The daily gazette., 1875-06-12

were very wealthy, and his father and
mine partners In business. The two
families were very intimate, so that
your father was as familiar with nv
likes and dislikes as your brother Is
with yours. l have always had
great admiration for diamonds, Ny
mother thought 1t bad taste for very
young ladies to wear them and would
never listen to my oft repeated desire
10 possess diamond ring. Your fa-
ther had long been aware of my pen
chant, and as soon as our engagement
was acknowledged and approved he
hasteaed to crafty it. nv engage.
ment ring was solitaire diamond Of
great brilliancy. In my most extraya-
giant moments I had never dreamed
OF possessing one SO beautiful. TO
say l was pleased would but family
express my feelings, when I realized
that this treasure was mine. I half
forgot, In my childish. Joy, that 1t
was token of the nfsssS important
and the most solemn step ever taken
by woman. only remembered, for
the time, that now possessed that
for which had longed ever since 1
could remember.
About month passed away, and
my admiration for my beautiful ring
had not abated in the least. On the
day on which the event occurred which
am about to relate to you my mother
and aunt were to work on this COM
Portable. How happy I was. Every
one was doing something to my future
comfort and happiness. Such stock
of table linen and bedding as was be-
ing prepared for me, and such trous-
seau as had been promised! / had
been watching the lovely flashes of
color Of my ring, and had just removed
1t from my finger to display its beau.
ties to my mother and aunt for the hun
dredth time, when the door opened
and my father entered the room, but
so changed from what he had been
when he left the house In the morning..
His face was desthly pale, his eyes
sunke n, there was nervous twitching
about the corners of the mouth, and
altogether he looked as if some sudden
and terrible calamity had befailcn him.
de sank exhausted into the nearest
chair, looking as If about to faint, when
suddenly his face flushed purple, the
veins upon his forehead swelled, until
it seems as if they could bear no fur
ther strain, and he gasped as if chok-
ing,
flames, what is the matterf" cried
my mother Fastening to his side; "what
has happened to affect you thus?"
"Eleanore,' he said, as soon as he
could command his voice sufficiently
to speak, 1--WE are ruined, all Is lost
Everything must 60 to satisfy my cre-
ditors, except the house over our heads;
that thank heaven, belongs to you. Oh!
it is hard, he continued In trembling
voice, 1T is cruel to live to this age in
luxury, and then he reduced to penury
1t is to much--I can not bear It."
He rose from ths char, tried to
speak, but seemed to choke; he grasp
ed at his neckerehief as If to tear 1t
from his neck, tottered, and fell to the
door insepsible. My mother chafed
his hands, and tried to rouse him from
his ,tupor. but In vain. A physician
was summoned, but he could do
nothing. That night my father
died.
$50 sudden had been my bereave-
ment, and 30 great the excitement and
confusion following 1t, that two days
passed before missed my engagement
ring. could not remember having
seen II since the moment of my fathers
entrance into the room, upon the day
Of his death, and although the room
was searched, and the whole house,
have not seen it from that day TO
this"
"Ofcourse you had another diamond
ring. to replace the lost one," said
Laura. who had listened to her
mothers recital with breathless atten-
ton.
mo, my child; this plain gold one
you see upon my finger was my second
engagement ring. Your father, al.
though moderately successful in busi-
ness. never felt able to replace the fist
one."
"Was 1t 80 very cos,lys" inquired
Laura.
lit cost about five hundred dollars,
Ibeliive. see you have removed
all the tufts, so we will take OH the
covering"
"Five hundred dollars, "soliloquized
Laura. "If 1 had as much as that.
Frank and could go to housekeeping
He laughed at me when said l could
furnish that little brown cottage In
Elm street for that amount. He has
boarded SO much that he knows moth
ing of coy housekeeping"
"Wby, mother, what is thatf" ex-
claimed Laura, pointing to scmthing
bright and shining in. the centre of the
sh eet of cotton, from which Mrs. Leu
uox had Just taken the delaine. 1T is
.ne lost engagement ring" ;,
Mrs. Lennox looked as II she had
saeu ghost as she gaZed upon to
ring, for there it was sure enough,
spsrkIing and flashing, where 1t had
lain for nearly twenty FIVE years.
ut is indeed my lost ring Take 6
Laura and look upon it as o slcred
Gift from your father. I am su o if
he were here, he could think Of no
better use to put it to than for you to
exchange it for money with which to
furnish house."
Laura demurred at first, but her
mother finally overcame her ob1ectieh M
and the next day they called upon a
! :--..,o, Nth whom thew were well