The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1883-04-27
SELECT STORY.
HONESTY THE BEST POLICY.

who had consented to share his name
handed him valuable bracelet in or
der that he might get a valuable stone
replaced. He was an elderly bachelor
of mserly proclivities, and did not half
relish the commission, though he could
not very well refuse. 1t had been the
aim OF his life to marry wife with a
fortune, and as Mrs. Bramwell Jay pos
sessel this desirable qualification, he
was naturally anxious to avoid offend
ing her.
He therefore reluctantly took the
bracelet to Mr.. Bevis, the jeweler in
Sackville street, but finding the cost of
replacing the missing stone would be
considerable, he could not summon up
courage to give the order He locked
the bracelet up at bis lodgings, and
fretted a good deal about the unneces.
sary expense the widow had put him to.
BY degrees, however, he became calmer,
for it happened that Mrs. Bramwell Jay
omitted to make any inquiry about her
property. AS time slipped by he began
to hope that the lady had actually for
gotten all about it-which, indeed,
seemed to be the case Naturally Mr..
TEN. any did not feel called upon to re-
fresh her memory, and thus it came
about that the bracelet remained in his
possession until the day fixed for the
wedding was close at hand.
just at this inconvenient time friend
of Mr. Tempany 's-to whom he was
under obligations in the way of bust
ness-must needs get married, and Mr..
Tempany felt compelled to give him "A
wedding present. He regretted this dis
agreeable necessity very much, because
he had suffered great deal of uneasi.
ness of late owing to the increase i'll his
expenditure incident to his engagement.
lie was also at the moment particular
ly depressed by the prospect of having
to pay for a honeymoon trip to the
Italian lakes, not to mention such com
paratively trihing items as an outfit for
himself, and promiscuous gratuities to
every one on his wedding day. Even
the consoling reflection that once mar
ried, his wifes income would be amply
sufficient for both failed to soothe him,
and in this unhappy frame of mind he
suddenly recollected Mrs Jays bracelet.
Since he absolutely must give we'd
ding present to his friend Bullivaut,
why should he not make use of the
bracelet? 1t was great temptation,
for the ornament had lain in his drawer
several weeks, and Mrs BramweIl Jay
had apparently forgotten it. If she
should happen to ask for it before thei1
marriage he could invent some plausi
BILE excuse to account for the delay il
returning it. When they were marret
he could pretend he had lost it, o.
that it had been stolen, and, if driver
into a corner, he could replace it by al
inferior article. AS matter of fact
however, Mr.. Tempany did not paus'
to reflect upon remote contingencies
for he felt 50 inexpressibly relieved a
the prospect of avoiding further ex
pense at the moment that he yielded
blindly to an overpowering temptation
AS to the morality of the transaction
it can only be charitably supposed tha
he vaguely imagined he had some sor
of legal property in the bracelet in an
ticipation of his rights as husband.
However this may be, Mr.. Tempan
dispatched the bracelet to his friend
with neatly worded letter of congrat
ulaton and good wishes. The fact o
one of the stones being missing was
little awkward, because it showed tina
the bracelet was not new. But MI
Tempany fattered himself that he ha
got over the difficulty very adroitly b
remarking that the bracelet had been
cherished heirloom in his family fo
years, and that he would never hav
parted with it to any one but the wifi
of his dear and esteemed friend Bull
want. By return of post he received
hearty letter of thanks from the lady
and also from his friend, and Mr. Ten
pany experienced thrill of virtuor
satisfaction at having, for once in h
life, gained credit for generosity.
OF course he did not mention this Ii
tie episode to Mrs. Bramwell Jay, an
he mentally resolved never to introdut
Bullivant to her But few days afte
= wards he was considerably startled b
che widow saying:
"By-the-by, Podmore, friend {
mine writes that she had such mic
letter from you, Amy Markham and
were old sohoolfellows, You never tol
me you knew her.
II never heard the name" said NJ
rempany, uneasily.
"How stupid of me- That was b,
maiden name, of course cxclaimC
Mrs. Bramwell Jay, taking letter fro
her desk, 'It appears that she has y
Gently been married. Her husband
Mr.-Mr,-such a queer name, and
can't read her signature! But he is
friend Of yours.
"Not Bullivant!" said Mr.. Tempan
with start.
~ es. She writes that her husband
an old friend of yours, and that "
sent her beautiful gold bracelet Ito
good of you, Podmorel Bat you nev
gave me a beautiful bracelet add
the widow, reproaohfully,
"All in the way of business y mi
tered Mr.. Tempany, feeling faint.
"Amy says she will bepassing throu!
town tomorrow and will make a poi
of calling to show me the bracelet
continued Mrs, Bramwell Jay, innoeeI
Pa ly. "She says it is extremely bandson
. aud she wants to read me your XII
- letter Are you i'll, Podmore?'
"No, no. 1t is the heat of the fir,
gasped Mr., Tempany, wiping his for
head Il wanted you to come son
whore with me Tomorrow, rheodo,
for the Whole day, ! mean, | have
been to the Crystal Palace for years,
to Greenwich Park. viii you come
Greenwich Park, Theodosia :" he ad
ed, desperately,
"What horribly vulgar places HC
absurd you are, Podmore!" exclaim
4 the widow, looking at him rather Gu
4 ously. Besides, want to see Al
when she calls. shall certainly st
in for her to morrow
~ shouldn't, if | were YOU" said
Tempany, earnestly. "Nery ,loous