The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1881-03-19
THE LOST RING.

up III w lNA = 'bo'a's
Squirrels, school-boys, picnic parties
and tramps all had theirpck and choice
of the nuts, and yet, with every mid
night frost and sunrise gale, the ground
was strewn afresh with them, and any
adventurous stick, thrown up into the
branches, would bring down shower
of new treasures.
"But why don't they bring these nuts
TO market?" cried Laura Heritage.
"Why don't we have them in Lon
donP
"Ain't enough of 'em, MISS" said
job, sturdy, young farm laborer.
Besides, they amt what you'd call
fancy nut"
Just then Mr. Austin, the handsome
young curate of Comfortable, came up,
and held out his hand to Miss Heritage
with smile.
81 am glad to see you here" said
he.
"And am so glad 10 be herer' said
Laura, enthusiastically.
"How do you like country life?" he
asked.
,"Oh, so muchr' cried Laura. "Ma-
pile Farm is delightful, and Mr.. and
Mrs. Jennings are like two antiquities
out of a curiosity-shop. And mamma
would give untold god for the china
that they use--eXtrayagant creatures
on the table every day! could have
cried outright last night, when Phoebe
dropped cup and broke it. And we
have open wood fires on huge hearths,
and the logs are so dcliciously fragrant
a. they burn, and
"And little Phpbe?' said Mr., Austin,
smiling doesn't she strike you as q
curiosity, also?'
Laura laughed.
1.-The niece?n said she. "Do you
know | have scarcely looked at her? |
like pretty people and pretty things,
and that child is such fguren
She spoke carelessly, quite unaware
and very possibly she would not have
cared had she known it--that PhGbe
Jennings was in the sunken glade just
below, where the yellow sunshine quiv-
cred, and a noisy little rivulet leaped
over noisy stones on its way to the riv-
er.
Phpbc was big eyed and solemn, with
face and hands almost as brown as the
nuts, and hair that waved and crinkled
all over her head
Mr.. Austin had always had a pleas
ant word and a smile for her; Miss
Heritage was the realistic of her ideas
of an angel-and now they are laugh
ing about her.
Phpbc stood minute with her great
eyes trimming over, her lower lip
tightly clasped by pearl-white teeth.
job" said she, at last, my bucket
is full. think I'll go home"
"What, a'readyp" cried Job.
'Yes," said Phoebe. Maybe, Aunt
Jennings wants me. I'd better 90.
Mrs. Jennings, cutting piece of gold
clear honey in the comb, out of glass
box, was astonished at the breathless
apparition Of her l:ttle niece. flying
hcadlong down the steep grade Of the
apple orchard
Bless me, childr' said Mrs. Jen.
nings. Didn't tell you you could stay
till shutdown.
al didn't want to-" said Phoebe
And she rushed upstairs to her room,
and cried until she could cry no lon.
ger
Miss Heritage liked pretty people
and pretty things" and she (PhGbe)
was "such figure"
She had not known it before. She
had thought her calico dress, with the
black stars upon it, was beautiful; and
she had innocently rejoiced in the
brown ribbon bow for her neck, that
had been her uncle's own present.
And then Phoebe looked in the little
siX-inch glass, and realized how brown,
how unkempt, and gipsy-like she was
how diSsmilar was her dress from Miss
Heritage soft laces and floating rib
bonoops And Mr.. Austin in whose
Dible-clasS she was
"a wish | was deadr' sobbed poor
fhTbe. mo, aunt, pleaser' to Mrs.
Jennings kindly call. a don't want
any tea
"No teal" said Mrs. Jennings. in
amazcment Child does your head
| acheP'
Yes said Phoebe, who had never
known what it was to suffer an ache or
| pain in her lie. Yes! Please-pease
let me be aloncm
Two days later Miss Heritage came
down to breakfast with u perturbed
air.
MY pearl ring" said she; "its
gone,
| Now Miss Heritages pearl ring was
not an ordinary trinket, but costly
pear-shaped pearl, set in slender
hoop of braided gold.
| Farmer Jennings set down his coffee
cup and stared; Mrs. Jennings uttered
little cry; PhTbe who was bringing
in n plate of hot toast from the kitchen,
stood still.
"Dcary mel" said Mrs. Jennings,
"where can you have dropped itP'
81 never dropped ii at ALL" said
Laura, positively. at has been taken
stolen from my room'"
"But, Miss Heritage" said the farm
er's wife, mildly, "who is there that
would stealit ?"
81 don't know" said Laura. excited.
ly. 81 kn0w that it has been stolen,
nSd Il ! wiz oaa b. would send for the p0-
Of course there was no one upon
,yh,n, pnuntninn ,unY1I fall hat Dln,hn