Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1879-05-29
MRS. STOUGHTON'S DIAMOND.
Harper : Bazaar.

fall about her before she was able tC put
pride into her pocket, where there was
plenty Of room, and turn her hand to
the only work she understood. 1t was
some five years since she had begun to
60 out by the day to make and mend
carpets, old and new, for the hOuskeep-
ers of Hampton She had plenty of
employment now, some money in the
bank, and lover. She looked forward
0 the time, not so far off, when she
should begin upon her own carpets,
when the money in the bank would be
drawn out to buy the parlor set and the
household linen, pictures and knick-
knackery perhaps, the wedding gown
and bride-cake. She sometimes divest-
ed herself with these thoughts, while
sewing up the tedious seams of Mrs.
Cashmere's Brussels, or matching the
faded figures in ParsOn Needy's three
ply, which had been patched and darned
and turned more times than she had
fingers and toes. 1t used to amuse her
sometimes to observe that the drawing
room carpets finally graduated IN the
attic, going through the preparatory
course in sitting-rOom, dining-roOm,
nursery, and parloI chamber. She had
been working for Mrs. Stoughton for
several days, when her troubles began,
and had gone home, quite tired out
with the conflict over that lady's cham
Der carpet, which had seen its best
days. She had been obliged to rip and
match figures and insert patches to de-
ceive the very elect, and at the end Mrs.
Stoughton had told her she would settle
the bill when she heard from her hus-
band, who had gone away on business,
and taken the key of the money drawer
with him by mistake, Greta shreWdly
suspected that the drawer was as empty
as a drum, but made no demur. She
would Oblige neighbOr, and never re-
member it.
The following day she was engaged at
DR.. Cardamon's, when she heard Fred
rush in from school, and shout:
Z" l say, ma, s supper ready? Give
me a hunk of gingerbread, anyhow.
Where's Greta Loring? | want to ask
her if she's stole Miss Stoughtou's dia-
mond out of her ring! Jack Stoughton
saws his mothers going to haul Greta
over the Goals. [ don't believe a word
of it, and | want to ask her"
"Hush, Fred, hushr said Mrs. Carda-
mon. What do you mean? Don't
ask Greta any such silly question"
"Well, | don't want Jack StOughton
saying things, and I'll just thrash him
for it."
Diamonds" laughed Greta to her
self. "Who would suspect Mrs. Slough
ton of one?" Then she suddenly re-
membered having picked ring off the
floor of the chamber where she was
sewing at Mrs. Stoughton's-a gold ring
in which a stone of good size had no
doubt once sparkled, and she had drop
ped 1t on the mantel, and thought no
more about it. Was that cavity going
to bear false witness against her? What
nonsense! But that evening, when she
returned to her lodgings, she found a
note awaiting her, which read: eff Miss
Loring can give Mrs. StoughtOn any in
formation about the diamond missing
from ring left in the chamber where
Miss Loring was at work, it will be
gratefully received, and no mOrtifying
disclosures made"
Poor Greta slept little that night
How could anyone suspect her of such
dreadful thing? Where could the dia
mond have gone? How could she de-
fend herself except by her word? Ought
she not to have been above suspicion
like Caesars wife? What had she done
to deserve it? In an angry moment
she returned this misjudged reply
"Mls. Stoughton is at liberty to make
whatever Notifying disclosures she
may choose, but she must excuse Mis-:
Loring from rendering account of a dia
mOnd of whose existence she was ignO
rant" This naturally eXasperated Mrs
StOughtOn, who fiattered herself thai
she had transacted the affair with grea
delicacy and decorum. She had eX
pected to bring Miss Loring to her feet
with contrite tears and confessions, anC
here was absolute defiance! Did such
a husband deserve consideration at hel
hands ? And if Mrs Stoughton wa
more or less afraid to say her soul was
her own before that impecunious Othel
half of herself, how much more was she
afraid to say that her diamond was NJ
longer hersl Accordingly she made
haste to put the matter into the hand!
of the law and the mouths of the
Hampton gossips. Doubtless Gretf
would have been lodged in jail at Thu
time had not Mr. Grafton secretly es
poused her cause, while he undertook
the case Mrs. Stoughton had intrusteC
to him. Mr.. Grafton was a wealthy
bachelor, somewhat gray. and a gooC
deal. bald; he had smiled upon Grets
more than once, without receiving any
answering smile; perhaps he though
now that every thing arrives to him whC
can afford to wait-that this was his Op
portunity. His housekeeper had once
engaged Greta to make carpets at Graf
ton place, and he had taken pains t
show her over the house and grounds
and had nearly snatched kiss in the
shadow of the lindens, as he put he
into his carriage to send her home
Greta had never worked there again
but perhaps she was too grateful a
finding a friend at her side in sucf
stormy weather to refuse a favor from
Mr.. Grafton, and she had forgotten hi
audacity. Yet in the midst of her hui
Mutations Greta remembered with {
heart-throb that she had lover to cCmt
to her 1escue if she chose to call him
that she should not be dependent upOr
Mr.. Grafton's tender mercies after Ste
phen Sotherne had been notified of hel
strait. At the same time, she felt dis
inclined to break the bad news to hin
till after all was over. For how coulC
it be possible for an innocent person tC
suffer? But Greta was not a little