The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-01-03

uIu IltIltt', WIN u tIHh 1855
to ~acduaint her husband with the result Of
her mission.
At length the evening Of the ball arrived,
and Renee created a positive sensation when
she made her appearance in the minister's
salon.
She was by far the prettiest woman in the
room, and was so beset with invitations to
dance, compliments and attention from all
the gentlemen present that she did not allow
her husband 10 take her nome until 4 O'Clock
in the morning.
They had great difficulty III finding a cab
10 convey them to their lodgings, and IL was
only after walking nearly a quarter Of "a nile
in the cold, damp street that they net with
one Of these horrible night cabs which patrol
the streets Of Paris in quest Of adventures.
They were both very tired and out OF sorts
when they reached their quarters, she because
the fete was over, and he because he had
10 be at his Office at . O'Clock, and consc'
quently had only three hours Of sleep before
him.
Renee, however, went to the glass to give
one more admirins look at ali her iineiy'
when suddenly she uttered a scream OF horror.
The diamond necklace was gone
Her husband and herself, both as pale az
death and trembling from head to loot
searched the rooms, the staircase, their OWL
pockets, 10 no avail. The jewel was nowhere
to be found. Unfortunately they did mol
remember the number OF the cab which they
had taken.
In despair the poor husband dressed BIN
self again and went back to the ministry To-
see if the necklace had been dropped there.
He returned at 7:30 o'clock, broken hearted
and worn out.
He had made inquiries at the police station,
and notices inserted in the daily papers
promising a handsome reward II the dla-
monds were returned to him, but he ackno"i-
edged that he had little hopes Of ever seeing
them again.
"You must write TO your friend, y said he
to his weeping wife, that you have broken
the clasp Of her necklace. and that you are
having it mended. This will give US a few
DAYS to look round, and to see what Is to be
done"
A week elapsed, and the poor young couple
lost al hope Of ever recovering the missing
necklace. Renee was thoroughly i'll, and her
husband looked at least ten years older than
before their misfortune. The only thing to
be done was to buy another necklace and
send it to Mime. Forester. But how could
they do it'll They went from jeweler to
~jeweler, and found a necklace at length
which was exactly similar 10 the lost one. IL
cost 10000 francs.
Their entire fortune amounted to only
half this sum. They borrowed the rest from
money lenders at enormous rates, giving
their signatures and engaging their whole
future, and at last, after a fortnight OF
agony, they bought the necklace, and Renee,
trembling at the idea of being detected, took
it to Nine. Forester, who, without even
opening the casket to look at her returned
property, told her very coldly that she might
have brought it back soonerl
Then began a life Of utter misery and abb
lection for the unfortunate pair. They gave
up their lodgings, sent away their only SER
want and went to live in two small rooms IN
a tenement house.
Poor, pretty Renee was obliged to cook her
husbands scanty meals and to wash his
linen. She wore out her pink nails in scrub
bing the floor, and was forced 70 do e.. her
little marketing herself.
They sold all that thay had in order to try
to pay the heavy interests on their enormous
debt. Work, work, work, and no pleasure
for Eerse from one end Of the year to the
other.
The husband, too, worked day and night,
posting up petty tradesmen's books and adj
dressing envelopes by the thousand for q
ridiculous pittance. All this was in addition
to his Office work.
Ten years elapsed. Renee had become an
old woman, prematurely aged, worn out,
hasgard, vulgar and coarse through drudgery
and hard work. Her husbands hair had
turned quite gray, and Ee was bent almost
double like a cripple.
At length they succeeded in paying up the
entire amount of their indebtedness, and
once more they were able to breathe freely.
One Sunday afternoon Renee had gone for
"A little walk in the Champs Elysees, when
She suddenly saw an elegantly dressed
m walking in front of her, and after
a moments hesitation recognized Mime.
Forester.
She felt much moved on thinking Of all
that she had suffered for that woman, and
she determined, nov that She had paid her
debt, to tell her all.
Approaching her, She touched her on the
shoulder and said softly:
How are you, Jeannef"
Nine. Forester turned round and stared
at her. She did not recognize her old friend
again in this elderly, common looking bour-
eeoise, and Renee was forced to name her
self.
What, Renee Is it possibleN exclaimed
Nine. Forester. "What has happened to
youl What has changed you sou
"Well," replied the poor woman, these
last years have been hard ones for US, and all
on your account"
ION my accountf'
eyes. Do you remember your lending me
your diamond necklace ten years agoi l
lost it,"
Lost it! But, my dear Renee, you are
crazy. How could that be- You brought it
back to me-
mo, not that one. l lost it and / had 10
buy another for you. am SO glad you did
not notice the difference. But it has taken
US ten years to pay for it, Notwithstanding
the sacrifice of all tho ready money We pcs
sesscd. The ono | bought was fully as fine