The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1886-08-20
SELECT STORY.
MINERVA'S THIMBLE.
BY ETTIE ROGERS.

first load,' said Minerva Lemoine,
glancing casually through a curtainless
window of the dismantled drawing
room, from which brawny truckman
was just conveying the last article of
furniture. "And our things have all
gone--we are leaving nothing behind
us except my thimble.'
Miss Lemoine was not like the Min
erva of the legend and the marble
she had no place of majesty,no panoply
of power, no resplendent buckaler, no
marvellous gifts from the gods She
was only slim girl with a fair, pale
face and innocent, sad brows she was
only sort of factotum to somewhat
pretentious young kinswoman, and
her most priced possession was a simple
thimble--a dainty bijou of gold, edged
with a fanciful rim of sapphires as
blue as her own sweet eyes.
There was a little romance associated
with the pretty thimble--it was the
gift of one who had once been her
dear lover, of one who was still her
faithfully beloved, although he had
passed. out of her life and gone his un.
known way in mystery and silence of
one in whose truth she still believed,
despite ali the time and change between
them. This little gift was the ever
vivid reminder of the happy days gone
by it was the magic circlet which
brought Lack the bright visions and
blissful dreams, tender promises and
fond assurances OF their shadowed love;
it was the tailsman which repelled all
fears and doubts and kept faith quick
ening where even hope had perished.
Ours is the love of perfect trust"
Cyril Grosvenor had said to her at
parting. "Though the whole earth
might lay between you and me, still l
know you would be true, my darling,
and remain mine only. And though
| might never .agein look upon your
face, my dearest, still should | belong
always to you and never to any other "
But her treasured little souvenir was
no longer in her possession.
In the turmoil and disorder of pack
ing and moving it had been mislaid or
lost, and SO suddenly and unaccount-
ably had 1t disappeared, that even the
wise Minerva of old, with all her
acumen and her marvellous methods of
research, might have despaired finding
it.
"You can buy another, | suppose,
was the indifferent remark of her
young kinswoman-a naughty, showy
young lady, who stood taking a final
and rather lugubrious survey of the
empty drawing room. 81 declare,
Min, you are more disturbed about that
worthless thimble than you are about
leaving the handsome old house. You
haven't bit of sentiment, sMin, nor a
bit of sympathy for anybody either.
myself positively feel hysterical now
begin to realize the house is actually
sold and is to be occupied by strang
| ers.'
'"They have brought some elegant
new furniture-rose plush and ebony
and some,exquisite statutes in ala
baster," Min said without the slightes,
concern for the imminent Mysteries.
"Don't tell me what they are bring
ing" was the pettish response. "They
are rich of course, or they could never
have bought such house as this. II
there hadn't been a dreadful mortgage
or something, papa wouldn't have so,d
the place. But his difficulties have
just begun, l suppose we shall be
getting poorer and poorer-I am sure
of that ! This year we can afford te
rent something tolerably stylish ant
to keep our carriage next year W.
shall come down TO apartments ant
hired cabs, and the next will be al
attic and destitution, l don't doubt,
she added, more in wrath of present
evil than with real apprehension fo
the future, perhaps.
81 shouldn't borrow trouble, Julie, i
1 were you," Min returned gently, a
she followed the other down the brown
stone steps of the abdicated mansion
"There are losses more sorrowful thar
those ot riches, you know"
The loss of memento thimble, o
of an inconstant admirer, you mean,
suppose" Julia said, with a peculia
and not altogether agreeable smil
flickering around her thin lips.
Min was silent She could not dis
cuss the one memory which she haC
kept sweet and sacred in the bleak AM
toilesome desert of her life.
80, l know all about the affair,
Julia continued, with her haught,
eyes turned for a second furtively upol
the fair pale face, which had fushe,
almost painfully. "Cyril Grosveno
madeline his confdant, of course! Ant
| think he really admires you, Min
but l wasn't bit jealous, assur
you"
"No," Min murmured, half uncor
sciously, as the flush suddenly change
to startled pallor.
"Indeed, no Why should l hav
been ?" Julia said with a little lang
which sounded cruelty jarring. 9Th
fancy may stray though the heart
fixed, you know and he was alway
frank enough with me about his sma
follies. He was charmingly candi
about the interesting events of tn
summer spent in your delightful vi
lage."
Min walked on, slim and erect, he
eyes strangely brilliant, a crimso
flame wavering in each soft cheel
although she seemed almost as undi
turbed as the serene May skies aboy
her.
But she was not as composed as 81
seemed. Though she might live
hundred lives, she would never live
forget the sickening, suffocating pan
of that one brief moment. She sa
neither sky nor earth neither ii
walls of brick and mortar around he
!, nor the pavements beneath her feet
, she did not hear the noises of the bu
day, nor even of the heavy vans rattlir
past her down the stony streets.
v She saw instead the village hon
which had been hers until bereav
ment and misfortune had forced h
into a toilsome dependency upon h
naughty relative, She saw again Il
III i Il ~ a., IL