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

AAC1oy W do ptChluS over DldckDeFrleS
for the morrow's jam, in the outer
porch.
Talking of diamonds" said Miss
Jorgensen, fortifying herself with a
pinch of snuff-Mr. Pinto hated snuff
there's a very valuable Siam in our
family, which"
Aunt" said Hetty,--coming in;
=" Mrs. Didcombe wants TO see you Just
minute, about the next meeting of
the Dorcas society"
Miss Jorgensen hustled out. Mr..
Pinto smote the table with the flat of
his hand.
"I'll do it ~ he said.
And he did it within the next half
hour.
cit may seem premature, dear Miss
Jorgensen," he said, after having gone
stiffiy down upon his knees, "but our
hearts do not beat by rule or calendar.
1 behold in'you a congenial spirit.
love you! Will you be mine?"
Goodness me y said Miss Jorgen-
sen. swell, l never did! But, of
course, Ryour happiness is involved
l wonder what Hetty will say?"
Mr.. Pinto clasped the wrinkled hand,
pressed a kiss on the snuff-favored
cheek, and with an ecstatic thrill
thought of the white heart diamond.
Hetty 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 even faint away.
But she did none of the three. Shedid
not behave at all like a broken-hearted
heroine of romance.
"Oh, I'm so glad p said she. "Now
l can leave you with clear conscience,
Aunt Mehitable."
"She has been engaged to Philo
Wetherlie for year." explained Miss
Jorgensen. "P'raps you've noticed
her of an evening hanging over the
gate waitin' for him to go by with the
cows"
"0h, aunty, I.didn'tl" !" said Hetsy.
ala, child, it's nothing to be
ashamed Of" said Miss Jorgensen.
Mr.. Pinto bit his lip. He would
like to have pitched PhilO Wetherlie,
whomever he might be, over the cliff.
But, however, this had nothing to do
with the white heart diamond, and
when Hetty tripped out again he led
the way as gently as possible TO the
fascinating subject once again.
You were speaking" said he, with
an insinuating smile, ''of famous dia-
mond which"
"Oh, yes" said Miss Jorgensen.
"The white heart diamond, they called
it,"
81 am something of a Judge of such
said Mr.. Pinto, his heart
beating reveille in his bosom. eff
you would allow me to look att"
Miss Jorgensen shook her head.
81 couldn't" said she. 81 sold it
three and twenty years ago to my
cousin, Philo JOrgens IN. He was
drowned on the very next voyage he
made to Amsterdam-diamond and all,
for he always carried it in little
bag next his heart.
He had 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 hifA elf for
the rest of his days for a mere bit of
paste. a 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 Z!
But he had great deal of fortitude
and self-reliance. He played the de-
voted lover to Miss Jorgensen's entire
all the evening, but when
Hetty came to call him to breakfast
the next morning his bed had not
been slept in, and he was over the hins
and far away.
In fact he had run away.
Miss Jorgensen was rather indig-
nant at first, but when Hetty ex-
claimed, "He must be a crazy man,
aunty," she concluded that all was
for the best.
"But," she said, with smirk, "he
was certainly very much in love"
Yes, indeel, aunty," said Hetty,
with the utmost gravity.
And thus briefly and logically ended
Mr.. Pinto's search for the famous
white heart diamond.-Helsn Forrest
GrGreS.
The value of railway property in
Missouri in 1882, as estimated by the