The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1879-06-06

4 ING 0l9clo90roo m1uo."
Poor Grsta slept little that night.
How could any one suspect her Of such
. dreadful thingP Where could the
diamond have gomez How could she
defend herself except by her wordp
Ought abe not to have bean above sus-
picion, like Caesars wifef What had
she done to deserve its In IN angry
moment she returned this misjudged re-
ply: ems Sscughton is 1t liberty 70
make whatever Notifying disclosures
she may choose. but she must excuse
Miss L0ring from rendering account Of
. diamond Of whose existence she was
ignorant" This naturally exasperated
Mrs. Stoughton, who haftered herself
that she had transacted the affair with
great delicacy and decorum. She hsd
expected to bring Miss Loring to her
feet, with contrite tears and confessions,
and here was absolute defiance! Did
such hussy deserve consideration at
her hands? And il Mrs. Stoughton was
more or less afraid to say her soul was
her own before that impecunious other
half 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 time had
not Mr. Grafton secretly espoused
her cause, while he undertook the
case Mrs. Stoughton had intrusted
to him. Mr.. Grafton was a wealthy
bachelor, somewhat gray, and a good
deal bald; he had smiled upon Greta
more than once, without receiving any
answering smile; perhaps he thou ht
now that every thing arrives to him who
can afford to wait-that this was his op-
portunity. His housekeeper had once
engaged Greta TO make carpets a. Graf
ton Place, and he had taken pains to
show her over the house and grounds.
and had nearly snatched kiss in the
shadow Of the lindens, as he put her in
to his carriage to send her home.
Greta had never worked there again:
but perhaps she was too grateful a. find-
ing a friend at her side il such stormy
weather TO refuse favor from Mr..
Grafton, aud perhaps she had forgotten
bis audacity. Yet in the midst OF her
humilistions Greta remembered with a
heart-throb that she had . lover to come
TO her rescue il she chose to call him
that she should not be dependent upon
Mr.. Grafton's tender mercies after Ste
phen Sotherne had been notified Of her
strait. At the same time, she felt disin- /
clined to break the bad news to him till (
after all was over For how could il be
possible for an innocent person to suf- \
fer? But Greta was not . little stunned
one morning on receiving letter in the
handwriting Of her true love-" which
ran in this wise:
NY DEAR GRETA--If Is some time since X
had the pleasure Of hearing from you, and II \
has occurred TO me 10 ask II 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 year, since II seems TO me
that owing to the bad times our marriage IL
q indefinitely postponed ~ the millennium.
Now, my dear girl, do rot wish TO stand in
Jour light; II you were not engaged 70 me,
some more eligible partner would seek you.
carious, and the doctors hove advised me TO
try the air OF California. IL II prescrip-
ton more nauseous than drugs, since must
leave you behind me. but / could not. Ia
honor, carry your promise with me for an
indefinite space Of time for my own selfish
satisfaction merely At the same time. be-
iieve me. Il Y no easy thing for me TO say
F" sdieu" to the dearest girl in the world.
Sincerely STEPHEN S0THERSE.
To say that Grefa was surprised would
be the same IS 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 ali about the diamond,
and believes il. she thought. II would
be . comfortable arrangement il one
could cease to love the instant q 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 a.
once. "Another such shock will send
me TO the insane asylum, /" sighed Grefa.
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 II you should be
found guilty Of this-this-"
they should find me guilty.
How can they find an innocent person
guiltye II took the diamond, where
Is it?"
Mr.. Grafton smiled indulgently.
: People have been imprisoned, brand
ID. exiled, hanged, and quartered for ,
inns they never committed. II you were
guilty, you would be more likely TO e. |
APE; you would have laid your plans I
Greta gave An involnnfe~v soh. tho
ears shone In her eyes. And there Is I
40 one TO help me. " she grasped, think
ng aloud, rather than speaking to Mr.. I
irafton. q
Yes, yes, there Is some one ready