The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1876-06-15
A TURQUOISE RING.

Hattie Thorpe, the nursery COVER
ness, sat playing at building block
houses with her two little charges,
Artie, aged nine, Louis, aged seven.
She was only eighteen hersolf-a
tiny girl for that age, with a sweet
baby-facc, and evidently so much of
a child that it seemed perfectly nat
ural to see her with younger chill
drcn, and as much interested in their
childish games as themselves. A
most efficient nursery govcrncss Mrs.
Langley found her, as she gave the
children their reading and spelling
lessons daily, and played with them
ut addition and subtraction in a way
to make the horrors of arithmetic
quite fascinating. She slept in their
room at night, dressed them in the
morning, and romped with them
all day, as well as kept gentle sur
vcillance over them at the table,
where she always sat with the fami-
ly, except on grand company occa-
sions, when she disappeared with
them into Il small temporary salon a
manger, where they three dined to-
gother, enjoying these meals most of
any
As Nelly Langley told her cousin
Edward, with laugh, she was not
even called upon to play the part of
elder sister except when she was in
the humor. 1t was n perfect comfort
to have a girl like Hattie. She took
all responsibility about the children
off ones mind.
Cousin Edward laughed, too, when
she said it; but perhaps it occurred
to him that little responsibility
about the children now and then
would do Nelly good, while a little
less might occasionally relieve Miss
Thorpe, for Artic and Louis, though
chcrubs in a general way, were not
always angels. But he felt no dispo-
sition to argue the point with the
handsome, brilliant girl, who always
received him with smiles, deferred to
his opinions, played her best music
for him in her finest style, and show
ed in her whole manner that she
her cousin Edward the
choice specimen of manhood in the
universe. Mr.. Edward Montague
was Il wealthy young man, and, in
deed, the great catch of the set in
which Miss Langley was n bright
particular star; and that ambitious
young lady was credit to her man.
mas bringing up, and left nothing
umdonc to captivate the heir of the
family; besides which she greatly ad-
mircd her cousin, and was as deeply
in love with him as any society
young lady permits herself to be be-
fore marriage or q positive engage
mcnt,warrants such an extravagant
amount of feeling.
The cousins smiled at each other
as their eyes met, after minutes
survey of the three children playing
block-housos. Nelly put out her
hand as if inspired to assist at the
game; and then, catching sight Of her
slender forcfnger, she uttered an cx-
planation,
"Oh, my ringl-my lovely ring,
Cousin Edward, that you gave mcI'
"IIavo you lost it?" the gentleman
inquired, languidly.
a hope not this time. 1t has
been mislaid so often, and turned up
again. But I shall lose itsomc time,
| know. I'm unfortunate about it,
You see, on account of the pearls, !
take it off every time | wash my
hands, and then | forget to put it on
again"
"Pooh! II isn't lost, Nelly. Send
Miss Thorpe to see if you have left
it on your drcssing-tablc"
Miss Thorpe didn't wait to be sent,
but ran away at once to look for tho
missing trinket. 1t was lovely, and