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

And to MIR. Peter Pinto the white
heart diamond represented the rocs
egg of Aladdin's palace
Until one day an old workman in
precious stones beckoned him into the
den where he was cutting sapphires
with a whirling little wheel, which
sung like a maclanical bumblebee at
its work.
"Pve heerd of it," said he.
"Of-" gasped Mr.. Pinto.
"0f the white heart diamondw said
the workman.
"No" shouted the collector, breath
lessly.
CAS- true as you live" nodded the
old man. 81 always knowed it was in
the Jorgensen family. Couldn't ha' got
out O it, don't you see? But l never
found out afore yesterday as there was
an old lady--Miss Mehitable Jorgen-
sen--a second cousin of old Jan Jor-
gensen's daughter, ivin'. up in the
Catskills. There was some old-fash-
Toned sleeve-buttons come in to be
mended yesterday, with 'J. j. on 'em.
Bless your heartl | could have told
old Jen's twisted initials anywhere.
Didn't have no monograms in them
days, you know. Niece left 'em. A
pretty girl, with red cheeks. I'm to
send 'em back by mail when they're
done"
Mr.. Pinto drew loEg breath.
"Pn go to the Catskills at once,
said he.
"Fair and softly, fair and softlyw
said old Caleb Grinder. sThe white
heart diamond was always shy game.
Mind you don't frighten itl''
81 shall know how to behave" said
Mr.. Pinto, with dignity. "The address,
Grinder, if you please"
And so, clad like unto the inevitable
sketching tourist who infests all the
wildernesses within a hundred miles
of New York, Mr.. Peter Pinto "put
money in his purse" and started for
the cottage in che Gatslaiis, resolved
to approach the subject with the most
cautious winds and turnings of diplo-
matte skill.
Miss Jorgensen was a tall, crooked
woman of fifty, with scant. iron-gray
hair, forbidding visage, and eyes as
sharp and keen as those of hawk.
Hetty, her niece -Mehitable, Junior,
as the old lady called her-was plump
and pink-cheeked, with hair of real
poets gold, and laugh like the chirp
of a blackbird.
"Oh, yes" said Hetty, with the ut
most frankness, "aunty will be glad
to take boarder. Only, please, you
may transact all the business with me.
Aunty belongs to a fine old family
I'm only related on the mothers side
and it hurts her pride to think of
keeping boarders. So, if you would
make believe to he a visitor it would
be a. great accommodation, and no
harm done. We can only spare the
little garret bedroom; but there's a
fine view, and you will find everything
very clean"
And thus to his unmitigated sur
prise and amazement Mr.. Pinto found
himself at last under the same roof
with the white heart diamond.
Of course there was a certain out
ward show to be kept up. Mr.. Pinto
was obliged to spend much of his time
in the woods making meaningless at
tempts at sketching, while his heart |
yearned after the mystic jewel.
He strove vainly for something like
confidential intimacy with his hostess;
but in vain-Miss Jorgensen froze
him. She kept him at ceremonial'|
arm's-leIgth. I
Hetty was social, smiling, always
ready to talk. but Miss JOrgensen never
forgot that she belonged to afamily.
Until, one day, an Inspiration seized
upon our hero.
"By jover" he profanely exclaimed,
"I'I marry the old woman. if there
isn't any other way to get at the
white heart diamondp
But that evening as he came in
little later than usual, with the purple
twilight glowing in the horizon, and a
score of whip-poor-wills singing in the
glen, he met Hetty at the gate. She
started and colored like rose bud,
and, murmuring some trivial excuse,
fitted away.
Mr.. Pinto stopped and picked up a
flower which she had dropped.
"Hellop' he said to himself "this
complicates matters. Little Hetty is
in love with me !"
1t was not such an unpleasant idea;
but, Of course, it could not be enter
tanned for a single moment. The
white heart diamond was his souls
sweetheart. The white heart diamond