Sacramento daily record-union., 1888-11-03

favorite dainties.
Why don't you take off those new gray
gloves ?" she said; you'll spoil them, you
extravagant man."
| burst into a cold perspiration. ell
its such bother to get them on again.
| stammered; but Mabel was too intent on
her plate, in her usual dainty but deter
mined fashion, to pay much attention
Presently she said "You mustn't mo-
nopolize me, Fred, for there are some old
friends here" And only too willingly
parted company with her for the time, and
strolled by the river to collect my scattered
thoughts, where, in a secluded corner, Ger
aldine sat absently toying with some flow
ers. CHANGING at her ungloved hand, |
started as if thunderstruck. On her finger
CLEANED my vanished opal ring!
l stared at Geraldine's pretty white
hands as if they held Madusa's head. She
looked at me in surprise. "What are YOU
looking at, Mr. Willsley ?" she said, and /,
who didn't dare explain, murmured that
was admiring the flowers. You can have
one if you like" she said ooquettishly, and
gave me magnificent rosebud which act,
by the way, was seen by Mabel, who passed
on the arm of a staggering light cavalry
Captain. However, she only smiled in
diligently, as one who was confident of her
own solid attractions-as indeed she nigh {
be.
In short time some other people came
up, among them Dick Everton, who seemed
sulky. What bore this sort of thing is"
he growled; 81 wish had pipe and a
pint Of Bass on the river; that would be
worth all these giggling girls and frisky
matrons"
You're not impressionable Dick"
No." said he, with unnecessary earnest
ness; "don't imagine Pm in love with
anybody or likely to be. By the way, how
drunk you were the other night, old man
you've never given me my revenge"
Hang the other night" l said bit
terly; 81 wish I'd never come to your
place"
"Well, perhaps might say that" he
said dryly, seeing how you cleaned me
out" and turned away somewhat ANNOYED,
passing Geraldine as if she were the most
ordinary of her sex.
My annoyance all came back. | went
off to the strawberries, lay down on the turf
in solitude, pulled off my tight gloves and
INDUCED in the luxury of a cigarette AsI
smoked in somewhat serener mood the
trouJrou of dress was heard, and round the
turn came Mabel alone.
why, Fred" she exclaimed, Z" was
looking everywhere for you," and glancing
at me sharply, she added, why, Fred,
where is my opal ring?"
l hesitated; should | tell the truth ?
| No. har horror OF o,,J Al, y
mere name of a pawnshop would effectually
destroy my chances. l must temporize. |
changed color under her keen eyes. "I-I
have left it at home, dearest; | forgot
it,"
She pouted. "Not much of compli-
ment to me, sir; you told me you would
always wear it."
Fortunately just then lot of her ac.
quainsances came up and surrounded her
and / sneaked off to think over things in
general, wandering about like an outcast
and the chatter and music on the lawn
making me savage. For some time | thu:
strolled about, when on the other side of q
magnificent beech / saw Mabel talking tc
Geraldine. Picture my feelings when
heard my magnificent fnancee in quite
different voice to any / had previously
heard from her:
Excuse me, Miss Bell, but-where die
you get that opal ring?"
l shrank back, thinking | might hear
something. l saw the fair face of Geral
dine crimson as she said confusedly:
"I-I-cannot tell you anything about
it, Miss Plumley; it is a secret, not mine
only" and she blushed again deeply.
"Indeedr' sneered Mabel, her eye,
sparkling. 81 can guess who shares it.
won't ask you any more questions, but,
between her teeth, "I will ask him." And
wrathful as Juno, she marched off in search
of wretched me, who turned down the
shrubbery, meaning to get out of the
grounds, but, as fate would have it, took ;
turn which brought me out on the lawn
where stood my enraged fancee, large, Ger
tainly, but at that moment anything bu
languishing and lazy In fact, she hat
become veritable spitfire in aspect, and
am not ashamed to say | would hav,
turned tail if i could; but she caugh
sight of ne and came up.
"Pray, sir" she hIssed, scan you Civ,
me a little more information about tn,
ring which you say you left at home, ane
which, by some magic, has found its way
here on Miss Geraldine Bells finger
Answer me, sir ~
Il can't tell you more about it," | STAN
mered; its-it's secret Isaid, not quit,
knowing what did say, and unfortunatel,
using Geraldine's words.
"Very well, sir; see it all; l see nov
what that rosebud meant You're falls.
wretch" and she burst into angry tears
"and Pll never speak to you again ,'
The next night, as | sat disconsolate
lamenting the vanished prospect If tha
eligible house. those stocks, shares and Sc
curities-for Mabel was inexorable, woult
not admit me and had returned all m,
letters-old Bell rushed in, roaring likI
the hippopotamus he was, and accusin.
me of being privy to the elopement of hi
daughter with that scamp Everton, whom
| had introduced to the house, and VIII,
had secretly wooed her unknown to a ;,
one. A fearful row followed. Pursuin:
some suspicious of my own, I found on
later on, by golden persuasive, from th
pretty servant at Everton's lodgings tha
the morning after | was there she ha.
been sent by that wretch to redeem th
ring. must have dropped the ticket
and that ralauSib1a fa,l I,,,;xs. .L