Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1883-05-25

| SuDtle fragrance, ana ever ana anon
the little brook could be heard rippling
over the stones by the bridge, where
she had so many times wadcd and
chad fun with her little friends.
But Peggy did not notice anything
of this. She was thinking: IL dorft
feel like singing; but can't l 'front.',
give up my splendid ring. If tell of
II, Grandma will tell all the neighbors,
and the owner will be found and claim
IL. II is not the owners any more.
They should not have lost it, | found
IL, and now il is mine. | don't care If
| can't sing. l can look at my ring
whenever please" Upon this she be-
gan to cry rs though her heart would
break, just to prove how happy she
was in doing wrong. But in few
minutes she brushed away her tears,
for she was resolute little girl, and
went down stairs.
"Why, Peggy, you must be sick,
dear. You rave been crying, L am
sure" said her loving grandmother,
Immediately. "0r, are you unhappy
Come TO me, child, and tell me all about
it. Do! j know 1 can help my little
girl
Grandma" said Peggy, pettishly,
AZ have only headache. have
nothing to tell" ("That was not
true" she added to herself, with the
Justice and severity of judge) Peg
gy was no ignorant wrong docr. She
knew as well as you and / do, dear
reader, that she was going away from
all the pure and good things which she
had ever been taught. just then n
neighbor came in. Her name was Mrs.
Smart. She always knew all the news
of the neighborhood just as soon as it
happened sometimes beforel
They've had a great time up to the
boardin' house," said she.
Now, grandma did not like to listen
to the stories which Mrs. Smart was so
apt to tell. She knew that very often
they turned out to be false, and in any
case they were gossip. Every school
girl and school-boy knows what gossip
is. When you grow up hope you will
not get to be like Mrs. Smart. If you
do, you will pry and peek
and ask, questions, and hint around
until you find some little thing
that you can twist into story
against somebody-(n (never for anybody,
be sure of that!) and then you will go
from house to house to tell the evil
thing you have imagined, thus doing in
jury to innocent people, and meddling
with matters which do not concern
you.
yes" said Mrs. Smart, "they've
had great time up there. One of the
fine ladies has lost her diamond ring.
ct,1n,, hnr hx, oh hf,,.
maid. Poor gyurl / do pity her, il
she is thief! There she sits a-cryin'
The lady knows it was that gyurl, for
she was the last person in the room,
and the lady is sure that she left her
ring on the bureau, and when she came
up to breakfast it was gone, and the
gyurl herself said nobody else had been
in the room! They've searched hel
trunks and can't find nothin', but they
made such fuss that Mr.. Laird has
discharged the poor thing, and She:
agoin'.''
What lady was itp" questioned
Grandma, for she was quite interested
"Twas that Miss Dulcimer that wa.
down here a-tryin' to buy your chineN
t'other day. She feels very badly, too
Twas her mothers ring, and folks sa,
twas worth four hundred dollars!"
Peggy trembled with excitement, bu
her voice was pretty calm as she said
(Which way did she 90 home from
here, Grandmap Was it while l was a
SCHOOL,"
Yes; it was day before yesterday
in the afternoon. She went up to tn
boarding-house through the orchard
because 1t was cooler, she said"
"Wcll," said Mrs. Smart, II mus
go, for ] want to see that guilty gyuI
off. She was a-sittin' in the kitchel
cryin' as # her heart would break, an
a-tellin' how she never done no sucl
thing; but you never can tell! Thos
gyurls are so deceivin'. / presume She
got the ring somewhere about he
clothes now. At any rate, she won
get another place very soon. kinde
pity her, and yet it serves her right"
''Is she going awayP" asked Grand
ma.
Yes; in the stage-why, hear
she takes it when she goesW
Peggy sprang upstairs like deei
She went straight to her chest
Through the window came the rumbl
of the stage, nearer and nearer. In
minute or two it would reach the board
ing-house, and go on. Peggy looke
for the key. 1t was not under the mat
as usual. Where could it beP Pegg,
tried to think, but her head seemed il
whirl. What could i have done witt
the keyp" she sobbed. Putting he
; hand up to her neck, she happened t.
feel little ribbon. "Oh, yes,n sh
sighed in relief. She had tied the key t,
ribbon, and placed it about her neck
for now that she had diamond rim.
in her chest, she would have to b.
But the ribbon was tied in hard knot
and was too strong to break. Th,
ominous rumble had stopped; the stag,
had reached the boarding house. "Wha
shall | dop" groaned Peggy, her hear
beating with fright and anxiety. "Oh
j must get into my chest" Then sh,
saw penknfe on the table. In an in
stant she had cut the ribbon and un
locked the chest, caught up the ring
and run downstairs. Her grandm,
called: "Where are you goingP'' bu
she dashed like whirlwina through tn,
kitchen, cleared the TWO steps at +,
bound, and went up the road like ,
flash. How she ran! Her heart bea
like trip-hammer, but her ears wer,
wide open to catch the sound of tn,
stage. Round the corner, by the end o
the orchard, she still kept on; but jus
as she came in front of the trim croquet
ground, she saw the stage start off from
the door.
After it she sped with all her might
The summer boarders were all collected
in front of the house. Mrs. Smart wa
by the road, watching the last tears o
the unfortunate maid; some fashionabl,
city children, whom Peggy had Away
feared, and almost disliked, becaus,
they were so "airy," as she called it
We're right in her path; but sh
went after the stage as if he
life depended on it. "Whoar
she cried. stop! Whoa! Driver
| Driyerl Stopn' ~ Oh. deari,,-unde