Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-12-19

side her chair. And she was having hard WORK
not TO cry, and Josephine was bringing in the
dishes, and Mr.. Trench Was sharpening the
carving knife. and all were taking their seats
in the midst of the jollity and clamor. And
over her plate that had been reversed upon
some trihe, and Mr.. Trench's knife was MUIR
derously suspended in the air as he watched
her.
For suddenly Mrs. Trenchs eyes had grown
large and shining, color like wild rose S
began to spread over her wan face. she half rose
from her chair, bending over what she saw
there before her-two sparkling, shining, quiy-
ering drops of luster, her earrings, her Old ear
them-what else? A little, slippery, tortoise
she'll pOrtemonnaie, her own pOcket-book and.
as she seized it and opened it, her own hundred
dollar bill in 1t! And all in flash Of instructor
her poor little mind could never have COM
possed it-she saw that her husband, meeting
her on Sparkier's steps, had gone to inquire or
Mr.. Sparkler what She had been about there
and had bought the gems back out OF hand; and
1T was he who in mere mischief had snatched
the pocket-bOok in the crowd and had kept IL
Tor this moment. Joy and anger swept across
her in force at one breath, joy at the recovery,
anger at the delay.
cried, flashing her eyes at her husband, and
"Oh. why did you. why did your she cried
again as the tears began to come, and she ran
round the table to throw her arms about him
and whisper the rest in his ear. AS she did SO
something that glittered in her dress caught
his eye.
"What is ths? he said, as he stopped to dis
engage it.
OH! she exclaimed. " Let me see! It must
be'-and she nearly tore the dress in her fever.
lsh haste TO snatch the thing INTO light-"nO it
cam belt Is! Oh, 1t Is JOsephine's earrings
the ones she lent me the night of the opera, and
that Mrs. COurcy de Spenser says are hers and
thought slipped them into my pocket and
somebody stole them In the Opera-hOuse. And
slipped them into this fold instead. Oh, isn't
this a lovely Christmas! And oh, Josephine"
turning regardless OF all the rest to the stately
maid vino had just come in again, Mr.. Trench
mas made me Il present OF my old earrings, You
see, and there's a hundred dollar bill in nv
purse, aud It's for your mothers eyes, and as
everybody's Christmas present was in that bill,
OF course it's q Christmas present to her from
everybody in this room, isn't IL, Harry? never
nau such good Christmas as this In all my
lie! she cried then with child's gayety. "a nd
I want 70 tell yOu-what do you think besides
Josephine! Here are Mrs. COurcy de Sponsors
earrings, her actual earrings, that she Gays
were mistaken for those you lent me. And
want you To run over to her without losing q
moment, breakfast or no breakfast, and tell her
sent them with my compliments, aud found
them exactly where put them, her own ear
rings, her real earringS-nO, you needn't say her
reat earrings, because they're not real, there's
nothing real about them-Or about her, either!
Ihey are Just q pair OF cut-glass brilliants like
yours. Mrs. Courcy de Spencers diamonds
- m sorry I'm SO malicious" she cried, with
Harrys arm still about her, and the whole
Iamliy wondering what the coil could be. II
must De just as wicked as anything! But do
0eclare-that woman is such q cheat, swindling
q poor working girl OF her hard-earned wages
Christmasr'