The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1876-08-17

mained to ue. Some days previous L
had written to Mr.. Maitland, telling him
of ny desperate condition and request
ing him to give me some letters of in
PRODUCTION to the New York law offices,
and that very morning had received an
answer in the shape of large, official
envelope, bearing the address of the
Hon. Mr.. Carleton, an eminent membe
of the judicial bench. Taking up my.
hat, 1 straigbtway bore the letter to its
destination, and, having read it, the
| Judge said to me: 4" In u few days you
shall hear from me, and [ think shall
have good news for you"
| On the third morning after this inter-
view l had persuaded my sister to take
walk with me. During our prone
made we happened to pass before res
taurant in the neighborhood, whence O
waiter had just issued forth, bearing q
luncheon tray, on which, among other
| tempting viands, was a dainty roast
chicken. My poor sister involuntarily
fixed such longing, hungry look on the
food as it passed before her, that it al
most broke my heart. On our return
home, L found a letter from Judge Car
Teton awaiting me. Apologizing for the
irregular form Of his invitation, he said
he should be happy to see me as guest
at dinner on that same evening.
AS the servant announced me Judge
Carleton came toward me, and, taking
me kindly by the hand, introduced me
to his wife and daughter, and then to
several of his guests who had known my
father. All were so kind and cordial to
me that in few moments I felt quite at
home. The dinner was a brilliant one.
[ was engaged in an animated conversa-
ton with a charming and very witty
lady beside whom l was ated, when
suddenly all my gayety fed from me. I
had just perceived at one end of the
table splendid roast fowl that domes-
tic had just placed there. The scene of
the morning and the hungry look in my
sisters eyes rose up before me, and my
heart was wrung by the Remembrance.
The next instant a portion of the fowl
was placed before me. In the meantime
the lady beside me, finding I lad sud
denly become taciturn and diStrait, gave
her attention to my next neighbor, and
left me to my own devices and the satis-
faction of my greedy appetite. made
snch good use of the liberty thus ac-
corded me that in a few seconds every
trace of the food on my plato had disap-
peared. Dinner was nearly over, when
the conversation turned on q lawsuit
that my host had gained for one of his
clients.
Well," said the Judge, laughing,
"the case was one of my best, I'll allow;
but my client deserves little mention,
too. Just look at the handsome present
hn hoc n1 l,n l.
hnger q magnificent diamond ring, and
at next him. In the midst Of c3pres-
sions OF delight and admiration, the
ieGel was handed from one guest to an
othor round the table, and Mrs. Carleton
had just risen and was proceeding to
pass into the drawing when her
husband exclaimed: "My dear: have
you my ring p
"No, indeed; Mrs. NJ, returned it to
you few moments since"
Bless me ! Then where can it b, %
he said, taking out his napkin, and feel
ing in all his pockets, one after the other.
No one stirred from the table, and for
some minutes the room was filled with
I confused hum of voices and the jing-
ling of knives and forks, china and
glass, brought into violent collision by
the excited guests III their search after
the missing jewel. But the search was
all in vain; the ring had certainly disap-
peared.
81 see how it is" said the Judge,
iokingly, "that ring must be some
wicked fairy who has maliciously hidden
herself away in the pocket of one of our
number. Now, 1 am going to make
proposal, ladies and gentlemen-an odd,
extravagant, impossible proposal, if you
willard which you would utterly re-
ject if it came from any other quarter;
but which you will accede to, as COM
ing from an eccentric individual like
me-"
"Exploin explain !" cried all the
guests in chorus.
81 propose, then," continued our
host, " that before we leave this room
we shall proceed to search each other,
the ladies on this side, and we gentle
men youder. Let all who object hold
up their hands,"
At the word Search" all the blood
i'll my veins rushed back to my heart,
and cold sweat broke out on my fore
head and trickled down my face, which
felt had become ashy pale. 1 stood
there apart, with rush of sound in my
ears, a mist before my eyes, and swaying
TO and fro like man drunk with wine.
And, through it all, could hear the
laughing voice of my host counting the
votes in favor of his proposal. Suddenly
he confronted me, and said, in a peculiar
tone and with significant glance at my
arms, which were tightly folded on nv
breast: "And you, sir, do you not ap-
prove my suggestion 2"
81 do not, sir" replied, with out
ward firmness, but with face paler
than ever. A silence as of death sue
ceeded these words, and every eye. in
the room was turned in my direction.
81 beg your pardon for this foolish
Joke, sir" said the Judge, after a pause,
in tone shall never forget "I would
rather be tic loser Of ten thousand dol
lars than wound the feelings of a guest
under the shelter Of my roof" and,
moving toward the door, he added,
lightly, gentlemen, coffee will be ruin
ed ii We delay here longer" Just as he
was passing through the open door lad
vanced toward him.
L owe you an explanation, Mr.. Car
Teton, }" l said; will you hear me 2 Pray
do not refuse me-" added, seeing him
turn coldly away. He stood still for a
moment, and then turning toward me
he said, brusquely, but without looking
at me:
"Very well, come,p and he led the
way to his study.
The door had hardly closed behind