Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1882-05-06
Seleet Stprp,
THE DIAMOND RING.
uRoy;a Roxie child |"

laughing group about her, to reply
to the lady who called her.
"Well auntie ?" she said, with
backward toss of the softest. bright
est curls,and look of saucy defiance
out of arch, hazel brown eyes.
"What did you say just now9"
Roxie colored and laughed.
~ don't care" she said, poutine
very becomiugly; 81 do like Frank
Thorley, although he is papa's clerk
shouldn t have said 80, only Ellen
Richmond was making fun of what
she calls his assurance in dancing
with me so often tonight"
~ wouldn't dance with him again
my dear"
"Why not, pray ?" Rox,,e exclaimed
elevating her graceful eyebrows.
because you are very pretty
girl, ard he ia very handsome young
man. You may do him much harm. y
ZIP"
"Such fattering preference as you
are evincing for young Thorley's So
ciety is enough to turn any young
mans head and coming from a girl
in your position, TO man in his, is
calculated to do harm. Take my ad-
vice, Roxle, he already sees no one
in the room but you. Lavish your
witcheries on some one less liable to
lose his wits through them"
Roxie turned away from Ter aunt
a little pettishly, and stole from
under her thick lashes a furtive
glance in young Thoriey's direction
He was indeed watching her, with
his heart in his handsome eyes; and
the vain little beauty flushed with
pleasure.
It was not long before Frank
Thorley asked her to dance with him
again.
"He is handsome, and graceful, and
so entertaining" Roxie mused during
the instant's hesitation before she
put her little white gloved hand in
his, ~ will dance with him--there T.
And away she Aoated in airy cir
cles.
"It cant do any harm," sho con-
tinued with some inward misgiving,
as her eyes met auntie's mildly disap.
proving look, or fell beneath the i'm,
passioned and almost too frankly ad-
miring glance of her companion; "of
course he knows I am particularly
kind to him because he's papa's clerk /;
and he can't be so ridiculous as to
fall in love with me really. and it
isn't likely we shall ever be together
this way again"
Miss Roxie, however, was mistaken
IN her calculations. She had INDUCED
o momentary whim and had insisted
upon his attending her party.
AS consequences, somebody el Sc
invited him, and then somebody else,
and he was so handsome and enter
taining-such a graceful addition TO
any circle-that before the winter
was over he had become very popu-
lar, and received more invitations
than he was able to accept. Roxia
was surprised, but secretly pleased
at this, and at the continuance Of
his undiaguished and almost romantic
devotion TO hsrself. Roxie &C, el ted
this devotion with occasional rsluct :
ance and occasional misgivings as to
where it was to end; but she liked
it too we'll to lose, and was, perhaps,
more interested at heart than ohe
realized herself.
Imagine her CONSERVATION when
Frank Thorley asked her to mary
him.
Tim sorry, Frank" she mur-
INJURED, almost incoherently, as she
dropped into seat.
Thorley's eyes flashed momentarily
"You'v We done wicked thing, Miss
Roxie Lyle" he said. "If ever wo-
man led man to believe she loved
him, you did me"
Ro1ie stopped him there with a
naughty gesture and an angry on
forget yourself, Mr.. Thorley;" and
she swept imr erially past him, back
to the drawing-room she had Quilted
a moment before on his arm.
Mr.. Vincent Lyle was at the hsad
of one of the oldest firms in the city
He was a man OF sterling integrity
and uprightness himself, and sternly
severy upon any dereliction in an.
other. His clerks were all literally
ii. I'D a youno man who oculj oh.