Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1879-02-06

A DSSn' iahihS up lily nat,
| straightway bore the letter to
its destination, and having read
it, the judge said to me, glancing
at me kindly over his gold rim
med spectacles,-
"In a few days you win hear
from me, and / think / shall have
lgood news for you." 49,. -.
On the third morning after
this interview l had persuc1ed
my sister to take a walk with
me. During our promenade, we
happened to pass before a res
Itaurant in the neighborhood,
whence a waiter had Just issued
forth, bearing a luncheon tray,
on which, among other tempting
yiands, was dainty roast chick
en-. My poor sister involunta-
rily fixed such longing, hum
CRY look on the food as it passed
before her that it almost broke
my heart. On our return home,
| found letter from Judge Car,
Teton awaiting me. Apologiz-.
ing for the irregular form of his
invitation, he said he should be
happy to see me as a guest at
dinner on the same evening.
AS the servant announced me,
Judge Carleton came toward
me, and taking me kindly by
the hand, introduced me to his
wife and daughter, and then to
several of his guests who had
known my father. All were so
kind and cordial to me that in a
few moments j felt quite at home.
The dinner was brilliant one.
[ was engaged in an animated
conversation with a charming
and very witty lady beside whom
/ was seated, when suddenly all
my gayety fled from me. | had
just perceived at one end of the
table a splendid roast fowl that
a domestic had just placed there.
The scene of the morning and
the hungry look in my sisters
eyes rose up before me, and my
heart was wrung by the remem-
brance. The next instant-a por-
ton of the fowl was placed be-
fore me. In the meantime, the
lady beside me, finding / had
suddenly become taciturn and
distrait, gave her attention to
my next neighbor, and left me
to my devices and the satisfac-
ton of my greedy appetite. /
made such good use of the liber--
ty thus accorded to me, and in a
few seconds every trace of food
on my plate had disappeared. /
Dinner was nearly over when
the conversation turned ON a law
suit that my host. had gained for
one of his clients. IS
"Wcll," said the judge laugh
ing, ''the case is one of my best,
I'll allow; but my client deserves
a little mention too. just look
at the handsome present he has
sent me" as he drew from his fin
ger a magnificent diamond ring,
and handed it for inspection tol
the lady who sat next to him.
In the midst Of expressions of
delight and admiration,- the jew
el was handed from one guest to 4
another around the table, and Mrs.
Charleton had just risen and was
proceeding to pass into the draw 4
ing-room when her husband ex-
claimed, "My dear, have you my :
ring?" |,
"No, indeed; Mrs. M re-
turned it TO you a few minutes !
since"
"Bless mel Then where can ,
it be?" he said, shaking out his
and feeling in all of his
one after another. No
one stirred from the table, and /
for some minutes the room was !
filed with a confused hum of /,
voices and the jingling of knives
and forks, china and glass,
brought into violent collision by
the excited guests in search af- 4
ter the missing jewel. But the
search was in vain; the ring had :
certainly disappeared. +
81 see how it is" " said the Judge /,
jokingly, "that ring must be j
some wicked fairy who has MAJ ,
iciously hidden herself away in /;
the pocket of one of our number.
Now, / am going to make a pro-
posal, if you willard which I
you would utterly reject if it L