Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1884-07-18
AUNT AGATHA'S RING.

fallen in love with Edith Clay. Ger
tain. other members Of the family
however, had different views on thu
subject; and to particularlze on
whose objections were the most pro
nounced, / Will mention Aun
Agatha.
Edith Clay was my cousin, but II
no way related to Frank, who wa
the son of mot.er's second husband
We were a mixed-up family, as PEG
pie used To say and we all live to
gethcr in one great, roOmy house
after the manner OF families in some
foreign countries; and ! have Otter
thought it was greatly to our credi
that va lived so amicabIy together
considering how many of us there
were, and that we were all of tempers
and dispositions as various as oul
cOmpexions. | have already men
toned the one subject on VIII Oh We
had agreed TO differ; for even on thai
we had never vet come to an opcl
quarrel.
Peace rcigned, as yet; though the
smouldering fires of Aunt .Agatha's
feeling were often in danger of burst
ing forth in flame. She had already
SAID more than once that her god
daughter, Alice Clark, was to be the
wife of this nephew.
Her heart was set ON the match; hen
fortune a large one-was already
settled on Frank, on the condition
that he married Alice but should he
prove fool enough to throw fine for
tune and far bride, Miss Clark
would not remain wholly withoutc con
ISOLATION. for She thus became hercSs,
instead Of Frank, to the bulk Of the
old maids fortune, according to tho
terms of Aunt Agatha's will.
Such was the state of affairs when,
on Monday, the 22d day of Nov. last,
Aunt Agatha's magnificent diamond
ring disappeared from her dressing
table. We all knew for whom the
ring was destined Aunt Agatha had
long since announced her intention oil
presenting it To Alice on her wedding
day 1t was superb diamond, &
largo white stone of dazzling lustrC
AMI great value; and when the los!
of it was mentioned it was natura
enough that Alice should feel it as 6
personal matter. She, justly enough
regarded the ring as her own, since
the actual possession Of it was only 1
matter of time,
at can't be lost! | saw it this
morning, and so did Eiith Clay
You remember, Edith, | tried it on
and said il was to be mine when
She stopped and blushed; but Edit
answered, quietly, NHcs, ! remember
quite well
What Alice had really said wa
tlat the ring was to be hers when Sh,
married Frank Gardner; to which
Edith replied, with provoking
smile. "Oh, if you're to wait til
then the ring may never be yours; :
and Alice Lad augriIy flung the ring
back on the dressing table, whence il
fell and rolled away, and without
waiting to see whether she picked il
up again, Edith left the room, hal
angry and half sorry to have sale
anything unpleasant. | heard al
this subsequently from Edith herself
for, of course, we discussed the loss
of the ring as eagerly as the rest o.
them
$50 II can't be lost, Alice continu
ed, for | replaced it on tie dressing
table myself. Aunt Agatha. and there
was no one IN the room but Edith an(
myself. | ann gong To search for it
If / dDHi find IT, it has been stolen.
And Alice left us hurriedly, not lit
tie dismayed, FOR, in her anger, she
had followed Edith from the room
without pausing to look for the ring
and in the excitement of her Jealous
feelings and piquc against Edith she
had forgotten all about the diamond
till Aunt agatha announced its disap
pcarancc.
But she drd not find it; she ranSacli
ed the room until every thing III IT wa
put out of place, aud places searche,
whore the ring could not possibly hay,
got To unless II had been delberatel,
hidden. Aud SO the whole day passed
and the missing diamond was the ON,
absorbing topic of conversation in th
family. More than dozen times tina
day Allec,S words were quoted tina
the ring had not gone off by its owl
powers of lCCOmotlou, and that II,
one uuaCcuStomed to entering Auu
AgathaS room had been thert saw
Edith. The coupling of that fact, to
gethcr with the remark that the rinl
could not have left the room without as
SiStance, made me So angry that | wa
ready To choke with rage. and | coul,
see that Frank resented the nipple,
iusiuUatiOu as the most deadly inSul
that could nave been offered HIM
l'l,,l, -.
ScIouS, absorbed in her own affairs
and apparently not aware of the com
motion raised by the disappearance o
Aunt Agatha $ unlucky diamond. Th,
next day passed and the search con
tIuuCd. and the next day after lha
only dtcpCucd the mystery withou
throwing any light Upou it; but
knew that the hints had been droppe,
and suspicious engcndered; and al
though no accusation IN direct word
had been made. saw Gulv too plain
ly that everyone III that house, saw,
Frank aud myself. had reached tn,
conclusion that Edith could have eN
planned the mysterious Disappearance
of Aunt Agatha'S ring.
Oh, 1t was cruel, How fumed an,
ragged all that day, and lay awake al
night, crying and hoping that Edith
poor darling! knew nothing of tn,
insulting thoughts and suspicious di
reetcd against her. That Alice ha,
an object to gain i'll starting and for
mcnting these suspicious, could un
derStaud easily enough.
What | could not understand was
that she could be sincere in such suS
picions herself; for it was evident
that she actually believed Edith, m,
dear, sweet, noble Edith, to be
thief, But, worse still, Sacks siste
Ida believed it, aud Franks fathe
and my own mother; and when
went to Jack, boiling over with rag,
and Indignation, expecting at leas
sympathy IN my feelings, l was nae
with kindly pity, and the comfort
ing remark that it certainly locke,
very queer that the ring should havr
disappeared on the only morning tina
Edith had ever been known to 60 int,
Aunt Agatha's room. / was furiou
at Jack. We had our first quarrel
and l told him l hated him.
However, to offset all this cruelt,
and injustice, there was one consola
ton.