The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1878-09-12

Laura did not mean TO do such a
thing. and felt ashamed Of herself
while she did it, but the thought OF the
I glittering diamonds in contrast with
/ tie glittering satins. was too strong for
tie young wife s vanity. When she
/ left the jewelers. shop her twenty dol
/ lars were IL the drawer. ana the moroc-
I co case containing jHe false diamonds
was III her hand.
/ Size did not tell Charley what she
had done, and she was very uneasy for
/ the two or three days which passed be-
/ fore the event Of the presidents party.
/ The mauye satin came home in due
| time, and was greatly admired, but
/ Laura did not take half the pleasure III
| it she expected to take. The thought
of the hired jewels was heavy one on
her mind.
However, when she began to dress
her spirits rose. And when, at last,
arrayed in the glstening satin. with
its trimmings Of frosty lace, her lovely
brown hair in becoming puffs aud
curls, she clasped the sparkling circlet
of diamonds around her fair throat,
she smiled in delight at the pretty i'm
age which smiled back at her from her
dressing glass.
When she went down into the little
! parl0r where Charley, already d, Cssed,
was waiting for her, she had her opera
| cloak fastened tightly up 10 her neck,
and did not, as usual, exhibit herself
/ 10 his admiring eyes before she put on
her out door wraps.
Accordingly, Charley saw nothing of
! the diamonds until he met her at the
door of the ladies toiiet-room, in the
presidents mansion to take her into
/ the parlor.
His glance Of surprise did not escape
Laura's eye. and made her cheeks flush,
( but they were in the midst Of tlutter-
( ing crowd, so Of course she was sure he
would say nothing then.
Laura's entrance into the parlOrS
caused quite little sensation. Her
youth, her beauty, and her magnificent
toilet, made her the cynOsure OF al,
eyes, and she could not fail to perceive
it.
"WelI, l declaTe!you are grandl Why,
I'll no idea you would look so WE'LL"
whispered Henrietta, when they met.
Il m positively jealous, and I'm going
to keep out OF your way, you outshine
ne so completely" she added, as she
passed on with her escort. Aud Laura
knew she was more than half in earn
est.
She enjoyed her triumph exceeding
", spite Of ChaGley's uneasy face, un-
til, as it grew late, she chanced to be
resting by a folding door for Il moment,
and overheard two ladies cOnyersing
upon the other side.
II can only concIUfa ono or two
things" she heard voice say, which
she was certain belonged to the wife OF
the bank president: she must be eth
er very silly, or very eXtraVagant. or
course we know that her husband
could not afford to purchase jewels
which my husband would scarcely al
| low me to wear. She must either have
| borrowed or hired them, and that
| would be most exceedingly silly and in
dreadful taste, to say the very least of
it."
Poor Laura knew it was herself they
were speaking Of. She turned scarlet,
and rose to llv, too much distressed to
wait to hear the answer, when she felt
/ her husbands touch upon her arm.
Laura" he said, in low tone, ''fOr
pitv's sake tell me where you got those
things you wear around your neck?
They are not yoursI'
NO, oh, no!' faltered Laura, trem-
bling.
They are the comment of the whole
room" whispered Charley. "Our pres
! idpnt has just asked me how l could
afford to give such expensive baubleS
to my wife. What could l say to him.!
What have you done, Laura?"
"Only given up 10 Il silly vanity.
! Charley, believe me! Bat oh, DO take
me away from here, or shall scream,
or something! | can't stay minute
longer, Chariey!"
/ Charley saw that her increasing agl-
tation would soon attract attention.
| He therefore took her away at once,
and they We're soon in the carriage, on
their way home.
There, weeping and sobbing on Char
ley's broad kind breast, Laura maize
full confession. And Charley, think
ing her punished enough, forbore to
add one word Of rerroof or blame. lie
promised to explain all TO his president,
the next day, and assured Laura he
did not thiuk his standing at the bank
would be hurt when his kind old Chief
understood the case. But it was u
severe lesson to Laura, and one expert
ence satisfied her in wearing other peo-
pies Jewels.