The state journal., 1884-12-06
know the secret OF your affection for tina.

AuON lHo StCIGt Vi YOUR aucCtlO1 Tor thai
trumpery little Turquoise ring"
At first Florence ebstinately refused
any account of the ring, but iudicious
mixture of coaxing and reproaches soon
put Louise in possession of the facts of
the case. Lloyd Norris had been the
donor. having asked Florence to wear it
as guard to one presented by her father
which was rather large for her slender
finger.
at belonged to my mother when she
was school girl, he had said, "and of
so little value in itself that can surely
ask you to accept it. Wear it as long as
| you consider me friend worthy share
Of your esteem.
The words had been simple; but the
| glance and the pressure of the hand had
meant great 1eal more than suspected,
as she blushing allowed Lloyd to place
| the ring on her finger.
'And now 1t is gone and l cannot tell
what has become Of it," she moaned as
she finished her story. "He will imagine
that don't care for him, and l think
yes, | do believe that like him better
than all the rest !"
Florence was deposited at the New
! Hotel during the dinner hour, so was
| fortunate enough to gain the shelter of
| her own room unobserved, whence she
| sent a servant with a message to her
mother, pleading a severe headache as an
| excuse for not making her appearance
| that evening.
On the following day Lord Norris
noticed to his unspeakable disappoint-
ment that Florence no longer wore his
ring. The meaning of this he interpreted
exactly in the way she had feared; but
she was much perplexed to understand
ad, deprecating, almost pleading look
hat he had caught upon turning suddenly
once, when Florence thought herself I'M
observed. Monsieur lie Marquis Joined
their party in the garden after dinner, but
was received with such scant courtesy by
the only member of the company who
had attractions for him that, with sorely-
wounded vanity. he soon said good even
ing and disappeared, making remark
just before leaving which brought the
| guilty blood to FlOrence'S pale cheeks
| viz: that he intended ascending the
| Pyramid in the morning
The next afternoon Florence was sit
ting alone in the verandah before dinner
musing sadly over the loss Of her ring
| and the consequent marked avoidance Of
her society by Lloyd Norris, when she
was startled by voice at her elbow
'Mademoiselle is looking pale; hope
she is not ill.,"
CHANGING up rather impatiently she
saw the Marquis bowling beside her. and
answered his polite inquiries rather
| shortly. Now that her mind was so en-
| crossed with another mans image, she
wondered how she could ever have cared
for the empty gallantries of this one; but,
as she turned her head, she saw some
| thing which seemed to drive away every
| other sensation but dazCd, 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
mourned.
She could not be mistaken; there was
| the same fantastic arrangement Of the
! stones-even one missing as she remem-
bered. With desperate struggle for
| self possession, she made some common
| place remark about the weather, and,
after chatting easily for few moments
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 despoilers during his
visit to the Pyramids that day and from
him purchased the ring.
WHAT to do ia such an emergency
WAS a problem far too weighty to be
solved without assistance; so, instantly
resolved to call her only confidant to her
aid, she retired to her own room immedi
atcly after dinner and wrote Louise a
dolorous account of what happened. AS
she was T eparing to go out on the follow.
ing afternoon, a Chambermaid brought
nOte to her room; and, recognizing the
writing, with beating heart she tore it
hastily open and read
81 leave to-day place whore my presence
can cause you nothing but unpleasantness,
myself the keenest pain L ran scarcely
trust myself to say farewell to you
so write few lines instead. You ce asing to
wear my poor little ring could OF course
have but one Interpretation for me. Need
you have added such 4 refinement of tor
ture as to force me to see il worn by man
whom l must of course now consider my
successful rival? 1t was an action OF which
| could not have deemed you capable.
have loved and still love you truly and
deeply, Florence; such love can injure no
woman, and feel that l have done nothing
to deserve this treatment at your hands,
Farewell! May you be happy with the man
you have chosen cannot however stay to
witness your happiness. In
Florence, Florence; what III the world
has happencd?" 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 kneeling beside her,
while tears of true sympathy mingled
with her own weeping, even before
Louise knew what had taken place.
Florence only answer was to place the
note in Louise's hand; but she felt vaguely
cOmforted at the presence Of some one
who knew and sympathiZed with the
whole story.
ooh, my dear Florence" exclaimed
Louise, after reading the letter. this is
dreadful But you will of course tell him
the whole story now?'
ooh, no, Louise How could l! No,
he has given me up; shall never see
him again How could tell him about
| that miserable excursion when he de-
clared that he could have no respect what.
! ever for woman who would do such
! a thing? Was there ever being so
utterly miserable as lam | wonder %
Nearly an hour Louise spentin exhaus-
ting 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 paused for
moment in the corridor in deep thought;
! then, with a resclutc nod which set
all her soft brown curls dancing, she
muttered energetic, Stupid little goose I"
and started down the stairs at such
pace as almost to upset stout old gen
tleman just then laboriously ascending.
Instead of continuing her way to the
street, she hastily entered one of the