, and some
that he got, goodness knows how. Aud
he travelled all over the world with this
fellow with him, don't you see, and got
| fond of him, and all that, and at last was
taken i'll, paralyzed or something; and
| this fellow, who knew on which side his
bread was buttered, waited on him, nurs
ed him, carried him about, saved him
from being robbed and murdered, be
| lieve; and so, when the old fellow died,
/ he lett all his diamonds to thisyoung iel
low, don't you see? And he's enormous
| ly rich. and he's here for tho summer.
and every girl in the place will set her
cap for him--of course, you among the
rest
Nonsense, " cried the girls in chorus.
"Absurd AS il we But tell us, is
he handsome 2"
"No, sad the cousin.
But he was. The girls saw him soon
after on the piazza Of the hotel, and dec
ded that Charles was either envious or
had no taste, He was charming. A lit
tie fellow to be sure, but with JET black
hair, and big oriental, yelvety eyes. lie
! had white hands. too, and chin like a
Greek statue, and wore one of the dia.
monds in his bosom and another on his
finger.
Wouldn't set Of that size look well
in my ears ?" thought Elsie Rune, as she
peeped into her glass that night and re-
membered them :" And I'm sure he
looked at me. Oh, dear, | do believe
I'm falling in love with him. "
Grace, said Maud Ripley to her sis
ter, at almost the same moment,
4" shouldn't you think that so very dark
man-would fancy perfect blonde
Now Elsie believes dark man will fall
in love with her, she is 80 vain, There
are laws and rules about such things as
often tell her; and you never see dark
woman adored by dark man.
I'm sure | don't know, said Grace,
81 should think it was persons ways
you'd like not his colorng.
That is because you are neither one
| nor tothcr, said Maud. "sDat s!aoro'a
no one talking to you, child. "
Other girls in tire hotel were spcculat
| ing on the hero OF the diamonds, and
others levelled the downright glances that
American bellies bestow upon "the gen
tlemen, at the young man whenever he
appeared in the parlors or on the beach !,
but Maud and Grace Ripley and Elsie
Rune were blessed with cousin who
was not unwilling to see any, or all of
them, married as soon as pos ible, and
who had made acquaintance with the
stranger on board the ocean steamer in
which they had sailed together, so that
the introductions were neatly managed.
Rides, drives and sails followed ; and
the best match at Newport that season
cast at the very feet of the prettiest girl
there for though Grace was neither n
brunette like Elsie, nor a blonde like
Maud, she had two dimples in her checks
and another in her chin, and the checks
were earmiBe and the chin pearl. Then
too, she was gentle, sweet and tender /;
while Elsie and Maud, though brighter
and possessed of more dplomb, were al
ready little hard and worldly, hirts of
the frst water, and with a keen eye to the
Advantage Of position and money.
No prudent chaperone was needed to
warn them from the ineligibles; while
Grace was fore,er making goose Of
herself by melting little toward penn
less boys and young students OF art and
medicine.
Secretly, however, Grace had already
bestowed genuine admiration on this
man OF many diamonds His wealth had
nothing to do with it She liked his
songs, his voice, his face, the things he
said, and she gave little smothered sigh
now and then when she remembered that
she was not a beauty like Maud or Elsie.
He would like Elsie, of course. She
must not think Of him, she must drive
him from her mind, and she strove hard
TO do SO, while the other girls pltted
themselves against each other, aud be-
wildered The young millionaire rs man
was never bewildered before. For years
he had seen no female society, but lived
the life OF a hermit, and the sudden dawn
Of all this young beauty upon him made
him ready TO cXclalm
.IIow happy ] could be with either. were
tother dear chrmer a"ay.
First he made love to one girl, then To
the other Innocent little Grace had her
share of laltpry aud smiles, aud all New
mort declared that the diamond man +"
would surely marry one of them.
At last climax came. One evening
Maud stole to her room, with diamond
ring on her finger The next Elsie had
one in her pocket book, and on the third
little Grace had great glttering thing
under the candle flame. and whispered :;
81 wonder what he meant by itF
To Elsie the young man had sail
Amething about diamonds matching
her eyes.
TO Maud he had said that this diamond
would. for the first time, become precious
if she wore IL.
To Grace nothing Of the sort Al
first she had refused to take it, but he
had answered
IL gave your sister Maud one last
night. "
And then she had slipped it on her
finger
A tear rs bright as the little gem fell