The weekly herald. [volume] (Cleveland, Tenn.) 1876-1888, 1881-06-17

little gold owl she gave you behind the
scenes. All / saw it all. A mangaer
must be everywhere, you know"
Very piquant looked Mrs. Trentham
as she spoke, coquette of as many sea.
sons As her companion had posed foI
beau, an arch sparkle in her eyes, more
than suspicion of malice in her smile;
for to see any man admire another
woman pierced her vanity, if not her
heart, and she could not rest until she
had lured him away from his allegiance,
or at least sown mischief in the path OF
possible lovers, Yet Mrs. Trentham was
most popular person and an acknowl-
edged leader Of society. Captain Horn.
blower resisted; but the enchantress
was adroit, witty, fattering, and the
supper good, and in the end he yielded.
The lady attached the little gold owl to
her watch chain, and emerged in the
streets at 2 o'clock in the morning.
When she reached her own home the
little gold owl was gone She had lost
it during the walk,
Next day Mrs. Trentham sailed up to
Augusta Beyan, at a crowded kettle
drum, took both of her hands, and ex.
claimed "Oh, my dear, am so dread
fully sorryl I am always committing
some folly. do not deserve forgive.
ness. Captain Hornblower gave mel
mean lent me-your little gold owl last
night, and INctually lost it in the
street."
The Sevres teacup fell from Augusta's
fingers on the floor. Mr.. Riddel and
Captain HOrnblower stopped for the
fragments simultaneously, thus knock
ing their heads together.
"She is disillusioned," thought Mr..
Riddel.
"The game is lost" reflected the gal
liant warrior, with unfeigned regret
"Of course no woman ever forgave that"
At 6 o'clock that morning a young
Iwiss maiden, by name Marie Hetzel,
had gone on an errand to the market for
her mistress. Marie was sixteen, with
round brown face framed in crimped
cap, and carried basket on her arm.
Her foot struck against small object
she stopped, and found little gold owl
on the curbstone.
"Himmel?" exclaimed Marie, and
sped with the treasure to the lager beer
garden where Fritz, her lover, was en-
ployed as a waiter.
Fritz happened to be polishing the
rows Of little tables placed in bowers of
evergreen. He was prudent youth of
nineteen, with blonde hair and hard
blue eyes. He examined the trinket
and put it in his pocket. The gold owl
might be very pretty suspended about
Marie's throat, even as Roman women
rejoice in their hairpins and chains, or
the Genoese in their filigree earrings
but money also could be made out of it
money to add to frugal savings where
with to return to beloved Canton Berne
as man and wife and buy modes st farm.
Marie shed q few tears of feminine
vanity while yielding to logical argu-
ment, and trudgod homo with her
basket. Fritz sought little den of
shop in an obscure quarter and sold the
gold owl to jew after much haggling
for five dollars, which sum he consigned
to savings bank. Now indeed was the
owl lost, hopelessly lost, for it had dis
appeared in the black shop Of wretch
ed quarter, instead of reposing in the
pocket of Miss Bevan's pink satin muff.
1t happened that the owl had never met
with greater appreciation, however. The
ruby eyes glowed like flames, while the
golden plumage became luminous as
the ornament passed from one dusky
hand to another.
Finally the Jew took the trinket to a
fashionable jeweler celebrated for skill
full workmanship in metals, and sold it
for considerable sum. Mr.. Riddels
walking downtown one morning, paused |
suddenly before the jewelers. window.
He saw little gold owl suspended by
hook, and radiant in the sunshine. He
fancied the bird of wisdom actually
winked at him in recognition. He
entered the place, and bought it
promptly
Augusta Bevan, pale, thoughtful, and
with new tenderness in her bearing,
received back the little gold owl. "I
have been thinking of so many things
of late" she said, softly, placing her
hand within the arm of this faithful
friend. "I even remember your
proverb, 'Those who fish for minnows
never catch trout"
Mrs. Trentham tapped Captain Horn.
blower on the arm with her fan at
reception, where the lady was
in a Worth toilet of black
satin and old gold. "Mr, Riddel and
Augusta Bevan ore engaged" she said.
"I always knew it would be match yet
Their property joins, you know, and
water does flow to water in that way in
our wicked world. Besides, he is really
the only man worthy of Augusta"
Captain Hornblower went his way,
having been ordered 10 n fort in Montana