Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1879-08-06

a few moments l had made up my
mlnd aud e,unted ont TO him
four hundred dollars, the price he
asked for H.
| wore the diamond Tor more than
i've years At first 10 q ring ater'
wards 10 q shirl.slud and then again
10 ring, II now eOclrcles the finger
of beautiful lady swhose little
daughter CALI ne "Papa." All thus
time there has been no tragedled IN our
family, 10 dear TREND has died My
own health has been excellent, and !
am quite resigned 10 hayeit put down
to Imagination on my own part that
to me, my stone Is bright or dull ae-
cording to my prospects ahead Only
this affirm, that twice, when to test
| went contrary TO its warning, the
punishment quickly followed the Of
fensc, once | spccalated in Pacific Mai
and lost heavily, and once | asked a
sweet lady friend to be my wife ana
she refused me-plump'
Superstilious or not, as you viii,
regard my diamond as my 'a''smao
my mentor, and ever since my nnSuc
cassial wooing | have looked upon II
with love not mixed with awe, One
morning when riding dow town in Il
Madison Avenue car, to my business
| looked up from my paper conscious
Of pair ol eyes fixed 'tcad'ly on me
Opposite was a lady Of about twenty
years, dressed in soft somber gray
the only bit of color to relieve it
except the bloom in her refined fact
was q bit of red, low down beneall
the brim OF her gray ielt hat. He'
eyes were light lustrous brown; he'
hair much darker, and glossy, wa
brushed back in waves from her low
forhead, upon which curl or two fell
not in the detestable "bangs,' which
frankly state abhor, but short grace
full, fringe.like ringlels, that rested up
on the white brow as If they loved it
There was no doubt about it, this ral'
and radiant maiden was gazing at me
| looked at her in return with lace
tried to make expressive OF nothing
certainly not curiosity. She glanced
down again at her book, "Danie
Deronda." | returned to my tele
graphic dispatches in the Herald
Again I felt her gaze, and again
looked up and met her eyes, Sh'
evidently wanted to speak to me. Ha
ever seen her before ? asked my
self. No! She seemed too modest
sweet to- wish to attract the attention
of a stranger. Perish the thought
said inwardly. But she vas certa'nl.
looking at me again. l am not " ba
looking fellow, and as men 50 not
bad sort; had always been popu|a
with my lady friends, and returne
her lopk this time with one of interes
and | am afraid that l smiled. In
stan,ly her face clouded, she bent owe
her book and bit her lips anGrily.
turned to my paper but not t. rea'
Once more l looked up at IN
} vis-a-vis she was steadily gazing a
me. I could have sw orn to it.
my talisman! you failed me then
bnt the fault wls mine | did no
{ seek your advice. Just at that me
ment the conductor came hurridel
, to the front of the car to speak to tn
8 driver, aud as he was returning tn
lady in gray said to him in a 10
voice, every word perfectly audible
me and as chilling as an iceberg:
"Conductor the gentleman opposl
me is losing his diamond
I flushed to the roots of my hal
felt tor the stone aud discovered tn
!, it was hanging by the spiral scre'
8 and so nearly out that quick NOV
ment would have sent it down into II
mesbes of the car mat. lreplaced |
g securely, bending back the wire t'
greater safety, anu then cast an in
Y ploring look Of apology. gratitude al
i humiliation upon the kind stranger h
I face remained palid but after nome
q a demure smile stole into the corne
d of her mouth, and l don't think it W
8 provoked by what she saw in b
book, or that she was reading very a
y tentively.
il She left the car at Fourteenth sire
and gazsd eagerly after her as 81
l turned up Broadway, and then l mu
r have sighed. Perhaps because fea
e ed l should never see her again. Wb
more natural than for me to desl
% to know heri IT was 80 kind and
10 sensible of her to prevent my loslr