Sharp County record., 1879-06-26

ton anv information about the diamond
missing from a ring left in the chamber
where Miss LoTing was at work. II win
be gratefully received, and no mortl1y-
ing disclosures made" -.
Poor Greta slept little that night
How could any one suspect her OF Sucn
q dreadful thing? Where couta the
diamond have gone? How could she
defend herself except by her word!
Ought she not to have been above suS,
picion, like C@sar's wife? What had
She done to deserve it? In an angry
moment she returned this misjudged re-
loly: "My5 Stoughton is at liberty to
make atever notifying disclosures
she choose, DuI She nluSU 0AOu0C
NJ ing from rendering account OF
| nd of whose existence she was
t." This naturally exasperated
,toughton, who fattered herself
he had transacted the affair with
delicacy and decorum. She had
ted to bring Miss LOring to her
with contrite tears and confessions,
lere was absolute defiance! Did
hussv deserve consideration at
hands? And if Mrs. Stoughton was
re or less afraid to say her soul was
own before that impecuniOuS other
.alf Of herself, how much more was she
afraid to say that her diamond was no
longer hers! Accordingly she made
haste to put the matter INTO the hands
Of the law and the mouths of the Hamp-
ton gossips. Doubtless Greta would
have been lodged in jail at this tine had
not Mr.. Grafton secretly espoused
her cause, while he undertook the
case Mrs. St0ughtOn had lntrusted
to him. Mr.. Grafton was q wealthy
bachelor, somewhat gray, and a good
deal bald; he had smiled upon Greta
more than once, without receiving any
answering smile; perhaps ne thou mt
now that every thing arrives to him VINO
can afford to wait-that this was his op-
portunity. His bousekeeper had once
engaged Greta to make carpets al Graf
ton Place, and he had taken pains to
show her over the house and grounds,
and had nearly snatched a kiss in the
shadow Of the lindeDs, as he put her in
to his carriage to send her home.
Greta had never worked there again;
but perhaps she was too grateful at find
inc friend at her side in such stormy
weather to refuse a favor from Mr..
Grafton, and perhaps she had forgotten
his audacity. Yet in the midst OF her
unaili8tiOn8 Greta remembered with a
n~ rt-throb that she had alover to come
het pr rescue if she chose to call him
tIat ~ = Me should not be dependent upon
,H~' No GrNfton's tender mercies after Ste
W. 'Lon Sotnerne had been notified of her
Pr4roit At the same time, she felt disin-
oI;mod to break the bad news to him till
ol oftor all vas over For how could it be
nossible br an innocent person to suf-
ptorp ButGreta was not little stunned
one mornAg on receiving letter in the
3 bandwr5ing of her "true love-" which
ran in us wise:
hse pleasure OF hearing ggHMS You, and It
has occurred to me to ask if time and
distance were not weakening our hold upon
each other; to wonder how long you would
continue to love man whom you only saw
once or twice a year, since IL seems to me
that owing to the bad times our marriage is
as indefinitely postponed as the millennium.
Now, my dear girl, do rot wish to stand in
YOUR light; if you were not engaged to me,
some more eligible partner would seek you,
fe ! certain. Moreover, my health is pre-
carious, and the doctors hove advised me to
try the air of California. 1t is prescrip-
tiOn more nauseous than drugs, since must
leave you behind me; but | could not, 10
honor, carry your promise with me for an
indefinite space Of time for my own selfish
satisfaction merely. At the same time, be-
lieye me, it is no easy thing for me to say
"adieu" to the dearest girl in the world.
Sincerely, STEPHEN sOTHERNE.
To say that Greta was surprised would
be the same as if we should call an earth
quake unpleasant" She was thunder
struck, overwhelmed, with just spirit
enough left to return Mr.. SOtherne' S
letters and presents by the next mail
without word.
He has heard all about the diamond,
and believes it" she thought. Itwould
be q comfortable arrangement if one
could cease to love the instant lover
proves unworthy, but hearts are not
fashioned after that manner. When
every thought and motive Of ones life
is woven up with those of another, one
can not unravel the tangled web all at
once. "Another such shock will send
me to the insane asylum, sighed Greta.
But there was another yet in store for
her. Mr.. Grafton had taken to drop
ping in upon her after her days work.
One evening he said;
"Miss Greta, what if you should be
found guilty of this-this-"
"D they should find me guilty!
How can they find an innocent person
guiltyP If took the diamond, where
is it?''
Mr.. Grafton smiled induloentlv,