Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1885-08-14

| CduSc sue 10 plctlI, sdiu MIb. OIIduCei
looking like satirical sparrow.
Not at all impossible" said her hus'
band, graveiy
'Iou don't mean to imply that
would denounce person as a thief be
cause you said she was pretty?" cried
Mrs. Torrance, half rising to her feet
''l've as good mind to leave the table
as ever had to eat. would, if the
buckwheat cakes had come up.n
"My dear chiIdw
"You treat me exactly as if were &
child, " cried the outraged wife. "What
do care whether my maid is pretty OF
nOt2 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 oi
person didn't know where to dispose Of
things easily and take care of the pro
ceeds! l wonder if Patricia is never go
ing 10 send those cakes up"
"How in the world did our cook come
to be called Patricia?n
/ Il called he so myself when she came.
Her own name was Hannah, a combina
ton of sounds | utterly detest, and
wasn't going to have ringing in my ears
all the time. And she is so tall and
erect she justifcs Patritia. Don't you
think so2"
"All right" said Mr.. Terrence, think.
ing it best to make no reference to the
Noras of few minutes since, "But we
were speaking of Mildred"
81 did think very we'll of Mildred,
will confess, before this said Ms. Tor
rance, with judicial calmness. ''She is
educating her sister, who has a voice
such voice!-for church singer, when
she will have a salary that will be wealth
to them, and give some lessons
beside. An1 she was wrapped up
in her. And l took an interest
in them myself, and gave her a silk
dress to make over, and got new cloak
that l really didn't need, so as to
give her my old one (and | saw she had
the good taste to take off some of the
trimming), and lots of my old music.
And out of her own wages Mildred has
to hire a 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. GA girl who is doing that for
another is not one that would he 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 a 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. "Midred had her come
here and sing to me. And can't de
scribe to you. ! never heard a lark or
nightingale, but bobolink isn't a
whistle to it. A flute, a 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 | forgot all about
her sisters being my maid. cried and
| laughed, and felt as if | had found
her And now will solemnly tell you,
Archy dear she bent across the
pretty china service, transfiXing him
with her radiant eyes-'I looked at my
ring, and | turned it and turned it, and
said to myself have had the good Of
it ever since Grand father De Peyser gave
it to me, and everybody knew | had it,
and my position was pretty well estab
lished, diamond rings or not, and when
you were able to afford real grown ur
butler, you would probably get mt
plenty; and if | sold it now, and gave
this poor dear girl the money to secure g
career, what blessing it would be tC
her, and what joy l would be giving tc
the world in her, too; for of course shC
wouldn't be confined to a church choi
in that case, and if she were, in wha
a heavenly fashion could those tones o
hers swim out over praverful audience
and just take the prayer on their silver,
strength, and lead it up, up; and any
| body who is the means of producing
more of them, and so brings down th,
price of prima dome in the market, is
public benefactor, to be sure, anyway
and was just on the point of sayiny
that | would speak to you, and if yo
approved, as | knew you would, | coulC
have thousand dollars or thereabout
for them to- day, when Mrs. Veasey hap
pened in, and 50, as | didn't want Mrs
Veasey to know anything about it, ant
be taking he wind all out of my sails,
just told Mabel to come again to-day ant
| would have something further to say t
her! And so SHALL" cried Mrs. Tol
rance, taking breath with renewed vigor
81 shall have to tell her that her siste
has been arrested for a thief, and sh
may 60 sing TO her in prison"
"But robbery is very harsh term
Janet darling, when carelessness may b
the whole thing"
"There it is again. My carelessness
not their dishonesty. When | went t.
the washstand turned the ring on m
finger again, and there was the ston
gone"
"And how many times have I tol
you that the careless habit of washin