The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1888-06-14
THE THREE DIAMONDS.

THE THREE DIAMONDS.
ut is quito like fairy story, am
sure. and have deep affeotlonsfor a
fairy story" SAID one girl.
''Aladdln, or the Wonderful Lamp"
said the other.
Cor Monte Cristo," chlmed in tho
third.
"Tell 1t again. Lewis"
''Well," said the young man. light.
Ing another cigar, ''it's like this: The
fellow was not rich, you know and he
took situation as secretary, or some
thing, with fellow that was like the
Wandering Jew. No one knew how
old he was, and he spent his time AMI
money collecting big diamonds rough
diamonds, some Of them, you know
that Ee got from wild fellows who
never guessed their value, and some
that he took for debts, and some that
he got goodness knows how. And he
travelled all over the world with this
fellow, don't you see, and got fond Of
hlm. and all that, and at last was
taken LII. paralyzed or something; and
the secretary, who knew which side
his bread was buttered on, waited on
him, nursed him, carried HIM about,
saved him from being robbed and
murdered, believe. And so, when
the fellow died, he left all his dia-
monds to this young fellow. don't you
seer :. And he is enormously rich. and
he's here for the summer, and every
girl In the place will set her cap for
him-of course, you among the rest ="
"Nonsensel" cried the girls in
chorus. '"Absuredl as If we But tell
us, Is he handsome?"
"No," said the COUSIN.
But he was. The girls saw him soon
after on the piazza OF the hotel, and
decided that Charles wss envIous or
had no taste. He was charming. A
Attlo fellow, to be sure, but with Jet
black hair and big dark velvety eyes.
He had white hands, too. and q chin
like Greek statue. and he wore one
Of the diamonds in his bosom and
ant.her IN his finger.
"Wouldn't a pair Of that size look
we'll In my ears?" thought Elsie Rune,
as she peeped into her glass that night.
and remembered them. s'And I'm
sure he looked at ~, Oh, dearl I do
believe I am in I've with him al.
ready"
Grace" said Maud Ripley to her
sister at almost the same moment.
'should not you think that so dark
mani mean that any very dark man
would fancy perfect blondep
Now, Elsie believes dark men fall in
love with her, she Is so vain, There
are laws and rules about such things,
as often tell her; and you never see q
dark woman really adored by dark
man."
II am sure I don't know" said
Grace. ''I should think it's PERSONS
manner you'd like, not his coloring.n
'"That is because you are neither one
nor the other," said Maud.
Other girls in the hotel were spscr,-
latirg on the hero of the diamonds,
but Maud and Grace Ripley and Elsie
Rune was blessed with q cousin who
was not unwilling to see any, or all Of
them married as soon as possible. and
who had made acquaintance with the
stranger on board Of the ocean steamer
In which they sailed together, 80 that
the introduction was neatly managed.
Rides, drives and sails followed, and
the best match at Newport that season
seemed cast at the very feet Of the
prettiest girl there; for, though Grace
was neither brunette like Elsie, nor a
blonde like Maud, she had dimples in
her cheeks and another in her chin,
and the cheeks were carmine and tho
chin vas pearl. Then, too, she was
gentle, sweet and tender, while Elsie
and Maud, though brighter and pos.
sessed Of more aplomb, were already
little hard and worldly; flirts Of the
first water. and with o keen eye to the
advantage Of position and money.
No prudent chaperone was needed to
warn them from the ineligibles, while
Grace was forever making goose Of
herself by meeting towards psnnlless
boys and the young students Of art and
medicine. Secretly, however, Grace
had already bestowed genuine ad-
miratlon on the man OF many dia.
monds. Ills wealth had nothing to do
With 1t. He would like Elsie. Of
course. She must not think of him;
ahe must drive him from her mind, and
she strove hard to do 90. For years she