Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1877-01-06

Il dare say you find the flavor a little
peculiar" said madame. a minute later.
These cigarettes are made Of pertumod
tobacco. l never smoke any othors. /
hope YOU don't find yours disaSreeable.'
ION the contrary. madame.l Am quite
in love with it. AS you say. the flavor
is quite peculiar. but aromatic and pleas
ant-yery pleasant. To tell the truth,
| didn't like it all hut ! wouldn't have
said so tor orlds.
We smoaed on il silence. What
| would this superb creature say TO me,
| wondered. if / were to tell how madly l
had fallen in love with her? Would she
reject me with sc0rn, or would she-l
cave a sudden start, and WAS shocked to
| ind that l had been falling asleep. For
~tunstelv madame had not noticed me.
Her large. melancholy eyes were bent
upon the stove. There Was certainly
something very soothing. something
that inclined to slumber and happy
dreams about madame's cigarettes. II |
had but two thousand q year now, and
this sweet creature TO share 1t with me,
how happy could | be! Certainly she
must have been some SIX or seven years
Older than myself, but never was one
TO care for Your chltS of schoolgirls who
set up for being women before they are
out OF their teens. Here vas an angel
who had been lett desolate. who had
been cast on II bleak. unteeliug world.
who had pinsd tur 4 heart ami , home
for a heart that brinmed over with love.
Gracious ~guodueSsi had n heart that
vearned toward her-that-that-Why
-eh-how WAS this Aud where was |?
Iawoks with y shiver. But for the
lamp in the courtyard the room would
have been quite dark. Ny head was
aching t~righttullv. got up and stag
sered to the window. When l looked
out and saw the familiar courtyard,
everything came back TO me like a flash
OF light. Where was madame? Why
had | Slept so long ? What y boor she
must have taken he to be? l CROPPED
for the bell and rang it violently. Up
came the waiter with 4 candle. "W nero
is madame?" l demanded. Madame
he answered, went ont nearly three
hours ago saving that she wanted to
make a few purchases, and would be
hack in L little while. On no account.
she said. WAS her brother. who had
suffered from mai ne mtr in crossing,
to be disturbed. Madame" he added
''has not vet returned
Gone three hours ago. Her brother
Hh dc msr.' VIVA. could It all mean ?
~ | sat down, utterly bewildered. my
arm pressed against the little box in my
Iocket. Mechanically l glanced ut my
finger. The ring was no longer there
Nv heart turned sick within me. l sank
down and buried my face in my han Is
The waiter thought | was i'll. and raj
TO fetch some cognac. saw it all now
Fool-fool that I was, l had allowed
myself to be swindled. and by q common
adventures.
At 9 o'clock next morning l 5000
before my father, a misera' .. h.ggard
woe. begone wretch. | te my !ale
but as I did so l could not keep down
my tears-tears OF mingled shame ane
vexation. He listened to me with
curious, cynical smile. When l had
done he went to his bureau and opened
u drawer. Set your mind at rest
Ned" he said. Here's the ring. safe
and sound!"
I could only stare at him in open
mouthed establishment. When ma
dame, with the ring in her possession
lett you asleep, she was just IN time
to catch the afternoon boat back &c
Dover. The ring was in my hand again
before 10 o'clock last night
"But-but." | stammered out, :"
don't understand. When she had once
got the ring in her possession, why die
she bring it back to you?'
Because she was paid to do so. Be
cause she was hired by me through the
agency of q private inquiry office TO acl
as She did act. Madame by profession i
not a thief. but a thief-catcher. You hac
grown so self-cOnceited of late, Maste!
Ned. you had got such = mighty tai
opinion of yourself and your abilities,
that | thought it would do You no harm
to take you down a peg or two. hope
| have succeeded in convincing you thai
thers are people in this world quite As
clever,or it may be cleverer. than a Ger
tain young ~rincompoop Of one-and
twenty. If you profit by the lesson my
money will hare peer we'll spent"
An hour or two later | said But
wasn't it a rather risky thing to do with
= ring worth five hundred pounds"
Ny father winked At me with the
solemnitv Of a Judge. My dear Ned
what do you take your old dad for? The
diamonds were nothing but paste