St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1883-04-06

iOuI cups anu SduCeTS, ana the Two
dishes. And as, with dazzled eyes, |
gazed on her portion of that exquisite
service felt as though a sacred duty
had deVOlved upon me to reunite
the long-separated ceramic family and
knew | should find little happiness
until all the beautiful members of it re-
, posed safely in my possession.
Miss CrOfton and soon became good
} friends, especially when upon compar-
: ing notes and tracing back the pedi-
gree of the Chelsea, we decided that at
: some time my mothers and her fathers
families must have been closely allied.
, When We had established this fact to
our satisfaction, ventured to hint, as
delicately as | could, my wish to pos
sess the china then, as she took no
notice of my hints, | was compelled at
last to ask her, pOintblank, if she would
sell it to me, fixing any price in reason
she chose to. | found, as Wharton pre-
dicted, that the good lady was obdu-
rate, and there | sat for an hour, with
fthe coveted articles almost within my
grasp, yet as far off as the gates of
HEAVIER.
did not, of course, despair entirely.
~ must manGuvre," | thought. 81
will have it in time, by fair means or
! foul. | will make myself very agreea-
BILE to her; | will show her attentions
Some day | may be able to render her
IA service, and her heart may open with
gratitude, and | shall compass my de-
sire" To-day ! could do no more, so
bade my new-fOund relative, as cum
ningly called her, an affectionate good
bye, asking permission to call on her
again.
81 shall be glad to see you at any
time, Mr.. Headley," she said, ''but we
shall never have any china dealings to-
gether, so you are fairly warned"
: | went home feeling very mOurnful,
and for the rest of that day the four
cups and saucers, the cream-iug, and
the two dishes were dancing about be-
t fore my eyes. sat down for an hour
or more with my own portion before
me. How meagre it looked now! |
took the pieces out and re-arranged
the cabinet, leaving blank spaces for
those | coveted. | pictured the lovely
appearance the set would present when
the whole of it was in my hands.
| went to rest quite sOrrOwful, and
the cabinet, which only the morning
before seemed so well filed, was now
empty, or nearly empty, in my eyes.
? 1t Is small thing to say that | believe
| dreamt of Miss CrOftOn and her china
y the whole night. My honesty vanished
t as my eyes closed. | stole that china
, at least dozen times. | secreted it in
? the most extraordinary places. | bur
led it for safety and to avoid detection.
t but the four cups seemed endowed with
| life, and, as fast as | covered them up
: with earth would pop up in unexpected
places. l committed other crimes fOI
the sake of that china. | deliberately
D murdered the unfortunate spinster, and
1 packed the articles which had urged
5 me to crime most carefully in bag
t Then the hue and cry was raised, and
r | knew that men were pursuing me
e but dare not venture to run lest
should break those fragile things fol
y which | had endangered my soul. II
t seemed to me infinitely preferable tC
e swing OF the gallOws than to find one
of those exquisite cups in atoms. Ever
A when the morning came, and found
= that the events of the night were only
p, dreams, my state was not very much
Y happier. | could not bear to look al
= my cabinet. Something was wanting
= there, and until the void | had created
e was properly filled | felt | could tinC
= no pleasure in my former pursuits.
/ You. although collector, may think
b., am joking, but assure you am not
Y | hungered, | craved for that china
and felt that, were it denied me, my
| dreams might some day almost come
z true.
After the interval of few days
:
t Miss CrOftOn once more. She received
X me kindly, told me she was f1attered by
my paying her another visit so soon ,anC
e allowed me to handle the china again
+ | must have been dull company, too
= for although replied mechanically t.
e her chit-chat, my eyes were ever turn.
ing to those four cups and saucers
Il cream-iug, and two dishes. Miss Crof
n ton could see the bent of my thoughts
ii for she SAID
t "'It's no use, Mr.. Headley, | will no
T sell them, and | love them too much t,
give them away"
+ AS she spoke, thought struck me
d | would take her to see the teapot
h sugar basin, and the other cups an,
! saucers, mourning, as it We're, for thei
long lost brethren. So | concealed m,
veXatiOn, and, making an effort t.
l smile, said:
n 81 am only admiring, Miss CroftOn
= But | should he so pleased if you woul,
r honor me by calling and looking at IN,
st little collection. If so, | will send tn
d carriage for you Tomorrow"
y She accepted my invitation, and tn
II next day came to my house. | too
y care to have a choice little repast pre-
= pared, of such things as middle-age
lie spinsters love, and after we had dis
er cussed it | led her to the room whic
ID held my treasures. All the cabinet
- save one were open to her view, bu
he that one | had covered with dar
ID cloth. After she had seen the content
n of the others led her before this one
1t and in a theatrical manner, with
| beating heart, lifted the veil and re
Us vealed my teapot, sugar-basins, cup
Id and saucers, looking beautiful, but sol
at rOwtul, with the vacant spaces aroun
them. | said nothing, thinking tn
7e mute appeal to her better feeling
1t. would do more than any words of min,
III She saw the plot at a glance, an
to laughed long and lOud, saying, as he
IL merriment subsided:
no $50, Mr.. Headley, this is the meal
to ing of your hospitality; you expect N
to to pay for my dinner with the china
ed protested it was only IA little hiI
e, to show her how very anxious | was
IN. possess the remainder of the set, an
n then | told her, seriously, how nece'
v sary it was to my happiness and pea'
X of mind to see those void spaces tille'
at No appeal of mine would soften he
1t, and the four cups and saucers, I'll
be cream-jug, and the two dishes SCENE
at as far away as ever. At last she sal