The Douglas independent. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 187?-1885, 1882-12-30

turned, looking painfully conscious
stricken and embarrassed.
THE fact is, father" she said, hur-
riedly, ST had to take one of the ear
rings to be mended to-day"
Poor girl! It was a lie, of course, and
it made her flesh creep as she uttered it.
But sudden fear and perplexity caused
her to resort to subterfuge.
"Mended, Ell! What has gone wrong2"
demanded the old man, with q sharp ,sus-
picious glance.
Zone of the stones is loose"
"Ah! Then the other ring is no good
to you till you get the pair" said old
Sam, whose expression plainly showed
that he did not believe word of the
story. sI1l take care of it for you"
When the girl placed the case contain
ing the remaining earring in his hand
the old man looked as though he were
almost disappointed. He liked to de-
teet people in falsehoods and meanness,
and he had evidently suspected that
neither of the ornaments would be forth
coming. He shut up the case with
vicious snap, and tottered to his feet by
the aid of his stick.
"When will the other one be home,
ell? Where have you taken it?" he
asked.
Ellen named we'll known ieweler
from whom the earring had been pur-
chased, and desperately fixed a week as
the time for repairing the defect. The
next moment she wished she had said q
month or year, though by doing so she
would have betrayed herself on the
spot Old Sam shuf1ed off to the library
aG the end of the passage, and locked the
case containing the earring in the old
bureau, where he kept his secret papers.
The next four days was period of
torture to the poor girl, not only be-
cause each passing minute brought her
nearer to the dreaded scene, but because
her father, as though divining and en-
joying her distress, was constantly al
luding to the missing earring. He in
qnired when it would be ready dozen
times, and threatened to call upon the
jeweler and fetch the ornament himself.
Meanwhile Ellen Prothero was making
desperate efforts to recover the earring
from her brother, but without success,
for the truth was, the young blackguard
had sold it outright for a mere trihing
sum.
At length the week expired, and on the
morning of the eighth day the first thing
the old man said when he came down to
breakfast, was:
ELLEN, ycu must call for that earring
to-day"
"Yes, father" she said, speaking with
an air of desperation.
The old man chuckled and ate his
breakfast with unusual zest. He more
than suspected that he was being de-
ceived, but his daughters disobedIence
and the loss of the diamonds were moth
ing to him as compared with the grim
satisfaction OF making her utterly miser-
able. When the poor girl started on her
errand old Sam took seat by the win
dow and watched eagerly for her return.
No sooner did the carriage come within
sight than he hobbled out as far as the
| door to meet her.
"Well!'' lie exclaimed, with a cunning
| look.
"Here it is, father" said the girl,
bringing out small package from her
muff.
| Old Sam took the package in silent
( amazement. Even now he did not be-
| lieve that he held the earring in his
hand, for his daughters crimson cheeks
and averted eyes at once attracted his
attention. He was chiefly possessed by
astonishment at her audacity in carry
ing the deception so far. Doubtless she
was endeavoring to palm off on him some
clumsy imitation or substitute in paste.
Old Sam chuckled as he thought of the
utter futility of such an attempt.
But when he opened the packet his as
constituent was greater still, for there
lay the earring, beyond all manner OF
Doubt Old Sam knew something about
diamonds, and was connoisseur enough
to recognize at glance that the stones
in the earring were the identical ones
which he had given to his daughter. A
careful scrutiny confirmed his first i'm
preston, and for once in his life the old
man felt trife disconnected and
ashamed of himself He concealed this
passing remorse, however, by assuming
an injured and aggrieved tone as he
said:
much thanks get for giving you a
handsome present. shall take the ear
rings back agen and lock 'em up till
you're old enough to take proper care oi
stone being loose. I expect you broke
would think diamonds were as cheap as
pebbles"
With this parting shaft, delivered out
of sheer wantonpess and vexetion, the
old man beat hasty retreat and shutf1ed
off to the library.
/ He was thoroughly out of temper, not
only from disappointment at having
been deprived of legitimate occasion
for venting his ill humor, but because
he had strong suspicion that, somehow
or other, his daughter had stolen q march
upon him. However, as he now had both
the earrings in his possession, there
must needs be an end of the matter.
Old Sam seated himself in front of the
bureau where he kept his will and other
treasures, aud fumbled at the lock with
his gouty old fingers. Having opened it
with considerable difficulty. he turned
to the drawer wherein he had placed the
other earring in its case, but, to his sur
prise, the case had disappeared. There
were other things in the same drawer,
including various antiquated articles of
jewelry and few gold and silver coins,
and for some minutes the old man did
not realize that the earring was missing.
The truth dawned upon him by slow de-
grees, and increased his irritation.
''Dear me, now! / thought I put il
here. It is singular that I never can
find anything when want it, he NUT
tered, as he groped about.
It was the fact that of late years the
old man had acquired singular mack OF
mislaying things. His memory was be
ginning to fail him, and many instances
Il had occurred of this awkward infirmity.