The Van Buren press., 1876-06-27

Ireceived the refreshments she brough,
me gratefully. after which l was conduct.
cd to my aunt's room.
/ Consideration for the feelings of other
,eople was not one of the old lady's
characteristics, and after few dispara.
ing remarks on my personal appearance
was dismissed for the night,
J The sun was just risen next morning
then ! took courage to step outside and
lok about me.
1 The grass was very wet with dew, bu'
bw II sparkled IN that fresh light AL
once l stopped and stared before me
there, glittering in the grass, lay ring
\ stood like one fascinated, gazing at il
very ioolishly, for knew we'll What ring
lit was. Presently heard some. one call
Ing fareotf, and not stopping to think,
picked the ring up, and ran back to tht
l1ousc, all trembling.
| AT breakfast l endeavored TO discover
ithe hero and heroine OF last evenings
drama Two of the ladies were sisters,
tall, lunguid blondes, very beautifully
dressed. and very dainty. They trfed
elegantly with their knives and forks, and
carried on airy summer morning firta.
ftions with two gentlemen, who were each
dark, and, like the ladies', dressed with
care little too exquisite. The third la.
dy, Miss Huntingdon, was little person
With soft, pleasant, vivacious manners,
in whose conversation was always a con-
sealed sarcasm. But it was Ear too in
different and too good-natured to belong
to the lady of last night. Besides her
sweet mocking voice was as different as
possible from the deep, passionate tones
that had 80 thrilled me. And ofthe four
gentlemen present, certainly not one at
sll resembled the portraitI had painted
for my hero. was puzzled. and felt
sadly guilty again as l thought Of the
ring lying all silently there in my pock
ct, and carrying every where with it a
story which ! knew and had no right to
know.
Day followed day. and the days melt
ed gradually into weeks When the nov.
city of my position was over, it was 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 good
ness of her heart compensated in some
measure for the asperiiies oi her tongue
l saw a great deal Of Dr. Richardson
He was more than kind. He thought
my life lonesome and joyless, aud
brought me many books that l had long.
ed for and interested himself in little
things that happened, talking with me Of
ten, and always leaving me happier than
he found me.
But there was one thing that troubled
me much. l sometimes fancied - and
with unaccountable distress-that in DR..
bisf4eaaBd blisaf4eaaBdmp Ilahea aheaaa sAiaee&ep-ths axyeI-Q of
ried me back SO vividlyto that unfortunate
hour in the dim little alcoye, Yet when
/ looked into his face again, and into his
eyes, SO content. 50 frankly happy, this
melted into sweeter dream.
But it returned again and again. and al
ways with deeper pain. ....
The visitors l found on my arrival
were long since gone. Miss Huntingdon
lived in the neighborhood; aud it would,
perhaps, be proper to say that we be-
came quite intimate, had not all the talk
and revelation been on her side. l, fol
my part, had no adventures. and it seem.
ed to me not interesting to offer theories
to one who could narrate facts
One day she upbraided me for my want
Of codidence, but really had nothing to
tell, until at last bethought myself oI
the ring.
"How very curious! !" cried Miss Hun
tingdon; when l had ended, her brown
eyes opened wide. DO let mo see it.
! shall certainly know it if have ever
seen it before"
So took it from the case where it lay
glittering, and put it into her hands
And it was with strange foolish pans
that saw her examine it. She looked
at it with unfeigned interest.
alt is really beautiful" she said. ant
most uncommon. No, there Is not ont
among my acquaintances that l hav'
ever seen wear such ring. 1t is the cd
dest thing And it all happened the even
ing you arrived ?"
She had turned quite away from me
and was looking out of the window.
could not see her face at all.
miss Huntingdon" l said, grayely
with an emotion which l concealed a
we'll as was able, will you answer III
question truthfuliy2
ANY question that friend may ask
l will answer trnthfully." She did no
turn toward me as she spoke
"Well, then, was it not you yoursel
who threw this ring away p
Now. she did turn, and looked me frank
ly in the eyes.
Truthfully. it was not l."
" Thank you-oh, thank your
Why did l furtively kiss the ring
Why, if she had said +" Yes," would
in turn. have thrown it passionately away
All ! the reader guosses,
1t was perhaps fortnight after tina
that | sat alone at my window watching
the sun set beyond the hills, white will
snow, but seeing it as one sees in dream
All my thoughts were wandering towar'
"a happy hour last evening. when DR.
Richardson had asked me to be his wife
From thence the days fed by like
dream. They were SO happy, but 90
short-that was all had to complain OF
and they too rapidly brought near da.
that longed for aud yet dreaded. AM
it is sad confession--fort the first tim
in my life looked at myself often in th
/ mirror. 1t seemed as if | had sudden,
grown almost pretty, There was pin
/ coIor in nv choeks, nv palc eyes bai