Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1885-08-20
A BREAKFAST DISH.
Story OF the Loss and Recovery
Of q Valuable Jewel.

sand it was the most beautiful stone
that ever saw in finger ring. None
of those paltry things you can't wear
till candle-light on account of the yell
low there is i'm them. So white, 50
clear, so brilliant, pellucid as water
drop and sparkling as star! 1t was
all but big enough, too, to have name
of its own, like those that the royal
diamonds have-.Star OF the Four
Points of the Compass, Light of the
World to Come, Glory of the Middle
of the Earth. Mother OF the Moon
Why under the sum-" cried Mrs. Tor
rance, the pretty creature in a be-
witching gown, pouring coffee for her
husband, the little butler having been
dismissed by MIR. Torrance-in fear of
the wrath TO come, perhaps shouldn't
our diamonds have names as well as
those of Kings and Queens and"
Yours ought to have one said her
husband. quietly. cit would be suita-
BILE to call now; it's in the vocative,
you know"
"Well, l must say / don't believe any
man was ever so undisturbed by the
loss of such a thing as that Archibald,
that stone was worth a thousand dol
lars
Really l ought to be aware of the
fact dear, If any body is. You have
offered to sell it and procure that sum
for my necessities every time l have
been hard up since we married. And
If have Mildred arrested for its theft,
as you suggest, it will cost another
thousand before we are done with it.
For she would certainly be proved in
nocent, and then libel suit would be
the next thing in order"
But. Archy, Mildred can't he proved
innocent How can she be, when l
know she took ftp And there was no
one else to take it." And Mrs. Tor
rance paused with suspended cup, her
great wondering eyes searching space
for a reply. 'If ever anything lay in a
straight line it is the evidence against
that girl" she continued "The other
day when the ring fell on the floor she
was in the room, and she asked me
what stone like that was worth, and
then gave such sigh that I said: Il
suppose you think ia's wrong for me to
wear a thousand dollars on my finger?'
And she said Il wasn't thinking of
the ring; | was only thinking that a
thousand dollars can do great deal of
good. The mink! Well, I said. it
does a great deal of good--in looking
pretty on my hand. Indeed it does
look beautifully there she said-she' S
very particular shout her adverbs; 1
wish she was as particular about her
catechism-'but good deed done by a
hand is its most beautiful jewel, to my
thinking just hear that! To her
mistress! Are you through? Why, I've
only Just begun"
''She is quite missionary" said Mr.
Torrance, picking up his newspaper.
''And the worst of it is, she is right"
Snow, Archibald, don't, for mcrcy's
sake, 60 to reading!' said his wife, Il
do think the morning news might wait
Cor once. It's nothing but dynamiters
blowing up the British Empire. and
Arabs making mummies of the British
army-all distractions; but my ring is
something positive, tangible, mere at
hand"
81 wish il werer' said Mr. Torrance.
s "And then could be allowed But
as he glanced at the lovely creature OPP
posite, with her reproachful brown eyes
in which stood two tears as big as the
diamond she had lost, her color going
and coming with her breath. as You
might say, and the rose-colored rib
bons of her morning cap all a-tutter
with her earnestness. he folded his
paper, and said: ''Well, my dear
''Well, my dear!" mimicked Mrs.
Torrance, in derision. 81 should say
it's anything but well when man hears
of servant insulting-actually insult
ing-his wife, and says she's in the
right"
"Now, Janet, will submit it to your
own judgment if that's fair interpre-
tation."
"You needn' do anything of the sort.
1t isn't fair to suppose have any judy
ment, if what say concerning Mildred
perfectly ridiculous cognomen. Who
ever heard of Mildred for servants
name?"
''Why not Mildred?''
'Why not Gwendoline, then, or Fred
egonde, or 1husnelda2 How would it
seem to be telling Gladys to brush the
dust of my shoes? And Mildred is Just
AS bad. If | had my way. all the cooks
should be Noras. and all the second
girls should be Ellens, and if they came
from England, then they should be
Elias and Mary AIMS and it wouldn't
sound as if you were taking liberty
with your superiors when your own
name is just plain Jane. ! ought to
have been Rosamond myself, you
know" said Mrs. Torrance, absently,
twirling the grounds in her cup, 'or
Katherine, or Eloise, or something.
But I'm sure l have trouble enough
with these people without being troubled
with their names. And / don't believe
her name rs Mildred, anyway. be-
lieve it's just plain Martha, and she
took the Mildred If she took nv
diamond, she wouldn't stop at taking a
name. Or may be it was Just Milly-''
And here Mrs. Torrance paused, not
tor breath, but in amazement to see her
husbands eyes twinkle, and he himself
lie back m his chair. as he pushed his
plate away. with q laugh he could ne.
press no longer.
~ she took your diamond Well.
my darling. am glad you have ar
rived at the diamond once more. be-
gaa t. think 1t had been lost again.
But don't tell me about the incense.
que,.ce of a woman's mind. Its work
1n0s are lahyripth;ne h,,t tho thon~hs