The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1885-09-16

not their dishonesty. When l went to
the washstand turned the ring on my
finger again, and there was the stone
gone"
"And how many times have l told
you that the careless habit of washing
your hands in your rings wears of infni
tesimal fractions of the gold till the
stones are loosened in the setting, and
drop out without your being aware of
it 2'
'You are always so wise after the act
How do you know L wasn't going to
take my rings OFF, You are so ready to
find me at fault! But thought at first
the stone must have washed out"
$50 it seems you did wash your hands
with the ring on2n said the turning
worm.
eyes, did. There And 1 sent for
the plumber Immediately for l knew il
it had washed out, it must have caught
in the first trap; and he took up the
pipe, but it wasn't there. And he said
if he made q real job of it, and went
down TO the main something, he might
find it there; but / thought that would
cost more than the diamond itself"
"Wise woman" groancd Mr.. Tor.
rance.
"And so, you see, didn't accuse Mil
dred in the first place. / searched, and
took every precaution. l didn't think
of such a thing till l saw her stand
there turning more colors than the lady
in the lobster"
"You don't say that you really have
accused herr"
swell, what if 1 have? / must lose
my diamond that my dear grandfather
gave me when was married, and that
l treasured so, and endure it all in
silence for fear some little hussy's feel.
ings will be hurt My feelings are Of
no consequence at all 1t isn't to be
reclIoned tony account that was ready
to give her the diamond-and l love
diamonds / don't think there's any,
thing so beautiful in the whole world"
''But, Janet, you are always so posi-.
tive"
Glow can you say sol What am
ever positive about2 You wouldn't It have
ME distrust the evidence of my sensesl
And if ever saw guilt on any face"
''There is nothing more fallible than
the evidence of your senses"
Il beg your pardon. can see as far,
and can hear as quickly, and taste as
keenly as any one alive. And for you to
begin to run down my eyes now-per-
haps they're not so bright as they have
been-but / never thought-to hear you
twitting me of growing old-in this way,
all of a sudden" Crying hard to swallow
her sobs)-"because-you're interested
-in-in my servant-maid-"
For Heavens sake, Janet, think
what you're saying!"
81 do think what l am saying" she
cried then, in a fury. "And 1 say,
whatever the evidence of my senses may
be, have every evidence that you care
nothing at all for my feelings, and can
see me robbed without lifting your voice,
and-and-oh, husband ought to love
his wife, and protect her, and take her
part" And here Mrs. Janet rose hur-
riedly and pushed over her chair, and
was running from the room.
But Mr.. Torrance was not to be out
done by any such sleight of foot, and
had caught her In his arms before she
reached the door. "And do you think, 4"
he exclaimed, that l don't love you,
you abominable little mass of contradic-
tions? Do you suppose that won't pro-
tect you with my life itselfl Do you
fancy for a moment that | won't take
your part, when you decide what your
part is9"
'Let me go! Let me go, sirl" she
exclaimed. ''Or, else, at any rate, let
me find my handkerchiefm And she
struggled for her handkerchief, that the
kisses her husband gave her might not
be too salt, and pulling it from her pock
ct, something in great arc and stream
of lustre whirled out with the violently
wrenched handkerchief, sailed through
the air like nothing so much as flying
rainbow, and fell at her feet.
1t was the lost diamond.
Mrs. Torrance stopped in the midst of
her tears, blushing, disheveled, diamond
dropped herself, as pretty sight as
rose-bush in shower and held back her
skirts with both hands while she looked
at the great shining eye there before her
on the carpet. 'The horrid thing!" she
said. "The horrid, unwinkling, accus-
ing thing II is calling me all sorts of
names. l shall never want to see it
again. Only think if had denounced
that poor girl! Pm so glad l never
breathed of it TO her. / remember l had
on this very gown when Mrs. Veasey was
in. How stupid of mel Now, I'll take
this down to a diamond brokers' to- day,
and, Mildred's Mabel shall have her
thousand dollars worth of lessons. l
dare say she'll sing at our parties by and
by. She'll be our particular .prima dom
ma. And by that time shall have i'm
proved Mildred into a companion. Oh,
l should think you would despise such
wicked little wife as l am !"
she cried, turning to her husband. "You
ought to have married a saint. What a
good man you are, Archym
"My dear, said Mr., Archy, "life with
any other woman who didn't arrange
these little circuses for my morning en-
tertainment would be too stale, fat, and
to endure. l should run
away from the saint, and take to the fly