The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1876-03-23
A TURQU0IS RING.

Hattie Thorpe, the nursery governess
sat playing at building block houses
with her two little charges, Artie, aged
nine, and Louis, aged seven. She was
only eighteen herself-a tiny girl fol
that age, with a sweet face, and evident
ly so much of child that it seemed
perfectly natural to see her with younger
children, and as much interested in
their childish games as themselves. A
most efficient nursery governess Mrs
Langley found her, as she gave the chill
dren their reading and spelling lessons
daily, and played with them at addition
and subtraction in way to make the
horrors of arithmetic quite fascinating.
She slept in their room at night, dressed
them in the mornings, and romped with
them all day, as we'll as kept a gentle
surveillance over them at the table,
where she always sat with the family,
except on grand company occasions,
when she disappeared with them into q
small temporary salon, where the three
dined together, enjoying these meals
most of any.
AS Nelly Langley told her cousin Ed.
ward, with laugh, she was not even
called upon to play the part of elder sis.
ter except when she was in the humor.
1t was perfect comfort to have a girl
like Hattie. She took all responsibility
about the children off ones mind.
Mr.. Edward Montague was wealthy
young man, and, indeed, the great catch
of the set in which Miss Langley was a
bright, particular star; and that ambi-
tious young lady left nothing undone to
captivate the heir of the family; be-
sides which she greatly admired her
cousin, and was as deeply in love with
him as any society young lady permits
herself to be before marriage or posi-
tive engagement warrants an extrava,
CANT amount of feeling.
The cousins smiled at each other as
their eyes met, after minutes survey
of the three children playing blocl,
houses. Nelly put out her hand as if
inspired to assist at the game; and then,
catching sight of her slender forefnger,
she uttered an exclamation.
"Oh, my ring my lovely ring,
Cousin Edward, that you gave me |"
"Have you lost it2" the gentleman
inquired, languidly.
" hope not this time. 1t has been
mislaid SO often, and turned up again.
But 1 shall lose it some time, 1 know.
I'm unfortunate about it. You see, on
account of the pearls, take it off every
time | wash my hands, and then l forget
to put it on again."
"Pooh 1t isn't lost, Nelly. Send
Miss Thorpe to see if you have left it on
your dressing table"
Miss Thorpe didn't wait to be sent,
but ran away at once to look for the
frin lot ", *,
and many time little Hattie had looked
on it with almost covetous glances,
longing for such ring to wear on her
own pretty finger. She returned from
her quest in a few minutes, looking dis
appointed, and saying she couldn't find
it anywhere.
You couldn't have half looked" the
young lady declared, impatiently, "be-
cause 1 know left it on the dressing
table. l remember quite we'll now, and
30 must you, Hattie. 1t was Just before
dinner, and you were there, because
you dressed my hair. Go again, Hat
tie, and look ON the window sill it's
just possible 1 might have laid it
there"
Hattie went, and was gone a long
time ; but she came back looking more
disappointed than before. She had
looked on the dressing table, on the
bureau, behind the bureau, on the floor,
on the window sill-everywhere but
not vestige of the turquois ring could
she find.
How provoking Was the window
open, did you notice 9''
eyes, Miss Helen, the window was
OPEN"
"Then it must have fallen out. Come
with me, Edward, and we will look -
and the pair went out together, while
Hattie and the boys resumed their en-
ployment.
Mr.. Montague and Miss Langley
sauntered round the house, and looked
in the grass under her window, but
without success and then they plucked
roses, and playfully pelted each other
with them, and very soon forgot all
about what they came out for, and pro-
ceeded to fiirt and make love in non
committal but delightful style, after the
most approved fashion made and pro-
vided for such cases.
The new moon was glittering like O
silver sickle in the sky before they
thought of returning to the house; and
they were brought back to the contem-
plation of such an idea by Helen re-
marking that the dew was falling, and
she dare not remain out any longer.
And haven't found my ring They
call turquois lucky stone; I'm sure
I've had the wrong kind of luck with
that one. Who could have taken it9
know left it ON the dressing table.
Some one has stolen it."
"Oh, nonsense, Nell; and never mind,
anyway. I'll get you another, and a
prettier one, without pearls on it, and
then you won't have to remove it all
the time"