St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-08-26

day in the same state of terror before this
terrible disaster.
Leoisel returned at night with pale and
hollow face. He had found nothing.
You must write TO your friend" said
he, that you have broken the clasp of the
necklace and have sent il TO be repaired.
That will give us time TO turn around"
AT the end Of the week they had lost all
hope. Leoisel, looking five years older,
declared:
1--WE must contrive to replace the neck
lace"
The next day they took the box which
had contained it, and went from shop to
shop, ill with chagrin and anxiety, looking
for necklace like the lost one They found
at length a chaplet of diamoncs which ap-
peared to them exactly what they wanted.
it was worth "a, 900 francs. They begged
the jeweler not to sell it for three days, and
made the condition that it should be taken
back if the lost one should have been found
before the end of February-LeoiseIs
father had left him IS, 900 francs. The
! rest he would have to borrow. He obtained
LOCO francs from one man and 500 from
another. five louis here and three louis there,
he incurred ruinous obligations with the
whole race of Insurers. He risked his sig
nature without the least idea whether he
would be able TO hCsOr it; and oppressed
by anguish in view of the future, by the
black poverty he saw settling down upon
them, by the prospect of all physical priva-
tons and mental fortunes, he called for the
new necklace, counting out to the merchant
30, 600 francs.
When Nine. LeoiSel took the necklace to
Nine. Forester the latter said with annoy
ance:
You ought to have returned it sooner;
might have wanted it,"
But she did NOT open the caslet.
Mathilde now became acquainted with
the life of the necessitous. She took up her
share of the burden heroically. She was
going to help to pay this frightful debt
She dismissed her servant and changed her
! lodgings for an attic. She learned to per-
form the coarse and Odious tasks of the
kitchen. She washed the dishes. and wore
her rosy nails to the quick on the bottoms
of greasy kettles. She washed the soiled
linen and dried it on a cord at the window
She carried the ashes and sweepings TO the
street every morning, and carried up water,
stopping at each landing of the stairs TO
breathe. She went to the grocer and the
butcher. her basket on her arm, defending
her miserable money. sou by sou.
Her husband worked evenings, clearing
merchants accounts, and often did copy
! ing at five SOUS page.
This life lasted ten years. At the end Of
that time they had paid all, with accumula-
ted interest
Mathilde looked old now. She had be-
come the rude, strong, hardened woman of
the poor, withTmkempt hair, rough hands,
and gown awry. She talked loud and scrub
bed the floors with great splashing of water
But at times, when her husband was out.
she sat before the window and dreamed of
that ball so long ago, where she had been
SO lovely and so admired.
What would she have been had she not
lost the necklace? Who can tell? How
small a thing can make or mar destiny.
One Sunday, as she was taking a quiet
stroll, she noticed a lady leading child.
ltwas Madame Forester, still young and
lovely. Should she speak to her? YES: GER
! tainly. And since it was all paid she would
tell her the whole story. She drew near.
- Good day, Jeanner'
But the other was aStoniShed to be so
Familiarity addressed by peasant woman,
stalGmered:
why! Madame-Id do not know
You must be mistaken"
And
''NO; l am Mathilde Leoisel."
Her friend uttered a cry:
''Oh! My poor Mathilde, How YOU are
changedI'
YES; have seen hard days since met
you last, and many priyations-and all be-
cause of you"
because of me! How so. pray?"
''DO you remember the diamond necklace
you lent me to wear to the ball? Well,
lost it,
Lost it! Why, you brought it back to
me-
II brought you back another just like it.
We have been ten years paying for it. You
can see that it was not easy for us who had
nothing. 1t is over at last and L am in
measure content
''You bought necklace to replace mine?"
Eyes. You didn't notice it, did you?
They were just alike"
Mime. Forester seized both herhands with
much emotion.
sob, my poor Mathilde. Mine were
false. They were worth at the most 500
francsi'