The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1881-03-16
THE s1GNoRA's RING.
BY AN ABsEsr-MlNDED MAN.


than-Thingumy, who used his lady
loves little finger for a tobacco stop.
per. Bless mel i never can remem-
Der names.
II is very dreadful, but / suffer
more from it than any one else can,
and that affair about the Signora's
diamond-hayn't you heard of it?
I'll tell you:
1t was Mrs.'s. They had lit
tie musical party, and Signora Divine
was asked to play. After she seated
herself at the piano she first took of
her gloves, and then her ring. She
only wore one, u large cluster dia-
mond, worth agood many thousands,
Isuppose. She put her handkerchief
and gloves on the piano; laid her
bracelets on them, and gave me her
ring to hold.
"Ee. ees valuable" she sad; but l
can never play with ring on. 1
give it to you to take care"
Then she began to play. She
played diyinely a sonata by la-la-
la-what d'you call him, and a noe
turne by t'other fellow-oh bother
his namel-and then they applauded,
and she courtesied, and she put on
her bracelets and held out her hand
to me, and I-shook it. didn't
know what else to do. And she
laughed and said:
"oh, tank you, but besides Eat
my reeng."
Her ringl I'd forgotten all about
it. turned faint and began to rum
mage in my pockets, to look at my
fingers, to feel up my sleeves-all to
no purpose. l called my friends to
my aid, and we searched the piano,
the chairs, the carpet. They turned
my pockets inside out again for me,
for my absent.minded ways were we'll
known. Iopened my pocket book.
The Signora sat calmly in chair
and smiled, and said.
ooh, you veel find" in the most
polite manner, and my friends kept
saying to me: "Now, Fuzz, old boy,
why did you take thing like that
to take care OFF You ought to know
yourself better by this time" But
nobody found the jewel.
AT last the signora began to look
very solemn, and the Signora's hus.
band to scowl and mention the value
of the ring, and the fact that the EN-.
press of-what you may call 'e,n,
gave it the Signora; and the musicale
resolved intoa party of ring hunters,
who gradually slipped away, leaving
me with our hostess to bear the brunt
OF the calamity.
81 am SO distressed" said Mrs. = |
cant remember her name, but they
give very nice parties, and go there
often; "but | am confident Mr.. Fuzz
has put it somewhere. He'll remcm
Der me after awhile"
"oh, yes, I'm sure to do 3d." said.
"lf not"
l was at loss for words, for I did
net really believe all my possessions
IN a lump would pay for the Signora's
diamonds, or for one of them; but the
Signora continued, and said:
.oh, l know well ow honorable is
70 America gentlcmons;" while the
Signor added:
"Vat I sink ees, some one rob re
ring; Eat is vat l link"
AT last we all went home. | nv.
self began to believe with the signor
that the ring was stolen. | tried to
remember who came near ME; James,
the waiter; Annie, the maid Pratt,
janior, gambled
1t was useless. could remember
nothing, except that the pet poodle
of the house, Frowsy by name, had
jumped upon my knee, and that |
had tried to keep him from barking.
y suppose | dropped it then" /
SAID to myself, aud | could have kill
ed the little brute.
However, at dawn, there came a
knock on the door. II was the Sig.
nor, in terrible rage.
Snare he said Il conio to ask
cef you find"