Daily Yellowstone journal., 1889-08-07

press TO their destination, she hurried
to unbolt and unbar the heavy oaken
door.
A gentleman stood on the grassy
doorstep, a young and moderately
handsome fellow, with al unmistaka-
BILE air Of fashion and good breeding
about him that made Pauline instinct
lively recollect her pink little hands,
her big apron and her general cook
cry" aspect
Stimulating the example Of the ''im-
posin' pusson" of four seasons ago,
not having perhaps heard Of her rout
and discontinue, this fine. handsome
young gentleman expressed, in very
courteous terms, his apologies for in
truding. and the fact that he had
''been advised to call and see il the
Misses Weymouth could be induced to
part with a few of their valuables;
that the fame Of their collection Of
bric-a-brac and old china was, as il
were, world wide, and that they would
perhaps not esteem il a dishonor to
benefit the great public by allowing
themselves to be bereaved of a few
bits. for whatever consideration the
Misses Weymouth might see fit to
name-ahemI"
. Pauline listened to this in terror,
for, by the time this speech was con
cluded, the handsome young orator
stood well within the sacred precincts
Of the Weymouth mansion. and was
casting envioas eyes at the rare treas
ures that. incrusted with the dust of
ages, were piled and heaped in every
conceivable niche and corner of the
great wainscoted entrance hall.
Here, indeed, were gathered the idols
Of the Misses Weymouth, the lares and
penates of their spinster souls. sooner
than part with one morsel Of which,
for filthy lucer, would they, half de-
family, half ignoringly, allow plucky
little Pauline. their only niece. to exc
out a scanty sum by the potting Of
shrimp; sooner than behold one cup
Of the famous Weymouth china quit
its proper shelf would they subsist on
hominy and pork, and whatever the
faithful Chloe and the provident little
Pauline could provided
Yes, within the sanctuary stood the
would be despoiler. and even now,
above. on the gallery, Miss Brantleigh
heard the patter Of Miss Virginia's
cane and the muffled tones Of Miss
Carolina's ~autocratic voicei
With but little ceremony and in the
most dire alarm Pauline gave the
young intruder TO understand that the
Misses Weymouth preferred death to
barter, and that were he discovered
his position would prove at least fatal
to his life. He received these admoni-
tons with a becoming meekness, and
with a most respectfully tender glance
from a pair OF remarkably handsome
eyes; and apologizing, with the air of
a courtier TO a queen, the enemy bowed
himself out just as Miss Carolina was
preparing 10 descend the staircase.
Miss Brantleigh rushed back TO the
kitchen, to find Chloe seated, the pic.
ture of good humored somnolence, be.
fore her own Preside. The shrimp
were gone-it vas long past 3 o'clock
and all the debris of shells and paste
pots, caldrons and ladies had been
removed. q.
Pauline looked down at her hands.
WHAT Her ring was gonel Her one
sole bit of fineryl Her solitary orna-
ment, the heavy chased golden band
that a certain great-grandmother, also
a Pauline w. Brantleigh, had worn,
and whose initials we're inside Of the
c%ircleti
Where was it2 The interloper-
could he have been a theft Then
Pauline laughed as she remembered
that the unfortunate young man had
not taken her hand, and in no other
way could he possibly have wrested
her treasure from her.
Aunt Chloe wassummarily awaken
ed.
"Oh, Miss Pleenr" cried she, mourn
fully, 1T has been dem shrimpsl Yes,
honey, when you was a-siftin' Of that
last batch thro' yer fingers, that splen-
did ring has jes' gone in with dem
shell fishes, and, laws-a-mercy, honey
dey's all gone, shrimps and ring and
everything. up country to dem hill
folks. Laws-a-mercyr
Chloe could say no more. "Laws-a-
mercy" was expected and intended to
express every possible lamentation
and its corresponding consolation in
the entire gamut Of woe and despair.
Pauline wept and wondered; con-
signed the young vandal, whom she
considered the author Of her loss, TO
unknown and terrible regions; she
searched and sought, and at last re-
lapsed into stony silence. The ring
was gone, of that she was sure, and
what mattered ''how" or "wherel"
A couple of months later an event
occurred in the Weymouth stagna-
ton. Miss Brantleigh was invited on
visit 10 some distant relatives at
M, a small town in the interior Of
the state. 1t was not until much had
been undergone in the way of raw
ings from Miss Carolina over the de-
generacy Of the modern damsel in de-
TO visit, and in the form of sar- |
castle inquiry from Miss Virginia as
TO the probable wardrobe OF her niece,
hat Pauline finally set forth. II was
true that she had but few gowns, and
fewer laces and ribbons, but the
friends she went 10 were but little bet
ter off than she herself, and she had,
therefore, the sweet beautilers Of a
contented spirit and a happy anticipa-
AoE H. I
chance, frightened by the color that