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

amazemcnt to sec her husbands eyes
twinkle, and he himself lieJ back in his
chair, as he pushed his plate away, with
a laugh he could repress no longer.
''lf she took your diamond. Well,
my darling am glad you have arrived
at the diamond once more. began to
think it had been lost again. But don't
tell me about the inconseuuence of a
woman's mind. It's workings are laby-
rinthine, but the thought always comes
out at the place it went in. Now, let us
be busincss-like, il we can, Janet. What
makes you think that this pretty Mild
red of ours took the dammd2"
''Pretty Mildred Well, perhaps be-
cause She is pretty" said Mrs. Torrance,
looking like a satirical sparrow.
mot at all impossible" said her hus-
band, gravely.
"You don't mean to imply that l
would denouncc person as thief be-
cause you said she was pretty?" cried
Mrs. Torrance, half rising to her feet.
| ''Pve rs good mind to leave the table
as ever | had to eat. would, if the
buckwheat cakes had come up"
my dear childm
"lou treat me exactly as if were
child, " cried the outraged wife. "What
do care whether my maid is pretty or
notl Being pretty, apparently, doesn't
keep her hands from picking and steal
ing. | know she stole my diamond just
as well as If | had seen her do it,
"But what would she do with it,"
"What a question: As if that sort of
person didn't know where to dispose of
things easily and take care OF the pro-
ceeds wonder if Patricia is never go
ing to send those cakes up"
,"Ilow in the world did our cook come
to be called Patricia2"
Il called he so myself when she came.
Her own name was Hannah, a combina-
tion of sounds l utterly detest, and
wasn't going to have ringing in my ears
all the time. And she is so tall and
erect she justifcs Patrita. Don't you
think so2"
can right" said Mr.. florence, think
ing it best to make no reference to the
Noras OF n few minutes since 'But we
were speaking of Mildred"
81 did think very well of Mildred, l
will confess, before this, " said Ms. Tor
rance, with judicial calmnoss. ''She is
educating her sister, who has voice
such a voice for church singer, when
she will have salary that will be wealth
to them, and give some lessons
beside. And she was wrapped up
in her. And l took an interest
in them myself, and gave her silk
dress to make over, and got new cloak
that Il really didn't need, so as to
give her my old one land saw she had
. hA f, foly ,m IL.
trimming), and lots of my old music.
And out of her own wages Mildred has
to hire room and piano and pay for
her lessons; somebody gives Ter her
board till she can pay the debt, and it
takes every cent Mildred earns; and YOU
see it is quite natural that she should
look about her to find where she can
turn penny"
can honest penny" said Mr.. Tor
rance. "a girl who is doing that for
another is not one that would be likely
to turn any other sort of penny"
GLOW you do love to interrupt me,
Mr.. Torrance! 1t really seems as if you
couldn't bear the sound of my voice /
was going on to say, before you took the
words out of my mouth, that recently
this sister of hers has been advised to
take lessons of another master, who asks
all creation, but is really worth it. And
he says he can make her voice fortune
to her. And they have been dreadfully
cast down because they couldn't do it.
And now you see where the diamond
comes in. If she can get for that stone
anything near its value, her sister Mabel
can take her lessons. And her voice is
delicious-just perfectly delicious !" ex-
claimed Mrs. Torrance, forgetting the
diamond again. mildred had her come
here and sing to. me. And can't de-
scribe to you. never heard lark or
a nightingale, but bobOlink isn't a
whistle to it. A flute, trumpet
well, it was sweet and satisfying and
penetrating as the odor of some flower.
and yet soft as the velvet side of the
petal of the flower. Angels would sing
so, maybe, if there are any. And was
Just carried away. l forgot ali about
her sisters being my maid l cried and
laughed, and felt rs if | had found
her. And now / will solemnly tell YOU.
Archy dear"-and she bent across the
pretty china service, transfxing him
with her radiant cyes-"I looked at my
ring, and l turned it and turned it, and
said to myself have had the good of
it ever since Grand dfathcr De Peyser gave
it to me, and everybody knew l had it,
and my position was pretty we'll estab-
lished, diamond rings or not, and when
you were able to afford a real grown.up
butler, you would probably get me
plenty; and if l sold it now, and gave
this poor dear girl the money to secure u
career, what blessing it would be to
her, and what a JOY would be giving to
the world in her, too; for of course she
wouldn't be confined TO a church choir
in that case, and if she were, in what
a heavenly fashion could those tones of
hers swim out over prayerful audience,
and Just take the prayer on their silvery
strength, and lead it up, up; and any
body who is the means of producing
more of them, and so brings down the
price of prima donne in the market, is a