Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1882-09-07

During the remainder Of the time
they sat at table he appeared somewhat
absent In mind. and spoke but little,
except when personally addressed.
After the gentlemen had iolned the
ladies in the drawing-room- Lord Alph-
ington, taking cup Of coffee from the
tray that was being handed round,
crossed the room TO where Bertha was
sitting and placed himself beside her.
May / ask II you have the ring with
you mat you found In 30 singular q
manner?" said he.
mo, I am sorry to say 1 have not
she replied. II wore It constantly in
London, hoping TO find its owner: but,
ed to leave 1t behind me.n
"Would you mind giving me A more
exact description Of it?n inquired Lord
Alphington. II do not ask from mere
curiosity"
Bertha complied, not a little sur
prised at the interest he took in the
subject.
II have reason to believe this ring. 50
singularly lost and found. is one belong
ing to my family" said Lord Alphing-
ton. ut must be the same; it Is scarce
ly possible there can be two alike.n
"Yours, Lord Alphingtonl Oh, am
so glad, Bertha exclaimed-"glad that
can restore it, mean. How very
strange that, when had almost de-
SPARED of finding the owner, should
meet him herel / thought il could not
rightfully belong to the person who lost
"What sort of person was hep"
Lord Alphington asked, in some ankle
ty apparently.
An exceedingly unpleasant, disrep-
utahle-loOking person. Bertha replied.
Heaven forbid that he should be the
man who has put in claim to be ac-
knowledged as my grandson said
Lord Alphington, with look of pain.
There is no danger of that, hope,n
| Bertha returned. "The person we are
speaking of is too old-about forty I
should imagine"
'.Ah, that is relief at any rate!n said
Lord Alphington. my grandson, if
he really proves himself to be so, can
! not be above six-and-twenty. 1t is Just
| eight-and-twenty years since my un-
fortunate son left England. Lady
Alphington wore that ring as keeper
according to the tradition of our family
for many generations. The last time
| she ever saw our younger son she drew
it from her finger and placed it on his,
| pledging him by this act to live worthi-
ly of it and Of her in the future. 1t is
| strange how it could have got into other,
hands: he would sooner have parted
with his life than have given it away
| of that feel convinced
Bertha listened with deep interest.
1.-The ring must be indeed valuable to
you," she said. Il will send for it at
| once.n
II would have begged you to do so"
Lord Alphington observed. '.There is
another part of your story that strikes
me, !" he continued. ''You imagine that
the lady you called upon knows more
about the individual who lost the ring
than she chose to confess?',
II may do her injustice, but I am al
most sure of it." Bertha replied.
Lord Alphington sat for while lost
in thought.
ut is very strange" he said again;
| and then, as another idea struck him,
he smiled. ''You wore the ring for a
month, did you not say?"
Rather more than month"; 81 Bertha
| answered. sit was only the second
week in March when found it."
II was smiling at the remembrance
of an old doggerel connected with that
T1ng-a sort of prophecy" Lord Alph-
ington remarked. ''Let me sect runs
| thus
| "Who three times nine days the ring has on
Shall live to be Countess of Alphington."
"It is well that those old prophecies
should prove false occasionally ! Y Bertha
said, laughing, .'or we should become
superstitious.o
Other friends and other topics now
claimed Lord Alphington's attention,
but before the evening was over he re-
turned to Bertha's side, this time en-
| gaging her In conversation upon vari-
GUS subjects. He was charmed by her
unaffected sweetness of manner, her
good sense, and the intelligence and
| cultivation of mind she unconsciously
displayed; and she in her turn felt her
respect for and admiration of the old
/ nObleman each moment increase.
''Sir Stephen or Lady Langley must
| have interested him in me for my dear
| fathers sake,o she said to herself. But
it was not SO. Bertha was often passed
| over unnOticed, and probably would
have been SO passed over by Lord Alph-
/ ington, had it not been for the incident
of the ring; but no one came into actu-
al contact with her without feeling the
charm Of her manner, and, while Lena
found admirers, Bertha gained friends.
On taking leave later in the evening
he came up to the piano beside which
the two girls were standing they had
/ Just been singing q duet.
Lady Langley has promised me the
pleasure of lunching with me at Alph-
ington on Thursday" he said. ssThe
| Misses Dalton will, trust, increase
that pleasure by accompanying her.
| His glance included Lena as he spoke,
but it was Bertha's hand he held. and
/ Bertha to whom be addressed himself,
and Lena could scarcely conceal her
vexation on finding herself invited
merely as matter OF course.
Nor had she found other consolation.
| At breakfast-time on the following
! morning Sir Stephen Langley asked her
If she had found an opportunity Of set
ting her cap at Mr.. Hartley Of Beech
wood, adding that he would recommend
her to do so, as he was man of wealth
and bachelor, though he did not think
itwould be very easy to induce him to
care for anything but his dogs and
horses.
Tho more credit. there would be to
you in achieving the conquest he
said, with his hearty laugh.
Lena col0fed and bit her lip. She had
often been annoyed at Sir Stephens s
/ Jokes at her expense. 1t was one thing
to pursue course of tactics, and an
other to have it held upto the merciless
daylight. :.
MY turn will come, ? she said to her
self, by way Of consolation, "and then
let them laugh If they viii"
Bertha was anxious to dispatch d tel