The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1883-01-11

one, VINO nau pfODaOlv nOtlceu, without
saying anything to the girl, that she had
not worn her earrings the latter part of
the evening. No doubt her father, put
ting two and two together, had arrived
at pretty true conception of what had
happened; but it was not his nature to
be outspoken; he preferred to attain his
object by tortous methods.
Bring down the ear rings, Helen" he
said, abruptly, after dinner. Il want to
have look at en-"
His keen old eyes were fixed upon her.
and the girl, to hide her confusion, rose
at once from her seat and hurried from
the room. After a long interval she re-
turned, looking painfully conscious
stricken and embarrassed.
1.-The fact is, father" she said, hur-
riedly, Il had to take one of the ear
rings to be mended to-day"
Poor girl! 1t was lie, of course, and
it made her flesh creep as she uttered it.
But sudden fear and perplexity caused
her to IT sort to subterfuge.
"Mended, Ell What has gone wroug2"
demanded the old man, with a 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. ''I'll take care of it for you"
When the girl placed the case contain
ing the remaining earring in his hand
the old man looked rs though he were
almost disappointed. He liked to de-
tect 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,
eh? Where have you taken it?' he
asked.
Ellen named a well-known jeweler
from whom the earring had been pur-
chased, and desperately fixed week as
the time for repairing the defect. The
next moment she wished she had said
month or year, though by doing so she
would have betrayed herself on the
spot. Old Sam shufhed off to the library
at 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
OIluiC " Vic pun 6iits NV Ohiy OS
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
quired when it would be ready dozen
times, and threatened to call upon the
jeweler and fetch the ornament himself.
Meanwhile Ellen Prothero was making
4 20 80 In wiz
| from her brother, but without success,
had sold it outright for a mere tritiing
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, you 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.
"Wellw he 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 ear -ring 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 su Institute 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.
careful scrutiny confirmed his first i'm
preston. and for once in his life the old
man felt O trihe disconnected and
ashamed of himself He concealed this
passing remorse, however, by assuming
an injured and aggrieved tone as he
said:
.sN,cb tbants 7 got for giving Won a