Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-06-29
THE LOST RING.


never have served Marie Rosis. But
poverty, the need Of food and ranment,
the hungry mouths that must be filled,
were too strong for me, and I engaged
myself to her. True, she asked no ref
erence; but why need she?
"You are poor, Louise she said, with
a slight French accent. "Money is of no
account to mel only ask you to be
faithful. I said that I should travel, so
you must supply your brothers and sis
ter's wants before we 60 I shall be
liberal with you. Take this" AS she
spoke, she reached out six or eight half
eagles. 1 drew back my hand.
ut is too much," I said.
"Allow me to be the judge of that
know what will be required Of you?
looked up to see, if possible, what mean
ing lay hidden beneath her words.
II shall travel as fancy pleases," she
continued. "One spot is as pleasant to
me as another. I 60 in search of some
thing which have lost. It may be here,
it may be there. I have nothing to guide
me in my search. It is all blind chance. -
At first I was not happy in my migra
tory life. I used to long for home--or
what had been homeland for the caress-
ses of those loved. But this did not
last long. Marie Rosis soon grew to be
the world to me, and her bondslave
Sometimes we rested for two or three
weeks from our travels, and then went
forward, day after day and week after
week, without stopping. do not know
how long had been with her, when
discovered we were not travelling alone
that we had a follower, who pursued us
from place to place with unwavering per-
sistcnce. He did not seem to be CON
scious of US. He never addressed us-he
followed us like shadow. do not know
why did not speak of him to madam,
nor why she did not mention him to me.
l used to think sometimes that she did
not see him. And yet, why not? Her
eyes were too sharp to allow anything to
escape them. Perhaps she was afraid
that she might alarm me by speaking.
We were two women journeylng alone,
with no one to protect us, and I was nat
urally timid. Still, about this man with
his gentle mouth and clear blue eyes,
there was little to alarm any woman Or
binary people, Madam Marie did not no.
tice; and this gentleman's presence was
not marked. So I tried to think no more
about him.
1t was after this stranger came that
learned what Madam was searching for.
A ring that had mysteriously disappeared
from her finger one night while she was
sleeping. A strange ring, with a garnet
heart for its centre, all that she had left
OF Monsieur Rosis. / glanced at her in
surprise.
WAS it your wedding ring?'
"Better than that Monsieur Rosis gave
it to me while he was dying. He came
back to life to give it to me-.just as we
turn back when we have forgotten some
thing
looked at her keenly. Was the woman
crazy9
'He gave it to me, and said that a
curse would follow me if I lost it. I
did not lose tit went away from me
but I am not happy. Monsieur Ros1s was
very hard"
"But you are not to blame for what you
could not help"
"Ah! but if lover took it," she said,
shak1nS her mead slowly. 81 had fallen
to sleep in the drawing room--thc day
was warm. When l awoke monsieurs
heart was gone, and the air was full of
shadows. I've been searching ever since
| for it.''
She began pacing up and down the
room. We were stopping for week at
hotel in a large inland town. This con-
verSatiou had been carried ~, IN 4I,a 80.
lor-a long, wide room, looking west
ward. AS madam walked, thought I
had never seen her half so beautiful. She
wore dress of some soft black stuff.
which trailed on the bright-hued carpet.
This was relieved by gauzy scarlet man
tie, as delicate and flmy as the wing of a
butterfly. While she went to and fro
restlessiy the stranger came noiselessly in
and walked beside her. She did not no.
tice him, but looked straight out of the
window to the green trees, and beyond
them to the wide sunset.
For myself. | grew angry and heated
at the strangers boldness. If he had
anything to say to her, why did he not
speak? What right had he to dog he1
steps SO persistently? At least, I would
tell madam. AS I started forward to
speak, the strange gentleman raised his
hand to his forehead. and / saw some.
thing on it that glowed blood red in the
sunlight looked at it eagerly and saw
the shape Of a heart outlined on the
slender white finger. My heart bounded
Hero was the lover who stole madam's