Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1884-12-03

Of your esteem"
The words had been simple but tn,
glance and the pressure of the hanC
had meant a great deal more, as Flor
ence had more than suspected, as shs
blushingly allowed Lloyd to place the
ring on her finger.
And now it is gone, and can't ex-
plain what has become of it 7" SHE
moaned, as she finished her story. ''Hs
will imagine that don't care for him
and | think-yeS, do believe that ]
like him better than all the rest 7"
Florence was deposited at the New
Hotel during the dinner-hour, so was
fortunate enough to gain the shelter OF
/ her own room unobServed.
On the following day Lloyd Norris
noticed with unspeakable disappoint-
ment that Florence no longer wore his
ring. The meaning of this he inter
preted i'll exactly the way she had
feared; but he was much perpleXed t.
understand sad, deprecating, almost
| pleading look that he had caught upon
turning suddenly once, when Florence
! thought herself unobserved. Monsieur
lie Marquis de Lamagnere joined their
party in the garden after dinner, but
was received with such scant courtesy
by the only member of the company
who had any attractions for aim that,
with sorely-wOunded vanity, he soon
said good evening and disappeared,
making a remark Just before leaving
which brought the guilty blood to Flor
ence's pale cheeks-viZ., that he in
tended ascending the Pyramid in the
morning.
The next afternoon florence was sit
ting alone III the verandah before dim
ner, musing sadly over the loss of her
ring and the consequent marked avoid
ance of her society by Lloyd Norris,
when she was startled by a voice at her
elbow.
'MademOiselle is looking pale; ]
hope she is not i'll ?''
Glancing up rather impatiently, she
saw the Marquis de Lamagnere bowling
beside her, and answered his polite in
quiries little shortly. As she turned
her head, she saw something which
seemed to drive every other sensation
but daZed incredulOuS amaZement from
her mind, for there on the little finger
of the white hand which the Marquis
had appeared to place rather meaningly
on the balcOny-rail before her glIttered
the ring the loss of which she so
mournedl
She could not be mistaken there was
the same fantastic arrangement of the
stOnes-even one missing, as she re-
membered. With a desperate struggle
Tor self possession, she made some CON-
monplace remark about the weather,
and, after chatting easily for a few mo-
ments, left the balcony. as not for
worlds would she have questioned the
Marquis on the subject, or allowed him
to suppose she had noticed the ring. a
few moments thought told her that he
must have fallen IN with one of her de-
spoilers during his visit to the Pyra-
mIds that day, and from him purchased
the ring.
What 10 do i8 such an emergency
was a problem far too weighty TO be
solved without assistance; so, IN
stantly resolving to call her only conf
dante to her aid, she retired to her own
room Immediately after dinner and
wrote Louise a dolorous account of what
had happened.
As she was preparing to go out on
the following afternoon, a chamber
maid brought note to her room and,
recognizing the writing. with beating
heart she tore it hastily open and read /:
Il leave to-day place where my
presence can cause YOU nothing but un-
pleasantness, myself the keenest pain
| can scarcely trust myself to say fare
well to you, so write few lines instead.
Your ceasing to wear my poor little ring
could of course have but one interpre-
tation for me. Need you have added
such a refinement of torture as to force
me to see it worn by man whom |
must of course now consider my sue
cessful rival IL was an action of
which | could not have deemed you
capable. | have loved aud still love you
truly and deeply, Florence; such love
can injure no woman, and feel that |
have done nothing to deserve this treat
ment at your hands. Farewell May
you be happy with the man you have
chosenl L cannot however stay to wit
ness your happiness. 81 N"
Florence, Florence, what in the
world has happened l'' were the words
which interrupted the convulsive burst
of sobs with which Florence had greeted
this heavy blow and the young girl
found her friend Louise kneeliEg be-
side her, with affectionate arms thrown
around her, while tears of true sympa-
thy mingled with her own weeping,
even before Louise knew what had
taken place.
Florence's only answer was to place
tie note in LOuise's hand but she felt
vaguely comforted at the presence of
some one who knew and sympathized
with the whole story.
''Oh, my dear Florence" exclaimed
Louise, after reading the letter, ''this
is dreadful ! But you will of course
tell him the whole story now ?''
ssOh, no, Louise How could -
No, he has given me up | shall never
see him again. How could l tell him
all about that miserable excursion when
he declared that he could have no re-
spect whatever for woman who would
do such thing? Was there ever be-
ing so utterly miserable as | am, Won
der ?"
Nearly an hour Louise spent in ex-
hausting every argument and persuasion
that could enter her ingenious little
head to induce her unhappy friend to
alter her resolution but all in vain.
Bidding her adieu at last, Miss Hilliard
raused for moment in the corridor In
deep thought then, with resolute pod
which set all her soft brown curls dane
ing, she muttered energetlcally, ''Stupid
little goose ~ and started down the
stairs at such a pace as almost to upset
a stout old gentleman just then labori-
ously ascending.
Instead of continuing her way to the
street, she hastily entered one of the
smaller reception-roOms, where, with
out giving her courage time to evapor
ate, she rang the bell and asked the SER
want who Immediately entered if Mr..
Norris were in the hotel.
A few minutes later Lloyd appeared,
looking trife surprised at the sum-
mons. They were closeted together
nearly half an hour, after which the
Young lady sent a servant to ask Miss
Thorne to come to her for few mo-
ments.
81 am not at all sure that she will not
suspect something and refuse to come"