Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1881-11-19
Selett Stprp.
THE RING AND THE ROLL.

OF all people that make trouble for
themselves the jealous can take the
palm ; and of all the jealous, Mr., Don
aid Mcdonald was able to get the most
torture from the least material.
Whom Lucia fell in love with him,
she did not dream of this sffliction, for
he seemed about as indifferently cool
and naughty man as one could picture.
Perhaps she firted little recklessly
with one and another lest he should
divine her secret perhaps on that ac-
count he thought the only way to get
her was to take her by storm. She did
not fatter herself that lie remembered
her when out Of his sight, till one day
on the piazza party of them having
been talking gayly of their possible
futures, and all having left but herself,
he came back, and leaning against pill
lar, and pulling down the rose-vine,
"What is that you are doing, Lucia !"
he said. "Does it require all your
attention. Look at me, Lucia; = and
she thoughtlessly obeyed. "When we
were all speaking of our paths in the
future, was there any seriousness in
what you said Did you suppose I
would ever listen to any plan Of future
for you in which was not part ?"
"Youp looking up at him where he
lowered above her dark and superb as
Lucifer.
"I. And I tell you now, Lucia, you
are going to marry me or nobody. You
are to be my wife. or no mans wife,"
And many of Lucis's distresses came
from that acquiescence in which her
glad heart stood still moment before
it beat upon her lovers, in which her
hand lay trembling in his, while he
slipped upon its finger curious gem
mel.ring Of rubies and brilliants. II
she had rebelled, if she had coquetted
or dallied, she might not have remained
in the half-humble light which made
her more like q slave than wife; if
she had obliged him to sue instead Of
allowing him to claim, he might hardly
have ventured on such lordly and die
tatorial demeanor. He hurried the
wedding so that she had no time to per-
ceive anything but his passion for her
self. And now that regret was too late,
all there was for her was as straight a
path, looking neither to the right nor
the left, as wealthy woman in society
could wal But to Q friendly beauti-
full creature like Lucia, who liked every
body, and whom everybody liked, this
was no easy matter. Nor especially was
it easy when some of her former lovers
came along, to whom she felt it right to
be particularly gentle in view of their
regret and her felicity.
For Lucia was really happy. She
desired no indiscrimiuate admiration ;
her husbands was enough for her. She
had his alteration, and she knew it, and
he was her all in all nothing more
grand and noble and beautiful than he
was possible to her conception Of q
human being. She loved him so that
if he had trampled her heart ont of her
body, she would have thought it but Q
fit service she rendered him in suffering
it. And it cost her nothing to relin.
quish all companionship but his, fol
she wanted NO other.
The one hinderance to her happiness
was that her husband failed to recog-
nize all this, and seemed to have con,
slant fear of loss of her affection if she
became aware of the 1istence of any
body else. She knew that his bursts o.
anger through suspicion did not meal
that he loved her any the less, but they
frightened her. and they caused her un