Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1889-11-01
THE ROPE OF PEARLS.

lHE fUPE UF oEARLS.
what an exquisite tlling!7 murmurcd
Violet Foyne, in ccstacy. But why
Gid Roger never show it TO nc before
and whose could it have besn?'
The "eXqu!site thing was heavy
rope OF beautiful, perfect pearls which
Violet, in r'lmaging in an old trunk of
her husbands, had found carefully en-
0eloped in pink cotton ut the bottom of
q quaint walnut trunk.
She had pounced upon the jewels
with childish delight, admiring their
milky radiance, while lnwardly wonder
ing that Roger had never, in the six
months of their welded life, spoken of
their existence.
1T is strange!" unused Violet, twist
ing the rope redectively around her
fingers.
suddenly she dropped it as if it had
been viper and gave utterance to a
low cry Of horror
"Blood!' she whispered in terror
iraught tones. ooh, heaven upon
what fearful mystery have / stumbled 2"
She reeled toward chair and closed
her eyes to shut out the sight, but in
spite OF herself her gaze continued to
wander toward the heap Of cleaning
pearls on the floor of the attic and vio-
lent shuddcrs shook her frame.
Il will put it back in the casket, :"
murmured Violet to herself, and when
Roger returns L will ask him to ex-
plain"
She arose from the easy chair into
Which she had flung herself, and with
much inward repugnance took up the
rope OF pearls to restore it to it's hiding
place
But as she took the casket from the
trunk a slip of paper fell amid the pink
cotton.
She read it, with paling brow:
DEAR RoGER--Why did you choosep pearls
Did you know their language? 1t is tears.
Yet will wear them to the ball Tonight in
spite OF superstition. Would that you were
coming with me instead of that horrid
Count sigmund! Ever thine, OcrAv1A.
All, she understood now! and with a
thrill of untold anguish, realized that
she was not her husbands first love.
And il not his first, she certainly was
not his best
Perhaps, indeed, he had never loved
her at all. She was q rich heiress. Had
Roger Fayne married her for her
wealth? Oh, horrible reflection!
What was the mystery that string of
lucid pearls might tell? The dark,
carmine stain that married the beauty
of three Of them, the minute spatters
on others-what did they mean?
Tortured by these thoughts, Violet
replaced pearls and note in their quaint
receptacle, and DOMINIC her wraps,
hastily left her home
She would go to her mother and sob
out her misery on that faithful heart
which had never yet failed her.
With this design she left the busy
thoroughfare Of Omaha, and, Mailing a
street car, rode out to Central Park, the
residence of her parents.
Mrs. Gaylord was bending over a
huge brass kettle on the kitchen stove.
briskly stirring the bubbling contents.
She dropped the ladle in consterna-
ton as her daughters white face ap-
peared at the door.
"Who, Violet, child!" she cried,
aghast, you look like ghost! Has
anything happened?"
"Yes," sobbed Violet, throwing her
self upon her mothers breast. "My
heart is broken, mammal"
By degrees Mrs. Gaylord drew from
her the whole story, but wisely re-
Trained from saying anything to aug
ment her daughters feverishly excited
state of mind.
"Lie down in here, my child" said
she. soothingly, conducting Violet to
the cool sitting room and arranging the
pillows on the sofa. "You are worn
and hysterical. and need rest"
Vic:st submitted. and after seeing