Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-12-29


paired BY Indian fevers. She would be melan-
choly, Of course, melancholy over the memory
Of the "dear departed" and still more melan-
choly over the prospects Of pennilesmeo and
her pending lawsuit, which she would be Ger.
tain TO lose-poor widows are never sucoessful
in these sort Of cases. Not q very lively addi-
ton to Christmas dinner table assuredly. IL
would have been bad enough anyhow, but with
. poor widow thrown in-bah! What nui-
sance.
She was standing before the FIRE talking to
his mother with her back toward him when
he entered the drawing-room, dressed for
dinner,
He saw charming figure, tall and slight,
with the slim waist Of a girl Of twenty.
LET me introduce my son to you, Mrs.
Leigh" said Mrs Redforth.
She turned. He saw before him . girlish
face, oval shaped and rose tinted, liquid, melt
ing eyes Of heavenly blue, and beautiful dark
auburn hair, framed in with q tiny rim Of daz-
cling white Grape.
''How do you do, Mr.. Redforth2" she said,
holding out her hand to him. It was not a
very remarkable thing to say but it had o very
remarkable effect on Ernest, for he recognized
the low, silver-toned voice instantly-he could
have told it among a thousand. She was the
mysterious angel who had hung in empty space
in his arms, in the church the day before yes
terday-whom he had been hunting for all
over the parish ever since, and whose extra
ordinary gift, slipped upon the end of his
watch chain, was reposing safely in his pocket
What happened during the course Of that
eventful dinner Ernest never afterward could
recollect. Whether turkeys and plum pudding
were consumed by his family or cold mutton
and cabbage pickles he could not have tasted
whether healths to absent friends were drunk,
and good wishes were exchanged around the
table, whether his father made q speech and
his mother wept, or whether or no his sisters,
as usual, expressed their desire to see him
shortly united to good wife-an remains
wrapped in q dense cloud Of obscurity and un-
certainty unto this day. The one thing that
did happen was that Ernest Redforth fell head
over ears in love with pretty Mrs. Leigh, and
that he neither ate nor drank anything to
speak of-that he saw nothing else but her
face, and was conscious Of no other sound save
the silver ring Of her sweet voice.
He kept his secret WE'LL and the diamond ring
lay for many days snug and safe in his waist
coat pocket For four consecutive Sundays did
the infatuated youth run down to Hampshire,
to the unfeigned surprise of his parents, and
tiers, and each Sunday he spent q large portion
Of the day in Ida Leigh's society. And all the
time never a word did the widow hear about
the diamond ring which she hsdso impulsively
bestowed upon the wrong man. Perhaps, how
ever, she had her suspicious; anyhow she bided
her time.
One day she suddenly said to him:
81 have lost diamond ring, Mr.. Redforth."
Ernest colored up to the roots Of his hair.
"indeed2" very politely. "Pray when did
you lose it2"
"When I was helping your sisters with the
church decorations just before Christmas."
"Have you had the church searched2 Why
don't you ask Mr.. Fenton, the curate, to look
for it2" maliciously. 1t was Mrs. Leigh's turn
to blush. Then their eyes met suddenly,
81 once had diamond ring given to me, )" be-
gan the young man hesitatingly, and drawing
something mysteriously out of his pocket. 1T
vas a reward for saving lady's life and also as
"Oh, what shame! What q shame Of your
cried Mrs. Leigh jumping up and trying to
snatch it out of his hand-sI knew it was your
He got up and heldit high above her head out
OF her reach. "You are not going to have il, T"
he said. 1T was given to me-"
ut was not. 1t was given to Mr.. Fenton."
he ask such woman as you to marry him!'
Mrs. Leigh sat down again. A tiny smile
futtered upon her lips and beautiful blush
overspread her downcast face.
why shouldn't he, pray 2-why-why
shouldn't any man ask me to marry him3 There
not marry again?'
'Do you mean that?" cried the young man,
rapturously falling down upon his knees by the
side of her chair. "LOok here, Ida-Mrs
Leigh-rm poor beggar-rve nothing but my
salary-but won't you let me give you another
ring, plain gold one, in exchange for this?-
and If you think you could be a poor mans
wife2-or if you'd wait year or two till get
my promotion?"
There's no occasion to wait have gained
my lawsuit, Ernest The letter from the lawyers
came this morning."
What has that to do with me?"
Everything; since it gives me three thou
sand year. So if you think that it won't be
too great grief to infiict upon poor Mr.. Fem
tom"
But she never finished the sentence-nor
ever got back her diamond ring till she wore it
in Fossett church as guard to another one on
her wedding day. That is why Ernest Red
forth never regretted having gone home for
Christmas.-From London Society.