The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1876-08-25

his doom beyond hope. He went into
the next room when he had completed
his toilet, and after attending to one or
two other affairs, looked for the hand
4 kerohlet shat be remembered to have
taken from his pocket and to have
tossed upon The table there. IL was not
on the table; it was nowhere in the
room. In a panic, he rang the bell, and
wuen IL was answered, instituted an in-
quiry concerning the thing. Yes, in-
| ueed, Susan had seen 1t, and Thought IL
| Was 30 yellow and sOiIed she WOulL take
1t down and wash it. "LOrs, sir, it was
the dirtlest little rag" she said, "Just
straw color. And l Thought I'D give 1t u
run through the tub ana the blueing,
and make 10 fit TO beyeen."
| "Good heaVensl' he cried, with
| Mortified fash Of remembrance of having
somewhere heard that the yeHower lace
wits the more precious II was, aud that
| IL was never washed ON auv account
except by people Wuo did nothing else.
| Let us nave it at once" Aud in five
mtnutes afGerwood Susan stood belure
nlm holding up a lILtIe limp rag, and
with pans as from the bow oil sOme-
| thug unknown and dPeauIul, the con-
YersaLion that he had heard over the
| Cransom of the hotel door, d year or two
Five nuAdred dollars! And gone to
grief in u mOmenGl And he could no
more replace 1t tnan he could fly, with
| Out WnAkWas the same 10 MN as abso-
lutte ruin. OF course, he must replace
1t; he could not be iudebG ID, through the
stupidity of his servant, or through any
o,her means, to Miss MERCER III thai
sum. Without any doubt she valued
SUCH bit Of lace; aud il anything were
needed TO demonstrate TO hun the wis.,
dom of the course he had decided Oh,
and the utter aUsurdI,y OF having dared
for sing lie moment to look with love on
one OF tuese dIrlings OF fortune, it was
The fact that her haudkerchlefs alone
were items of 5000. WHAT q shamel
what wlckednessl what preposterous
follyl How Gould u young man marry!
He burned with indignation tuen.
But to replace it; one-thlrd oil the sum
he was saving TO redeem his little
property from mortgage-all the money
ne really had in the world beyond that
for mis- expenses! 1t WAS the ruin Of his
hopes, Lis ambition, his pride, that
scOrned SO to be anybOdy's debtor; il
threw him back in the race how long
But it must be done. He had q trlhe
over $5O0In the National Solveucy Bauk.
he drew his check for the necessary
sum, and lolded IL away in his pocket
book, and men went about his business
till nlghLfall, when he came back to his
dreary rooms, and made himself ready
tor call at Mrs. BdrneUta's.
The night had never seemed so beauti-
full, the stars SO large and keen, and far
above the earth, so remote ana cold.
| rhey typlfied all the dear and happy.
things OF lIle forever removed rom HIN.
tis neart was cnilled, and his face was
| white when he STOOD at last in Mrs. Bar.
neLta'S draWIng-room, and she t1oated
forward TO meet him, lie had not asked
Tor Miss Mercier.
SIT is a delicate errand, Mrs. Bar
netta," said he, with dreary attempt at
smlllng. "But the truth is that my
maid, in her oficiUus kindness, has done
sucn damage Go a bit ol Miss Mercier's
property tUat L must replace IL. Ana /
have come to beg you, out of your
friendship Tor me, to transact the affair,
ii sucn an artlcle can be replaced. l
| believe these little trlfles are Tathei
costly, and if you will procure one"-
| and he laid the check he had drawn that
morning and the little limp rag in Mrs.
BarneCLa's hand-''as like The Original
as possible, L"
''My dear Mr.. Malvin, what in the
| worId are you talking oi?" cried Mrs.
BprneIta. 'HaVe you money to throw
about in this Wayl $5OO-What is IL
| fOri
''ro replace Miss Merciers handker-
ch OF, il you will De 80 good as to make
the purchaser
"LiAe this" said Mrs. Barnetta, hold
| ing up Cne limp rag by one corner.
"Llke that" said Luclan.
"Ou, tnat is too gUodW cried Mrs. Bar.
META, with peal OIL laughter. 'IJ is
LOO good, it is too absurd! What Great
ures men arel Did you imagine this bit
| OF tinery worth all thatI-Lhis little STRIP
Of grass.clotn and German lace! No
wonder the young men don't marrt,
then? My dear Mr.. MaIvin, this mlser.
able handkerchief cost exactly W 90, ana
was nearly worn out az that. Dtd YOU
imagine, TOO, that my poor little Rosa
could ear u $500 handkerchief, without a
cent to her namaW
without cent to her name?" cried
Lucian oprlnsing to his feet.
"ExacCIy, aha Is that the trouble?
Now why didn't you come ana
talk it all over VITA me in Tie way
yDu used TO do, ana save yourself all this
veXation, aud save my lltrle Rosa too
Wnat an absurd boy you arel AnOther
would have waited to hear mat she was
an heiress; you wait TO hear that she is
pennless. Well, sue is, ii THAI satisfies
you, except I0r what | snail leave my
granddaughter when die--m hich will not
w at present, d. V. And there she is in
the other room now. But, bless me"
LucIan hau not waited for the rest OF
the invitation. He was already in the
next room, and Rosa was already in his
arms.