The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1882-01-21
THE DIAMOND EARRINGS.


ton pazed at with eyes of curious re-
gard, it was her husbands cousin, Mrs.
Morris; and if she had one ambition
eclipsing another, it was to eclipse Mrs.
Morris in every direction. If Mrs. Nor
ris set mp wall-basket, Mrs. Templeton
compassed hanging cabinet. If Mrs.
Morris had new ivy-pot, Mrs. Tenn
pleton would have nothing less than a
window garden. A single vase on Mrs.
Morris piazza caused Mrs. Templeton's
premises to break out with urns until
they looked like stone-cutter's yard.
If Mrs. Morris gave a high tea, Mrs.
Templeton had dinner party out OF
hand; if Mrs. Morris had q luncheon,
Mrs. Templeton had ball, or what
answered for one in the limited round
of pleasures of their place Of abode;
and il Mrs. Morris INDUCED herself
with newsilk. Mrs. Templeton always
counted her founces, and made her
own phylacteries broader. '' .s'
When one day. then, Mrs. Morris ap-
peared at church--the usual place in
The town of Cartoon for ladies to ex-
hibit their toilettes-with a pretty little
pair of diamonds sparkling in her ears,
you can imagine the state of disgust
and wrath in which Mrs. Templcton
walked home, and the very disagreed
BILE time that Mr.. Templeton had of it
as he walked beside her, endeavoring
to look like the happicst domestic man
in Cartoon. The sermon was criticised,
the minister made out time-server,
the parish denounced collectively and
personally, his own peculiar friends
among the rest. and finally his cousin
Hetty was reached, and her habits, her
manners, and her dress were made the
text on which to hang anathema
maranatha of worldliness, affectation,
bad taste, low moral sense, irreligion,
and last of all. extravagance-his dear
little harmless Cousin Hetty, whose red
curls lighted such q frank, child-like
countenance, and whose two diamonds,
he had been guilty Of thinking, during
the ''Te Deum," just matched the
limpid sparkle OF the clear dew-drops of
her gray eyes. But Mr.. Templeton had
far too much experience to say anything
of the sort. flames Morris could not
pay his debts If he we're sold out to-day"
said his wife. ''And look at his wife's
dress!-Maria, how many times must
Itell you to keep those children inside
the curbstone?-h wife's dress Just
one glitter of satin and jet. And de-
clare it was impossible for me to fix my
eyes on the lecturn for the way in which
she kept those diamonds twinkling be-
fore me, with her head on the perpetu-
al dance. A pretty place for diamonds
church! l know woman who wore
them to her fathers funeral; suppose
she would. l should think. at any rate,
she could have controlled her inclina.
tions and waited till next Sabbath-dia-
monds on Sunday! But it's high
time of day, must say" warming up
with her husband silence, 'when am
without single diamond to my name,
and there is James Morris wife-James
Morris who owes you $4,000 borrowed
money"
1t was very weak in Mr.. Templeton
to interfere; but one can not be always
on ones guard. understand. Juliet,
my love" said he, ''that Hetty's Uncle
Roberts sent her those earrings"
.Uncle Roberts, indeed! / should
like to see Uncle Roberts for once, if he
is not mythical parsonage altogether
cried his wife, with the air OF expecting
MIR. Templeton to produce the alleged
Uncle Roberts Immediately. ''Unclt
Roberts! Uncle Roberts! 1t is Away.
Uncle Roberts. And you understand,
forsooth! Why didS't understand
Why were the earrings concealed from
me? For all know you gave them t.
her yourself. Perhaps you are this I'm
Gle Roberts who is always brought t.
the front at every pet piece of extrava
gance. For my part, wish l had ever
husband, not to speak of an Uncle
Roberts, who would not see me trodder
under foot by any little mink wht
chooses to toss her head above me-
my dear! my dear! just remember
where you are; just remember the chill
dren," murmured Mr.. Templeton
fioundering in little farther.
Where l am! / suppose you don
want all Carleon to hear how am out
ragged. You'd like to keep it q secret
You'd like to have me endure in 81
lence. Of course you don't want tn
children to hear their mother tell tn
plain story of your neglect your out
Here Mr.. Templeton took off his ha
and made q low bow with glitterinI
smile to . gentleman and lady passin
in an opposite direction.
what in the world is the matte
with Mrs. Templeton?' asked the gen
tleman. "She looks like thunder
cloud full of lightnings."
.Hetty Morris earrings, / guess,
was the answer. ''She has probabl
seen them at church to-day. Poor Mi
Templeton! What life that vixe
leads himr' wt a4 t
II don't know about that. He is tire
mendously in love with her."
"How can he be?"
"Force of habit, may be. And she
abeauty. YOU know, And when she
good natured there's nobody like her.
swell, by Easter you'll see her wit
. pair of solitaires, I'll wager anothe
pair. Take me up"