Charlotte messenger. [volume] (Charlotte, Mecklenburg Co., N.C.) 1882-18??, 1883-06-30

F. IOT me morrow jain IL the outer
porch.
"Talking Of diamonds" said Miss
+ JOrg ensen, fortifying herself with a
pinch of snutf-AIr. Pinto hated snuff
- there's a very valuable Siam incur
family, which,
Aunt" said Hetty, coming in.
Mrs. Didcombe wants to see you Just
a minute, about the next meeting of
/ the Dorcas society,"
Miss Jorgensen BUSTED out. Mr..
Pinto smote the table with the fiat Of
his hand.
"I'll do it !" he said.
And he did it within. the next half
hour.
"Itmay seem premature, dear Miss
,Jorgansen, he said, after having gone
stitfy down upon his knees, "but our
hearts do not beat by rule or calendar.
| behold in you congeniaI spirit. I
love you! Willyou be ;nine?'
Goodness me T. said Miss Jorgen-
sen. "Wen, [ never aid But, of
course, if your happiness is involved
l wonder what Hetty viii say"
Mr.. Pinto clasped the .yrinked hand,
pressed a kiss on the snuff-havOred
cheek, and with an ec,tatic thrill
Thought Of the white heart diamond.
Uetty came smiling in presently, and
Miss .JOrgensen told Her of the new
page in her life's history
Mr.. Pinto expected to see her blush,
scream, or perhaps eva faint away.
But she did none of the thrte. She did
not behave at all like a Jrollen-hearted
heroine of romance.
"Oh, I'm so glad"' saidsh "NoW
can leave you with q Gear conscience,
Aunt Mehitable."
"She has been engaged to Philo
Wetherlie for a year" explained Miss
Jorgensen. "P'rapS -ou'ye noticed
her of al evening halging over the
gate waitin for him togo by with the
cows"
"Oh, auntv, 1 didn'tr' said Hetty.
ft@ child, its Iathing to be
ashamed Of" said NTss Jorgensen,
chuckling.
Mr.. Pinto bit his lili lie would
like to have pitched Pilo Wether1ie,
wh0meVer he might be, over the cliff.
But, however, this had nothing to do
with the white heart diamond, and
when uetty tripped OF. again he led
the way as gently as possible to the
fascinating subject onc) again
You were speaking said he, with
an insinuating smile, &c famous dia-
mOnd which,"
"Oh, yes" said Miss Jorgensen.
"The white heart diane nJ, they called
it,"
"I am something of Judge of such
matters,' said Mr.. Pinto, his heart
beating a reyeille in his bosom. elf
you would allow me to look atit-"
Miss Jorgensen shook her head.
"I couldn't" sud sh- q sold it
three and twenty yeo1s ago TO my
cousin, PhiIo Jorgens n. He was
drowned on the very next voyage he
made to Amsterdam-dil lmOnd and all.
for he always carried it in a little
chamois-leather bag next his heart.
He had a very good imitation put into
the setting for me. I've got it some
where upstairs. And, after all, what
could | do with a thousand-dollar dia-
mOnd?"
Mr.. Pinto drew his breath with a
little gasp. Had he sold himself for
the rest of his days for a mere bit of
paste faSceted lump Of glass, while
all the time the white heart diamond
lay fathoms d ep in the sea? Angels
and ministers of grace defend him 1t
could not be
But he had a great deal Of f0rtitude
and self-relance He played the de-
/ voted lover to Miss .5Orgrnsen's entire
satisfaction all the evening, but when
Hetty cane to call him to breakfast
the next morning his BED hal not
been slept in, and he wa over the hills
and far away
In fact he had run away.
Miss Jorgensen was rather indig-
nant at first, but when Hetty eX-
claimed, He must baa crazy man,
aunty," she concluded hat all was
undoubtedly for the best
but" She said, with / smirk, "he
was certainly very much n lover
Yes, indeed, aunty said Hetty,
with the utmost gravity.
And thus briefly and logically ended
Mr.. Pinto'S search for the famous
white heart diamOnd-FeI3nF Forrest
! GTare5.
The value of railway property in
Missouri in 1882, as estimated by the