The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1883-05-30
"And you win accept this diamond ring

y
me that belonged to my mother, and is a
family heirloom--to remind you of me,
while am gems 2"
Tilda's eyes opened wider she thought
she had never in her life seen anything so
splendid as this pure, white stone encircled
by emeralds, which she allowed him to place
on her finger.
1t certainly was no harm, she thought, to
allow this, and as he suggested that she
might let him have only enough money to
carry him home, it seemed to her that her
father could not object when he learned his
anne, II she should let him have the twenty
dollars in the old money-box, that he had
put aside for taxes, particularly as the Young
man promised to return it in the first mail
after he reached home, with five dollars for
interest.
So she went to the bureau, opened the box
and gave him the money. He took it with
profusion of thanks and gave his name
as Edgar Montague. As he left the door, he
stopped and kissed her, declaring that he
should return as soon as the illness of his
mother would allow him, and gain her faith
er's consent to make her his bride.
1t seems almost Incredible that any gin
could be deceived by such disgustingiy
abrupt loye-making and gross compliments.
But Tilda knew nothing of the world, and
her book heroes and heroines were OF this
character.
No sooner had Mr. Montague" gone
than came Patty, one of the neighbors'
daughters. "Mother had spell" she said,
land could she borry some campfire 7"
ooh my, what splendid ringi she
cried E
cts my engagement ring" said Tilda,
proudly; ''or just as good. The gentleman
who gave it to me lives in New York, and
never saw him before, but he fell in love
with me at first sight, and l shall probably
marry him right away"
Away went Patty with her budget of news
In few hours, every neighbor within half 0
mile knew that Clotilda had diamond
ring" and was going to be married to New
York gentleman.
Tilda was awakened from her dream OF
magnifieence by the arrival of her parent
and her brother. Mrs Fry went up stair
to remove her bonnet, and then gave a shril
and terrified shrek An earthquake ant
cyclone combined would hardly have created
more confusion
Her husband and Tilda and jim, sushet
up stairs scene of confusion met theil
eyes which will not soon be forgotten
Every drawer and closet had been sacke;
and their contents thrown about the floors
Somebody had dressed himself in Jm's bes
broadcloth and loft in their place threadbare
dirt-crushed clothes aud shocking bad hat
The old gold watch, an heirloom, all Tilda'
little trinkets, valuables of every kind, wer
gone.
Tilda remembered the noise she had hear
up stairs, and resolved not 10 mention he
diamond ring" or more of the converse
ton of the young man-her fathers friend
than she could help. But she forgot tho
simple Patty knew all about it, and that
Patty was the gossip of the neighborhood.
In forty-eight hours everybody in the coun-
try was talking about the robbery, and
laughing at the silly girl who had cunfided
in smoothly-spoken rogue, dressed up in
her own brothers clothes, and had even lent
him money out of her fathers desk
As for the ring, that proved to be utterly
worthless Poor Tidal Never was a girl
more thoroughly mortified. In the confu-
sion the book she had been reading was
taken up by her father. He laid it aside,
and the next day, after showing her its char
acter, he took it between the tongs and threw
it in the fire, declaring that if he ever saw
any more such trash in the house, he would
shut Tilda in her room and keep her on
bread and water for month
The upshot of the whole affair was that
the tramp, an accomplished villain, who had
already served his time in States Prison, was
soon arrested, and poor Clotilda suffered the
severe modification of being obliged to iden-
tify him in court. Even he, when he saw
her, burst into coarse laugh, while the
long-faced judge and the lawyers had all
they could do, as she told her story, to sup
press their smiles
But the cruel lesson sufficed Romance
had lost its attractions for her, and sensa-
tional novels and strangers are just now both
alike repugnant. Youth's Companion