The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1876-08-24
gtnaersaa gatslsigeaeer.
THE STORY OF A RING.

I had arrived, about ten minutes before,
at the house of an aunt whom had
never seen; and; who was sick l12was to
be her nurse and companion. Her ser
want had shown me into this wretched
trap, as I now called it, in anguish of
spirit, though it was really pretty,
cheerful little room, opening by a cur
tained arch from the paraor, informing
me that the housekeeper would be there
Immediately to conduct me to my aunt.
And here was /, an utter stranger, assist
ing alta 7oysrsTqu z Ii
Two persons had entered the room an
!, instant after had seated myself 1t was
;. twilight, and the lamps were not lighted.
u I;was wholly invisible, and they evident
ualy imagined themselves to possess the
~ solitude beftting their conversation. a
% "The farce may as we'll end here" had
said a woman's voice at the moment Of,
her crossing the threshold. "For my
psrt tEFtaW awsary5of the play 1 NO
longer love you, and I will not pretend'
y affection merely to feed your vanity,
: which; is as limitless as your impertinence
). in persishng in attentions that you see /
detest.' j., e; ..:.;,t.
"a Itwas the most intolerably proud voice
that could be imagined.
~ stlt dove you, and you know it.
And have far too, much faith in your
Z former professions to credit the words
put into your mouth by the anger of an
unfortunate moment. You are utterly
mitaken in your supposition. My love,
tor aEsslyy sos tslalyaysil asyyil e tggoQ% TOO ~ ,,;.tl
an accent of angry seorn that deE$ de-
scription. "Neyer tdare to mention to
,1ie again a word that you cannot COM
prehend. i is a1 insult sy to me to hear it
IAN insulEtha1 Il SiAanbt endure. And
to cure your apprehension. of my. repent
anee,. let me: tell you that !, who know
the meaning of this word that you utter
-ass{ sas s{sBbss sRIy 6 ffs siadS9v and
threw it open There vas an ,instant's
silence, There, Mas audible the rustic of
:aer sleeve as she tossed something from
hea r. with shJ JsesssSARgAA; g5I,S s.. .v.v .hs
explained, with "a ,sonsh ddlatce in extraor-
dinary contrast with her former violence.
1E gs AppM S1Yfa lkSa So s. laO'cs q
other, and gone down inte the water. |
hope so. In that, case it is impossible
that the sight of it can ever again insult
me with the remembrance that have
worn 1T. Kermit me toIwisR yop an exy
ceedinsla gobd deYeGigs" ! 4
It was easy to imagine the mockings
,eyerence Of, the courtesy she, now swept
1essy h6iim;S then she vas gone. lEImms diaseiy
afsaS and, silently hesaiso leftths apart
TSsy dia aot Satg go toosoon, s5a Whoever Viz til ey
were.a AZ cold pefspiration 'dampened my
',rehead; freally tremhled. The vehe-i
ence of the feelings engaged, the cer-r
.iintyfslt by the actors Of their complete
isolation, and my own innocent guilt in
overhearing, all quite overpowered me.
Half a minute did not ,elapse after the
last sound of the. gentleman's footsteps
before the parlor door again opened, and
a .prim little woman, entered, with lamp
in her hand. She looked in all the
\ corners, as one might search for dropped
pocket handkerchief, and at last per.
c.eived the newcomer. .3s u5,.i:ra iui
"Ah, miss, have kept you waiting
quite time, to be sureH But your aunt
took sudden notion to put mustard
draughts on her ankles though DR.
Richardson had Just gone, and he never
thought of ordering them land have 'ene
she must. And supposed you'd be
comfortable here."' a.. s,.iI.rs II :.
servant said you would come presently"
"Weil,Iyou,d best have sometea before
you see see your aunt. She told me to give
you some. IIshaH try to. find something
you like; though what with all these:
people flying about the house that have,
cot no business here--this company, L
mean-I. don't know whether lam on my
head or fee" ~, t,va Jr [rl3
Ireceived the refreshments she brought
NE gratefully, after which ! was CON
Quoted to my aunfs room. 7i.d ro7nloI
Consideration for the feelings of, other
7. people was mot one of the 'oldnQady's
characteristics, and after "a few 'dispafag-
ing remarks on my personal appearance, /
was dismissed for the pighty0
The sun was Just risen, next morning
when I took courage, to step outside and
,',leo,k, about me. The grass Was Yeryrwet
with devil hut how il sparkled in that
d fresh light1 3eAHsatlonce I stopped and
stared shout merr9 There, Sglitteting in
the grass, lay q Tingg:a st6saId ts6sI IKE one
fascinated, gazing at it vety foolishly, for
i knew well what ring it was. Presently
I. 7 heard some one calling cfarlof;9 ;9andlnpt
stopping to think, Il picked the sGing hp,
q and ran back to $hee house, all trembling.
Y Ato breakfast Z endeayofe II? discover
the hero and heroine of last evenings
drama. Two Of The ladies were sisters.
til, lapguid blondesg very beautifully,
dressed, and very daintyH They trifedt
elegantly with their knives and forksg
SisaaiioEsswitH iEs as II swS santiemSn. aRosWels
each dark, and, like the ladies, dressed
with care little too exquisite. The
third lady, Miss Huntingdon, was little
perssnyWith1 soft, pleasant yiyacious
MANNERS, in whose conversation was al
ways a concealed sarcasm. But it was
far too Indifferent and too good-natured
te belong to the lady Of last night Be-
kdes, shes sweet hockhs EG$ ew@ as
siEefeht asppssible Fons Rle aSeF, pas
sNJhaM zones that Had 80 thrilled sme. =,
And of the four gentlemen present, Ger !.
tainly not one at all resembfed the por-
trait I had painted for my hero. was
puzzled, and felt sadly guilty again asII
thought Of the ring lying all silently
there in my pocket, and carrying every--
where with it story which l knew and
etat norightto know.;E fsGI MTp
81 Day followed day, and the dsyysmsfted
gradually into weeks. When the novelty
Of my position was over. it proved not
nearly SO terrible .as, it had seemed at
first. Aunt Agnes said many harsh
things, but she did not mean them all,
and the goodness of her heart compen-
sated in some measure fors the aspeIties
Of her tongue.
saw great deal of DR.. Richardson.
He WAS more than kind. He thought.