The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1880-02-13


ashamed. Knitted scarfs and sofa blanE
cts, as if it had been charity hazar; u
books-ht, suppose people thought, fo
a cleTgyman's wife; ard ruhbishz seen
bottles. and psper-Heiyhts; 2ad theI
was one of thess useless little wood
book-cGses-those ugly carved thing:
you know, that one picks up quite cheal
and never thinks of putting "a . draw
} ing room table now"
! Will any sympathiZiDg persen try L
imagine my feelings at this crisis? TIL
talk went on, but followed it not A
1t buZZed in and out of my ears, tn
words ''trumpery," shabby" absurd,
mot worth giving" seemed alone Il
force their way to my brain.
We went to bed at last. Ny hostes
and her daughters escorted me to NJ
room. Il hope you will be comfortable,
said the former.
| "Oh, most comfortable" was m,
mechanical reply, ~ seemed to lool
round on the luXuriousIy appointet
chamber, while nay eyes fastened only
on something, loosely covered with ii:
brown wrappings, which was placed TO
safety on the top of the drawers.
us there anything you Uant?'' sale
! Flora, earnestly, percelViDg, no doubt
the hidden anguish in ny tone.
sob, nothing. am SURE" I stopped
shsrt. Was not this the moment tc
seize for hurting at her my unfortunate
| present, and at once destroying her lila
sion about ny intentions? l might
have seized it, for | vas desperate; but
at this very juncture my ill-starred maid
who was busy over one of my boxes
CHANGED to take from it the very case OF
coral which | WAS afraid Of Florl's
catching sight of. IL ny alarm I has,i-
| ~ thrust myself in front Of it to conceal
1t; and while l thus stood guard over it,
not daring 10 move, they babe me good
night. Yet. as they did 50, was 1t only
| my terrified fancy which made Lac see
| in each face bent To kiss me = Solfish
| look of curiosity Is fiGd out what my
maid Was doing With the box behind
me: Wa there 3 covert smile lurkiB .
| round FlOra's mouth? TFas there 4 tone
| Of still teudercr interest in her mothers
| voice as she begged me 10 ring for any
! thing | wsnted7 I can not tell. / vi!l
not let my prediudiceS hurry nae
| too far. But I know that [ had lit
tie sleep that night % I lay ponder
| ing over my situation. [ went down to
breakfast next morning, my perp!eZities
| still unsolVsd. But I knew that to-day
something must be done. Ny tribute
must be paid in some shape, and, alas !
| it was likely to be acceptable. As I en-
tered the breakfast parlor an ominous
silence, different from the friendly cheer
| fulness of the night before, seeslel to
prevail; aHd | half shTank back rs I re-
! membered that the bandItti awaiting me
I beg their pardon, bat / must give .
faithful description of my feelings
| might expect me to appear provided with
the ransom they had set on my head
But, to my relief, 1 found that the post
had come, and they were all busy with
their letters. One Was for me, and tool,
ii and skunk to my place as quietly as
possible, 80 Us not TO attract the atten-
tiCn of the fortunately prcocupied hri-
gands toward nay empty handed condi-
ton.
Ny letter was from q cousin, and it told
me that her daughter-my gedchild-
was engaged to be married. You may
be surprised IL hear that this news
came to Inc AT first rather as q pleasure
than 4 shock. But, firstly, was really
focd OF nay goddaughter; secondly, ono
has Il sort OF insane satisfaction in an
nouncing Il wedding; thirdly, q wild
hope crossed my mind that the evident
necessity of my giving some handsome
present To my gOdchild might induce the
maciVors 10 abate their own inferior pre-
q.
| now ventured to raise NV eyes and to
listen to what was going on. l was
seated beside my host; but he, good
man, was so engross01 with his saint of
grouse that, though / was supposed to
be talking to him, any incoherent OBJ
servatiOps did very we'll, and l was able
TO catch, with hearing that had become
painfully sharp, the conversation carried
on in half aside At the other end of the
table.
Flora First rebber) "Such nice note
from dear Mrs. Brown Richardson! Shes
coming over to luncheon some day"
Flora's mother. The vulgar woman :
hope she wont come. l rsallSl can't
stand her purse-proud airs
Flora. "But, dear mother, justflisten.
She asks what l should like oest-a
Dresden tea-set OF bracelet Now that's
what call being really frieadiy"
The mother (relentingly)- We'll, so
it is"
Second robber "a younger sister,
Which will you take, Flo? The brace
eiet, ] should say. You want jewelry
awfully."
First robber. well, don't know. 1
should like lovely Dresden tea-set Let
me see what jeTelrY I've got (couGts on
her tingers) Two silver card-cases-"
The mother. You needn't count those
as jewelry. Stupid things, too, nova
days"
First robbar We'll, then, three
brooches, Two bracelets"
Second robber. They're only morn
ing ones. Hardly worth counting.s
First Tobber (neitlcd ST these asper-
sions on her success) I've got a pair
OF pearl earrings and three Iockets.''
A confederate Qhe bridemsid cousin
whom yesterday TOOK for = sweet, pleas
ing girl, but who now turzs out TO be the
most daring ind dangerous Of the rang.)
Only three lockcts! Helen nacgrcg0r
had six, not to speak Of tse whole set of
family ceiruCorIns; and Blanche &c Bots
Guilbert had the loVciiest diamonds
Third robber "a youthful but promising
villain of sixtecn), Il don't see why the
Brown Richardson's shouldn't give both
the bracelet ana the tea-set. They're so
tremendously rich"
First robber{" oh, talking of diamonds
mother, isn't that letter from Aunt
Dives at last? Oh what docs she say
about"
The captain of the band (gloomily).
Nothing. She doesn't even mention
Well, it's kind letter. She sends her
love, and her blessing and"
Chorus of robbers. but the 6imonds,
Didn't she say she would give US her
diamonds when We married? oh, what
a shame il will be If she Doesn't"
The captain (ssothingly). "Oh, dare
say it will be all right. She certainly
told nae she meant TO do So"
First robber with emotionl. - Surely
she might send me brooch, or even
ring OF two. She would never miss
them"
The captain, perhaps, dear, she means
to give you something when you go TO
visit her.
The confederate. But that won't help
US on Thursday. Oh, | wish some more
jewelry would come in before THURSDAY!
To be sure, there will be. (She pauses
suddenly, as she sees me listening, and
the conversation turns all 1t once upon
the weathcr)
Il mast ride over to the Hermitage
to-day" says Flora, as We leave the table
Il may as we'll go to luncheon You,
see, dear Miss Fairgame, 1 have to go
and say goodbye to dear old lady
Miss Monypenny, one of our neiEhbors
so : you won't mind my running away
this morning?'
''Oh, not at all. Pray don't think of
me-" say l, with heartfelt earnesiness
Here was an unlooked-for respite.
But what shall We do to arnuse Miss
Fsirgame!' says her mother.
"Oh, / dare say You would like 10 sec
all dear FlorR's presents
"Oh, so much; butt think I've let
tiers to write this morning"
So l got away to my rosm, and sat
down 10 reconsider the -terTibie question
weighing on me. By this time, indeed,
the question was narrowing itself-the
alternatives before me drawing closer
and closer. My poor friends coral was
doomed, or at least she was doomed 10
lose it. The idea of appropriating it to
meet my own exigencIes was no longer
contemplated with even shudder of re-
morse Ny downward course had be-
gun. But the perplexity still before me
was, could rescue the coral from Flora