Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1881-06-24

the IrCs16Sb anu pfeLJ1eSI OF morning
dresses, glad smile on her lovely face,
an open letter in her hand.
ooh, you great, dear, naughty Ar
mold, you look as grave as if you had
the weight of the whole world on your
shouldersp
The cloud partly passed from his
brow when he saw the changed look on
her face, and he held out his hand for
the letter.
1t was the same that had been at
tached to the largest of Mrs. Wode-
houses fiower-pots. With no small as
constituent Arnold read as follows:
Forgive me, my dearest friend, for
the subterfuge to which am compelled
to have recourse; for the trust and re-
sponsibi.ity with which, without even
daring previously to ask permission, /
am about to burden you. Sooner or
later you must know the cad secret of
my life; my husband is a confirmed and
desperate gambler. This fatal passion
has gradually made our whole life one
miserable acted lie. 1t was necessary
to keep up appearances in order to avoid
suspicion and retain his business credit.
The more deeply we sank in debt, the
more wildly he sought to retrieve his
| fortunes at the gaming-table. Heaven
only knows how soon and desperately
this may end. Ny own little fortune,
which, by the culpable carelessness of
my guardian was left in his power, has
been dissipated. The only thing left
for me and my poor daughter when the
crash comes, as come it must, is the
handsome parure of diamonds inherit
ed from my mother. These are indeed,
by every right, my own, but already my
infatuated husband has his eye on them
and dread lest any moment they may
be gambled away. For my child's sake,
l entreat you, help me to save them.
They may some day realize sum which
to her will be invaluable. Deep down
in the mold of the fower-po you will
find them buried. There, for the pres
ent, let them remain; keep them till
day comes when or my daughter may
reclaim them. Do not betray my secret
even to your husband. | trust entirely
to your goodness and your loyalty.
Your unhappy friend,
"MARIAN WoDEHoUsE."
49," exlaimed Arnold, putting his
arm round his wife, "this is the terrible
secret, little woman, which has been
wearing your life away. | do not feel
obliged to Mrs Wodehouse for not let
ting you confde in me-"
ooh, Arnold dear, poor Mrs. Wode-
house, she is dead"
He shrugged his shoulders and
followed Winnie down stairs into the
conservatory, where they found Blanche,
a rather sad-looking, fearful beauty of
seventeen, whom Winnie's brother,
Captain Verschoyle, was not altogether
quite unsuccessfully seeking to console
as they stood together taking the plants
out of the foWer-pots and shaking the
diamonds from their roots.
Arnold looked at Winnie and smiled
as he saw the picture; prehaps he had
little vision of matrimonial pend
ant A few minutes later they all four
went down to breakfast together, Blan-
che's dot lying before them in lustrous
beauty on the white cloth.
Mr.. Moreton being busy man, Cap
tain Verschoyle undertook the sale of
the diamonds; but though he was al
ways on the point of clinching a good
offer some how or other he never quite
achieved it, and already Blanche Wode-
house had been nearly month under
the Morton's hospitable roof, when she
rushed into Winnie's conservatory one
morning now, since the finding of the
diamnods, become once more the
young wife's plaything and threw her
self into her arms.
ooh, Winifred, he asked me to mar
ny him, and says | am not to sell the
diamonds after all, he has quite enough
money for us both"
"My dear Blanche, | am SO very
glad. You will make the sweetest,
dearest little sister-in-law. Only fancy
marriage arising out of my building
a conservatory, and then having, as DR..
Jones says diamonds on the brainp"