Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1885-08-14
"wiso woman" grOaned Mr.. Tor

rance.
"And so, you see, didn't accuse Mil
dred In the first place. / searched, and
took every precaution. didn't think
of such a thing till | 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 I have? must lose
my diamond that my dear grandfather
gave me when was married, and that
| 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
reckoned to my account that l was ready
to give her the diamond and | love
diamonds. / don't think there's any,
thing so beautiful in the whole world. I"
"But, Janet. you are always SO posi-
tive"
GLOW can you say sol What am I
ever positive aboutQ woaIldn' t have
me distrust the evidence of my senses2
And if ever saw guilt on any face"
"There is nothing more fallble than
the evidence of your senses"
81 beg your pardon. l 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 sayingm
81 do think what l am saying" she
cried then, in a fury. "And | 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, >
he exclaimed, THAT don't love you,
you abominable little mass of contradic-
tions? Do you suppose that | won't pro-
tect you with my life itsel Do you
fancy for moment that | won't take
your part, when you decide what your
part is"
"Let me 90! Let me go, sir?" she
exclaimed. cor, else, at any rate, let
me find my handkerchiefw 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 a 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 tcaIs, bluehing, dishey elud, diamond
dropped herself, as pretty a sight as a
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. 1.-The horrid thingn she
said. "'rhe horrid, unwinkling, accus-
ing thing! 1t is calling me all sorts of
names. / shall never want to see it
again. Only think if had denounced
that poor girl! Pm so glad | never
breathed of it to her. remember 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.
dare say she'll sing at our parties by-and
by. She'll be our particular prima don
ma. And by that time shall have i'm.
proved Mildred into companion. Oh,
/ should think you would despise such a
ridiculous, wicked little wife as ami
she cried, turning to her husband. "Yol
ought to have married saint. What 8
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, fiat, and
improbable to endure. l should ruu
away from the saint, and take to the fly
ing trapeze and you. .n-Ha1per'S Ba2ar.