The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1876-08-25
A BIT OF LACE.
From Harper's Bazar.l

lace, papa"
| II dare cay, Flor"
| "But | want you to look at it,"
al shouldn't know anything more about
it il did,"
"WeTl, then, want you to buy it,"
"Buy il! What forw
hy, for me-"
"Pay $500 for handkerchief for you ?"
eyes, indeed. All other girls have
them, although certainly this is little,
the least little, nicer than theirs. don't
know why Lucy should have a hand
somer handkerchief than l. just because
she's married. Any body else wou d say
it was enough to be married, and so let
me have the handkerchief. Married
women have every thing-love, lace and
diamonds. Now, papa, just take out
your pocket-book." IL was a coaxlng
voice.
DO you suppose carry $500 bills in
my pocket-bookW
at makes no odds. Your check k-book,
lthen. | have set my heart on it, it's
such beauty. If you only look at it
look at that wreath of flowers, all so deli
cately shaded; here the close work in
the light, you see, there the open w Jrk
in the shade, SO perfect you can quite
fancy the colOrs; and all done in this
| one thread. See, papa, there's a dew
| drop, that round hole in the mesh"
"Nonsense, Flor; can't see anything
of the nd tnere."
| "Tuat's because your eye isn't edu-
Gated, sir. Nine is; for have studied
other peoples laces till l could almost
work them. That's good man! l knew
YOU would. You always do. One, two,
ihreew And then there was shower
of kisses and tinkhng laughter. And
| that was the conversation o, a million
aire and his daughter that LuCien NAL
vim heard over the trans0m Of the next
room to his in the hotel where
he spaid over night year or
| two ago, seeing neither people
nor handkerchief, and aghast at
the thought of n handkerchief costing
the awful price of 5000, when was one
third oil the mortgage ON his little place
| that be was trying TO pay of, hear and
soul--a CONVERSATION tnat now required
| to him in a moment of real agony, as the
housemaid stood before him holding
little limp rag in her hand that she had
lust snatcheu out Of the Washtub, and
that last night was bit of dainty lace
that Miss Rosa Mercier had called her
handkerchief, and had given him TO hold
during the gallop. Good heavens, how
was he ever going to restore it!
| He was a young lawyer, just entering
| upon what in Time would probably be
| hue practice, but which was now rather
empirical. He had started in the race
Tor wealth and honor with good legal
ability, good name and good m0rals, and
with no other impedlment than a little
paLrimony in tue shape of a modest
| dwelling in the suburbs, which he had
| been obliged to mortgage Tor the means
70 get a part OF his education and
| profession, which mortgage he was
| striving to pay of, t.. 1T he might
| besin the future clear of The
world. He was handsome fellow, this
| Lucian MalEln, an ambitious one, too,
in some degree, and very nearly as proud
as Luciier. He used to feel many paIlg
in the association OF those SO mucn
wealthier than himself to which certain
circumstances mad subjected him. He
mad an important case acCi ientally
thrown into his hands, and had acquiL-
ted himself so well that the wealthy
client took him up and would not let
him down; aud when Luclan remon-
stl ated that it was out of his power to
keep up such association, and
was mortifying to his pride be-
sides, the client had assured him it was
not pl ide, but vanity that was morlI-
fed, and that the way 10 he as wealthy
as those he met was to keep their COM
pany and get their cases; aud he had
thought, on the whole, that perhaps has
friend was right, and that, il he began
to yield with an ignoble motive, he mad
nevertheless become very iond OF the
liways OF people TO whom wealth had
given every opportunity Of culture ana
grace, and who knew how to treat lie
like "a work OF art. Moreover, it was not
a little that he was peCted by various OF
these good people. Certain mo therly la
dies made him at home with them,
and won his confidence and
affection - notably Mrs. Barnet
ia. Parents with good rent
rolls OF their own, AS Mrs. Barnetta used
to tell him, were not SO Inconsistent in
the matter of rent.rOlls as OF virtue and
talent IN their daughters husbands; and
he was invited mere and invited there,
and given to understand great deal
more than be chose TO understand.
Proud as Lucller, AS 1T was previously
stated, he was going to marry no heir
ess oil them all and be the thrall OF her
money: ne would not marry rich Wo-
man, he could not marry q poor one.
When he married be was going to give,
not take, and at present he had nothing
to give. Perhaps he would have been u
nobler person II he had not been quite
so strenuous in this matter Of obligation;
but then, as Mrs. Barnetta SAID, he
would not have been Lucian MalVin,
and Luolan MalVin was very good tel-
low, alter all, and there are but few Of
US but have our faults.
1t was among these people that he
happened to meet Rosa Mercier. She
mad come from distant place, and was
visiting his pleasantest acquaintance;
and Ger tainly the house was pleasanGer
still after her sunshiny little presence
dawned on 1t. IL seemed as ii, for in-
stance, there never had been any flowers
in the house before, although it had al
ways been overtiowing; it seemed as II
there had been no music there, no light,
or color, or cheer; and now the place
was too dangerously delightful for a
young man who did not want to marry
10 frequent. She was suen lovely lit
tie th4ng, not exsetly beautiful, tAat 10,
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