The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1881-08-09

Bertha LanrtOn, tO whom, report SalO
he was passionately attached. Repor,
was right for once. and Berthas word
was law to her brother, who concen.
trated upon her all the affection
that other men concentrate on the
thousand and one objects to which he
was utterly indifferent.
THE magic emerald" said Stephen
Langton, ''has been an heirloom in
our family for the last four hundred
years. Apart from its associations.
it is a very valuable stone from its size
and quality. 1t is said under certain
circumstances to have the power Of
losing its tint, and becoming perfectly
cOlorless.
"What are those circumstances
asked Lady Matilda.
''If its possessor is guilty OF any
great ,neanness or rascality, il he be-
trayed friend. or commits any really
vile or wicked action, the emerald
loses its color, and when that happens
it is a warning of certain punishment.
The criminal NAV strive to avert the
penalty; but it will come in spite of
all he may do
''And has that ever happened:'
Never, since it has been liz our
family responded Langton. MY
ancestors have either been exception
ally virtuous, or the emerald ha, lost
its powers or never possessed them. y
"Oh. Mr. I.angton. pray don't cast
doubt On such really charming story
SO very romantic, so truly intere> ting.
But. supposing that its po>sessor-you.
for instance Though I'm sure. of
course, that you wOuldn'r-were To
do something really dreadful, would
the emerald never recover its color
Never. so long as it remained in
my possession. But directly it became
another mans property it would Ike as
at present, and would remain so until
he did something awful, and so on.
Lady Matilda made no remark in
answer to her companions Last speech
and indeed, seemed not to have heard
it. She was looking intently between
the bushes behind Langton. and As he
ceased to speak she rose, in order to
obtain better view Of the object on
which her eyes were fixed. I4anglon
turned. and gazed with a languid curl
osity in the same direction. But sud-
denly he rose. too. and stood beside
his companion, with his teeth set fast.
and his face paling beneath its ruddy
bronze. Lady Matilda's face was
white with i'll dissembled anger, and
the hand which parted the leaves was
sgitated by an angry tremor.
\ young man of twenty-five or
three. light-haired. fresh cOlOred. and
looking exasPeratingly cool and calm
in the blazing sunlight which lit the
open space about him, came lcunging
up the little hill on which stood the
cOpse which hid the listeners from
view. Beside him walked a girl some
few years his junior, attired in a dress
of some diaphanous fabric. Her
summer hat, decorated like her dress.
she carried in her hand, and thicklv
twisted coronet of leaves and flowers
Was in its place upon her lu>trous
hair. Ignorant of the scrutiny to
which they were subjected, they came
on until they were within twenty
yards of their concealed watchers.
Then, seized by a sudden faintness
the young man fell, limp and inverte-
brate. against a tree, uttering hol-
low groan. The lady regarded him
with a countenance whose gravity was
by the laughter of her
eyes. He raised his appealingly to
her face. and groaned again.
well ," she asked.
He pressed his hand upon his heart,
and gasped:
1.-The customary restorative.
The girl looked about her, and then,
believing herself unperceived. stopped
over her exhausted companion and
kissed him. He, with sigh of re-
lief, briskly recovered the perpendicu-
lar, and the pair disappeared from the
view Of the enraged Lady Matilda
and her companion.
"Shameful!" gasped the angry
lady. Shameful? Outrageous! How
dare hee
Langton made no answer, but tugged
silently at his moustache.
"Mr. Langton, painted Lady Ma
tilda, l pray you to believe that | am
no party to this disgraceful conduct
On the part of my daughter"
"Disgraceful?" repeated Langton,
with an astonishing lifting of the eye
brows. "Why disgracefGl? Perfect
" natural, I should say"
Lady Matilda glared at him as if