Rock Island daily Argus., 1888-12-01

burst into cold perspiration Ill
it's such bother to get them on again." ! |
stammered; but Mabel was too intent on her
plate, in her usual dainty but determined |
fashion, to pay much attention.
Presently she said: "You mustn't monop- |
ollie me, Fred, for there are some old friends |
here And only too willingly l parted |
company with her for the time, and strolled |
by the river to collect my scattered thoughts, |
where. in secluded corner, Geraldine sat |
absently toying with some flowers. Glaneing |
at her ungloved hand started as if thunder |
struck On her finger CLEANED my vanished |
opal ring!
stared at Geraldine's pretty white hands |
as if they held Medusa's head. She looked |
at me in surprise: what are you looking at,
Mr.. Willsleyr' she said, and l, who didn't
dare explain, murmured that was admir-
ing the flowers. "You can have one if you
like" she said coquettishly, and gave me a
magnificent rosebud, which act, by the way,
was seen by Mabel, who passed on the arm of
staggering light cavalry captain. How
ever, she only smiled indulgently, as one who
was confident of her own solid attractions, as
indeed she might be.
In short time some other people came up,
among them Dick Everton, who seemed
sulky. 'What bore this sort of thing is,n
ho growled; Il wish had pipe and pint
Of Bass on the river-that would be worth all
these giggling girls and frisky matrons.n
You're not impressionable, Dick"
No. said he, with unnecessary earnest
ness; don't imagine I'm in love with any
body, or likely to be. By the way, how drunk
you were the other night, old man! You've
never given me my revenge"
Hang tho other night!n | said, bitterly;
u wish I'd never come to your place.
We'll. 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 annoyancss all came back went off
to the strawberries, lay down on the turf in
solitude, pulled off my tight gloves and in
| dulged in the luxury of cigarette. As /
| smoked il a somewhat serener mood the frou
| frou OF dress was heard, and round the turn
came Mabel alone.
why, Fred she exclaimed, II was look
| ing everywhere for you," and glancing at me
sharply she added, why, Fred, where is my
| opal rIngP
| l hesitated; should tell the trutha No;
her horror at impecunioSity and the mere
name Of q pawnshop would effectually de
| stroy my chances. l must temporize. !
changed color under her keen eyes. IL
have left it at home, dearest; forgot it,"
| She pouted mot much of d compliment
to me, sir; you told me you would always
wear il"
Fortunately, just then a lot of her acquaint-
ances came up and surrounded her, and |
sneaked OF to think over things in general,
wandering about like an outcass. and the
chatter and music on the lawn making me
savage. For some time thus stro.led about,
wnen on the other side Of magnificent beech
l saw Mabel talking to Geraldine Picture
my feelings when l heard my magnificent
fiance in quite different voice 10 any had
previously heard from her:
Excuse me, Miss Bell, but-vhere did
| YOU get that oudI ringf
/ snrai,4. back, thinking l might hear
something | saw the fair face Of Geraldine
crimson as she said confusedly;
'I-I-cannot tell YOU anything about it,
Miss Plumley; it is secret, not mine only v
and she blushed again deeply
''Indeedl" sneered Mabel, her eyes spark
ling. Il can guess who shares it. | won't
ask You any more questions, but" between
her teeth, Il viii ask him And, wrathful
as Juno, she marched off in search OF
wretched me, who turned down the shrub
berry, meaning TO get out Of the grounds but,
fate would have it, took a turning which
brought me out on the lawn, where stood my
enraged fiance, large, certainly, but at that
h,,tI To-,
In fact she had become a veritable spitfre il
aspect, and | am not ashamed to say would
have turned tall if l could; but she caught
sight OF me and came ue
Pray, sir" she hissed, "can you give me-
a little more information ab-ut the ring
which you say you left at home, and which
by some magic, has found its way here Il
Miss Geraldine Bells fingerl Answer me
sir!n
Il can't tell you more about it, I STAN
mered; ''it's-it's secret said, not quit
knowing what did say, and unfortunatel!
using Geraldine's words
, Very we'll sir; see it all; see nov
, what that rosebud meant! You're falls
wretch" and she burst into angry tear.
land III never speak to you again.
The next night, as l sat disconsolate, Ia
mentlng the vanished prospect of that ellgl
BILE house, those stocks, shares, and securi
ties-for Mabel was inexorable, would no
, admit me, and had returned all my letters
old Bell burst in, roaring like the hippopota
> mus he was, and accusing me Of being priv
, TO the elopement Of his daughter with tha
scamp Eyerton, whom | had introduced t
> the house, and who had secretly wooed he
' unknown to any one. A fearful row 10
: lowed. Pursuing some suspicious of II
: own, found out later on, by a golden PEI
: suasive, from the pretty servant at Everton
lodgings, that the morning after was thel
: : she had been sent by that wretch to redeem
= ! ring. must have dropped the ticket, an
!" that plausible fiend, having thrown ever
one off the scent by sham Indifference, ha
I, used the ring to upset my chances cut
v sheer envy and to cement his engagemel
= with Geraldine Am not justified in hath
= the sight of opalsi-Belgravia