The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1876-10-12

a longing, hungry look ON the fooc
as it passed before her, aiat it almos
broke my heart. On our .rotpfr
home I found letter from Judge
Carclton awaiting me Apologizina
for the irregular form # his inyita
tion, he said he should be happy tt
see me as guest at dinner on that
same evening,
As the escrvantannounced me Judge
Carleton came towardme, aad, taking
me by the hand introduced me tohis
wife and daughter, and then to sew.
cral of his guests who had known my
father. All were so kind and cordial
to me that in few moments / felt
quite at home. The dinner was a
brilliant one. was engaged in an
animated conservation with acharm,
ing and very witty lady beside whom
| was seated when suddenly all my
gaycty fed from me, Lhad just per
ceiyed at one end of hctable a splon,
did roast fowl that domestic had
just placed there. The scene of the
morning and the hungry look in my
sisters eyes rose up before nae, and
my heart was wrung by the rcmem-
brance. The next instant a portion
of the fowl was placed before me. In
the mean time the lady beside me,
finding had suddenly become taci-
turn, and distrait, gave her attention
to my next neighbor, and left me to
my own devicesahd the satisfaction Of
greedy appetite. / made such good
use 5f rESatf5sTs syl.tf ~ No
that in a few seconds efory trace Of
the food that was on my plate had
disappeared. Dinnerwas nearly over
when the conversation turned on Il
lawsuit that my host gained for one
of his clients.
"Wcll,' said the judge, laughing,
"thc case was one of my best, I'll al
low; but my client deserves Il little
mention, too Just one look at the
handsome present he has sent me,
and he drew from his finger a mag
nifccnt diamond ring, and handed 1t
for inspection to the lady who sat
next him. In the midst of expires,
sions of delight and admiration, the
jewel was handed from one guest tc
another around the table, and Mrs,
Carleton had just risen and was pro.
ceeding to pass into the drawing
room, when her husband exclaimed;
"AIy DEAR have you my ring2"
"No indeed; Mrs. NJ. returned it tc
you Il few moments since"
"Bless me! Then where can it bc?'
he said, taking out his napkin, and
feeling in all his pockets, one after
the other. No one stirred from the
table, and for some minutes the room
was filed with a confused hum Of
voices and the jingling ofknivcs and
forks, china and glass, brought into
violentcollision by the excited guests
in their search after the missing jew.
el. But the search was all in vain
the ring had certainly disappeared
81 see how it is" said the judge
jokingly," that ring must be some
wicked fairy who has maliciously
hidden herself in the pocket ofonc oI
our number. Now, | am going to
make a proposal, ladies and gentle
men-an odd, extravaganza, impossi'
bic proposal, if you willard which
you would utterly reject if it came
from any other quartcr but which
you will accedo to, as coming from an
eccentric individual like me-"
Explain! oxplainl' cried all the
guests in chorus,
81 propose, then" continued oul
host, "that before we leave this room
we shall proceed toscarch each other
the ladies on this side, and we gen
tlomon yondor. Let all who object
hold up their hands"
At the word Search all the blood
in my veins rushed back tony heart
and q cold sweat broke out on my
forehead and tricklod down my face
which ! felt had become ashy pale
| stood there apart with u rush o
sounds in my cars, n mist before my
eyes and swaying to and fro like {
man d.unkwi wine, And, through
it all, could hear The laughing voice
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