The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1877-08-17

look about me. The grass was very wet
with dew, but how it sparlkled in the
fresh light All at once stopped and
stared before me. There, glittering in
the grass, lay the ring. / stood like one
fascinated, gazing at it very foolishly,
for knew we'll what ring it was. Pres
emily, heard some one calling far off,
and, not stopping to think, picked the
ring up, and ran back to the house, all
trembling.
At breakfast L endeavored to discover
the hero and heroine of last evenings
drama. Two of the ladies were sisters,
tall, languid blondes, very beautifully
dressed and very dainty. They trifed
elegantly with their knives and forks,
and carried ON airy, summer morning
firtations with two gentlemen who were
each dark, and, like the ladies, dressed
with care little too exquisite. The
third lady, Miss Huntingdon, was little
person, with soft, pleasant, vivacious
manners, IN whose conversation was al
| ways concealed sarcasm But it was
far too indifferent and too good-natured
to belong to the lady of last night. Be-
sides, her sweet, hooking voice was as
different as possible from the deep, pas
sionate tones that had so thrilled me.
And OF the four gentlemen present, GER
tainly not one of them at all resembled
the portrait / had painted for my hero.
/ was puzzled and felt sadly guilty again,
1 as thought of the ring laying all silently
there in my pocket, and carrying every
where with it a story which [ knew and
had no right to know.
| Col Il fla1 oxv ok a1
gradually into weeks. When the novelty
of my position was over it proved not
nearly so terrible as it had seemed at
first Aunt Agnes said many harsh
things, but she did not mean them all,
and the goodness of her heart compen-
stated in some measure for the asperities
of her tongue
1 saw great deal of DR.. Richardson.
He was more than kind. He thought
my life lonesome and joyless, and brought
the many books that L had longed for,
and interested himself in the little things
that happened talking with me often,
and always leaving me happier than he
found me.
But there was one thing that troubled
me much. L sometimes fancied-and
with unaccountable distress-that in DIR.
Richardson / had discovered the owner
of the ring. Certain tones of his voice
pierced me like sudden pain, they car
ried me back SO wildly to that unfortu-
nate hour in the dim little alcove. Yet,
when 1 looked into his face again. and
! into his eyes, so content, SO frankly hap
ply, this Imagination melted into sweeter
dream. But it returned again and again,
and always with deeper pain.
The visitors L found on my arrival
were long since gone. Miss Hunting
don lived in the neighborhood; and it
would, perhaps, be proper to say that
we were become quite intimate, had not
all the talk and revelation been on her
side. l, for my part, had had no advent
ures, and it seemed to me not interesting
to offer theories to one who could narrate
facts.
One day she upbraided me for my want
of confidence, but 1 really had nothing
to tell, until at last / bethought myself
of the story of the ring.
How very curious" cried Miss Hunt
ingdon, when | had ended, her brown
eyes opened wide. Do let me see it.
l shall certainly know it if 1 have ever
seen it before"
So I took it from the case where it lay
glittering, and put it into her hands.
And it was with strange, foolish pang
that L saw her examine it, and heard
her chatter concerning it. She looked at
it with unfeigned interest.
cit is really beautiful" she said,
"and most uncommon. No, there is
not one among my acquaintance that L
have ever seen wear such a ring. 1t is
the oldest thing And it all happened
the evening you arrlvedY
She had turned quite away from me,
and was looking out of the window. /
could not see her face at all.
Miss Huntingdon" said, gravely,
with an emotion which L concealed as
well as 1 was able, twill you answer me
a question truthfully?"
"Any question that friend should
ask, will answer truthfully." She did
not turn toward me as she spoke.
"Well, then, was it not yourself who
threw this ring away ?"
Now she did turn, and looked me
frankly i'll the eyes.
Truthfully,a it was not l."
"Thank you-oh, thank you I"
Why did Il furtively kiss the ring I?
Why, if she had said Eyes" would L, in
turn, have thrown it passionately away ?
All the reader guesses. o- 90
1t was perhaps a fortnight after that
that L sat alone at my window watching
the sun set beyond the hills, white with
snow, but seeing it as one sees in a
dream, All my thoughts were wander
ing toward a happy hour last evening,
when DIR. -Richardson had asked me to
be his wife. -,,.4
From thence the days flew by like
dream. They were SO happy, but so
short-that was all I had to complain
OF and they too rapidly brought near
day that 1 longed for and yet dreaded
Audit is a sad confession-for the first
time in my life / looked at myself often
in the mirror. 1t seemed as if / had
suddenly grown almost pretty. There
was pink color in my cheeks; my pale
eyes had darkened and frightened. One
day-think how foolish II really
leaned over and kissed my own lips it
seemed SO delightful to be a little hand
some that / felt grateful to the mirror. /