The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1878-02-23
OUR STORY TELLER.
DISCORDIA'S RING.

hab spent the best of his time absolutely
in it. He was the largest young man in
the neighborhood, and his hair was
sandy, and his skin tanned to bright
copper color. As for his eyes, they were
of very light, bright green-the eyes
of jealous man. Discordia thought
him very handsome.
As to Discordia's personal appearance
there could be no doubt. She was re-
markedly pretty, and all the tanning in
the world could only make her skin of
brighter brown, and her teeth more in
tensely white. Her hair curled tight
about her head in tiny rings, and her
lips were scarlet.
AT the time of Discordia's birth there
had come to board at Mrs. Peck's cot
tage learned gentleman, who sought to
combine the benefit of county air and
sea breezes with the quiet necessary for
the production of series of papers
The air and the sea breezes he found :;
the quiet he did not find, for the shrieks
of the infant daughter of the house pen
etrated every recess of the hitherto quiet
cottage.
The learned gentleman fed to the
woods and wilds to find peace, and did
not find it. Insects bit his nose and got
into his ear. He overturned his ink on
finished manuscript, and had his straw
hat eaten up by horse who came be-
hind him unawares, while he was deep
in composition.
Driven from his rural retreat in this
dreadful way the learned man took a
secret revenge of a diabolical nature !;
for, upon family discussion of the
future name of the infant girl, he intro
duced his advice, and so tempted the
proud mother with the fine sounding
name of Discordia, that she had the
child christened Discordia Jane at the
nearest church at the next available op-
portunity.
The learned man waited the event,
and went away with fiendish rejoicing
in his heart. "No man." said he to
himself, would ever marry girl named
Discordia Jane"
He did not reflect that the mythology
ical significance of the name was dead
letter in that part of the world where
Dlscordia was to pass her maidenhood,
or that she would henceforth be called
Mrs. Peck's Cordy.
Discordia grew up a most remorseless
firt, and caused woful discord among
the young fishers in the neighborhood.
Quarrels on her account were merely
the regular thing, and the fact that she
had given her smiles equally to Samuel
Dean and Peter Mead caused those two
young men to enter into single combat
IN an open boat, and to repent Of the
rash act during the long hours of a
winter night, during which they sat
upon the bottom of their overturned
boat, to which they had providentially
managed to cling, and grew so cold that
love died out in both their hearts, and
they loved the old fisherman who hap
PLY came to their rescue at daybreak
far better than they did Discordia Jane
Peck.
However, Mezahab Dunn had some
how actually won Discordia's heart. He
was, as we have seen, "Cordy Peck's
company" and she was quite satisfied.
Old people declared that Cordy Peck
was pretty behaved now-a-days,o and
other girls kept their beaux in peace.
Meanwhile Mezahab strove to "make
his crown pound"
They were all comfortable people
enough, but there was not much ele-
gance in the place, and jewelry was gen.
orally bought of peddlers, who came with
tempting "sets to the cottage doors.
Therefore, when Mezahab one fine
afternoon betook himself by train to the
city, and brought thence real gold ring,
with real turquoise in it, and slipped
1T on Discordia's finger as her engage
ment ring, it was something to talk Of.
II was little large, but the finger
would doubtless grow, if Discordia took
after her mother, and the gold was 80
bright, and the stone 80 blue and beau
tful, that it was a pleasure to look at it,
And blue is the color of true loye.n
said Mezahab "Pve heard that, and
that's why bought it."
Discordia loved the ring for the sake
OF its giver, and for its own sake also.
and she would never take it of.
Put it away, and wear it O. Sunday.
l would, if | was you," said the mother.
But Discordia had heard that it was
unlucky" ever to remove an engage
ment ring, and for the same reason she
would never let any one try it on. When
she feared TO soil it she wrapped a piece
of soft muslin about her finger, and at
last this came to be her work-day style
of wearing it.
If should lose that ring" she said
once to her mother, 81 know / should
lose Mes too. ! feel it in my bones.'