The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1879-07-02
THE LOST RING.

'tsf1 T.. "--VOT0 IeTTV Ut Ot NacNOt0S JOr may.
sd 4o THELOST RING. Il !:
Had l been nv own mistress should
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 engaged
myself to her. True, she asked no ref
erence; but why need she? a. ,2G .j.ar
i.@"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 [ should travel, so
you must supply your brothers and sis
ter's wants before we go. I shall be
liberal with you. Take this" AS she
spoke, she reached out six or eight half
eagles. I drew back my hand. ..n
lit is too much," said 5 .sv .
"Allow me to be the Judge of that.
know what will be required of you? I
looked up to see, if possible, what mean
ing lay hidden beneath her words. J.
II shall travel as fancy pleases," she
continued. zone spot is as pleasant to
me as another. I go in search of some
thing which have lost 1t may be here,
it may be there. have nothing to guide
me in my search. 1t is all blind chance. /"
At first / was not happy in my migra
tory life: [ used to long for home--or
what had been homeland for the caress-
ses of those I loved. But this did not
last long. Marie Rosis soon grew to be
the world to me, and her bondslave
Sometimes VIC rested for two or three
weeks from our travels, and then went
forward, day after day and week after
week, without stopping. I do not know
how long I had been with her, when I
discovered we were not travelling alone
that we had follower, who pursued US
from place to place with unwavering per-
sistence. He did not seem to be con-
scious of US. He never addressed us-he
followed us like shadow L 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 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 tried to think no more
about him. a r..
1t was after this stranger came that I
learned what Madam was searching for.
airing that had mysteriously disappeared
from her finger one night while. she was
sleeping. A strange ring, with garnet
heart for its centre, all that she had left
of Monsieur Rosis. Iglanced at her in
surprise. "1a"f. 's 0If.-.,. ..,..
1'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 -.., d. j. s.. .si."5 D.. .s-@:.. .
I looked at her keenly. Was the woman
crazy? ."' 49, -
81 "He gave it to me, and said that a
curse would follow me if lost it. I
did not lose tit went away from me :;
but I am not happy. Monsieur Rosis was
very hard." .#i -.
''But you are not to blame for what YOU
could not help" ...-
"AhAbut if lover took it?' she said,
shaking her head slowly. 81 had fallen
to sleep in the drawing room---thc day
was warm. When I awoke monsieur's
heart was gone, and the air was full of
shadows. I've been searching ever since
for it.'' ..'a .-.l.. b.. -. -
She began pacing up and down the
room. We were stopping for week at
a hotel in large inland town. This con-
yersation had been carried on in the par
lor-a long, wide room, looking west
ward. AS madam walked, I thought I
had never seen her half so beautiful. She
wore a dress Of some soft black stuff,
which trailed on the bright-hued carpet
This was relieved by gauzy scarlet man
tie, as delicate and tilmy as the wing Of q
butterfly. While she went to and fro
restlessiy the stranger came noisclessly 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. ..ngEt
For myself, grew angry and heated
at the strangers Doldness. III ne nad
anything to say to her, why did he not
speak? What right had he to dog her
steps SO persistently9 At least, 1 would
tell madam. As I started forward to
speak, the strange gentleman raised his
hand to his forehead and I 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
ring. It should be restored to her, and
once more she should know happiness.
All, how frightened I got, though!
While my lips were parted to speak, and
my hand reached forth to touch his arm,
he was gone, and I stood quite alone with
Madam Rosis.
"What makes you so white?" she asked,
stopping short in her walk.