The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1888-01-05

esaO AucO SsSss snsO va thbV 10 VVt uCNVsVO~s
Its inscription, "Tho' lost to sight to
memory dear" aid through life he
remained true to that early love- Tho
stonc that had been tho charm Of his
youth, Il ling his life with sunshine,
was now the ever-present memorial Of
her who had been q part Of his life
when 1t was most complete.
But how did the stone come into
your possessionp Why do we find
such memento Of love. such monu-
ment Of fidelity, in q pawn-shopp
'Oh, that IL easy to explain. That
noble Earl died without leaving direct
descendants. and in few generations
he was forgotten or laughed at as
sentimental fool by those who profit
ed by his fidelity to his early and lost
love. They cared only for his wealth.
not for his sad memories. They found
no particular value in topaz because
its faces were engraven with senti-,
mcnts of love and fidelity. The stone
soon passed from their keeping, and
not long ago camc 10 the shop with its
story.
And SO Jack bought 1t. Not be-
cause he believed the shop-keeper's
story, but because his wife did. She
never for one moment questioned It,
and It would have been worse than
useless to try and brush away the
romance from about the topaz. For
did not its inscriptions speak for the
truth Of tho stolyp What woman
would question love story when there
were such proofs to substantiate itp
No. doubling 1t was out of the ques.
tion. Jack bought the stone, and paid
we'll for the romance that went with
it
At the hotel young American who
lives in London and is never tired Of
romances and never free from the
tangles Of one. happened to see Jacks
topaz and began to examine it with
more than ordinary interest ''Yes."
he said. cit is monument to me Of
my follies. You remember my firia-
ton with Belle-yes, you may call it
moro than a Irritation on my part
suppose. but don't think you can say
80 much for her-I was given that
topaz by my father. who purchased it
in Paris when made my first tour
abroad with him Just after had grad.
uated from Yale. It was one of the
finest stones of the kind I ever saw.
and the governor paid nice price for
1t. But he was an indulgent parent
then, and when he saw that admired
the stone he bought it and made me a
tpresent Of it. wore 1t on my watch
chain as charm and was envied its
possession by many of my fellows when
I returned to America. When I met
Belle it was love at sight-one of the
impetuous fancios Of youth--you know.
She, too. admired that stone, and ]
suppose would have had 1t If there had
been any way in which woman could
wear such large jewel and not make
herself the talk of the town. But she
owned 1t all the same. and when be.
gan to write verses on violet-scented
note-paper to send through the mail.
though I lived only two blocks fl rom
her fathers house and saw her every
day, she suggested that like these
gallant gentlemen Of an earlior gen.
GRAFTON, who wore the seals for theil
letters as watch-charms, might con
vert my topaz into a stamp will
which to make the impress on tho wa,
which sealed my letters to her. wal
anxious to do her bidding. and whet,
sho suggested the 'forget-me-not''
had 1t engraved on one face of the
stone. When we became engaged
cudgeled my brain for several days
for new device, and thought myself
a genius when had designed thai
rebus with the yew tree and the eye
in It: "For you live" Yes, though
that expressed my sentiments. I had
no other aim or object in life. wa,
| living for that girl, spending all my
salary on her. and following her as {
dog would his master.
That did not last long. however, fol
we had q quarrel over her flirtationa
with a man who wore . bang in the
place of brains, and imported HIS clothes
from London. His anglomania wa,
his distinguishing feature, and wher
Belle married him I felt very blue fol
a time. Twas in the depths Of senti
mentalism. and went to the engravel
q third time and had that last and
most foolish inscription cut: .Thougi
lost to sight, to memory dear" Witt
this ! sealed in black wax my regrets
at not being able to attend the wed
ding.
After few weeks ! felt better. Ii
fact, 1t is a difficult role to play where
you sing 'The H cart Bowed Dowr
With Weight Of Woe" all day and al
night I really could not keep VI
the martyrdom I was supposed to be
enduring, and I turned my thoughts
to other and better things Wher
the honeymoon was over and th'
anglomaniac took his wife to cot
tage to live on q thousand Q year.
had not even resentment against tn
poor girl. only pity, but II, neve
could endure the remembrance Of my
own folly ] could not afford to car
~ about 50 conspieuous D monumen
Of that sentimental foolishness dan
Cling from my watch chain for every
A. ~ A. l..