Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-12-24

your heiress"
"You are a fool-a fool. Harry" shrieked INV
aunt. Il won't! I'll leave il all 10 Dicky Col
ston. yorr cousin. He'll jump at Maggie.
though she, poor goose, would have given her
eyes for you Goodbye. Aunt Agg." /
interrupted firmly and gravely. ''God bless
Won. and marched straight out of the room
retreating with al the honors of war Even as
closed the door scornful grunt or two
ANNOYED my ears With the bitter taunt: "Ho So
We are or orr high horse: but just wait six
months. my tine young man, and see If You
don come 20 yOur senses" Six months later
was married and on NV way out 20 India. having
got an appointment on the staff of a friendly
general whose gallorer had been in our last
campaign. and here ends fytte the first, as
the Old poets used To say.
Ring up the curtain now, on An Indian
Chrlstmas dinner six wears later. | and my
family, think Of that. are gathered round the
table. 1t Is a small round table chosen tonight
Tor cosiness, so that my wife aud l are near
each other. and our fiye-year-old heir sits be-
tween US. with his golden head not very high
above the tahiecloth, Opposite him sits Tho
rold true and tried friend to us both and
comrade of mine. Maude is more lovely than
ever IN my ewes. Just winning and laugh
ing, but a glorious woman instead of a mere
charming glrl She looks especially beautiful
tonight In q rev ball gown. a triumph Of ex-
qulsitely hitting satin about the bodice. and Of
bewlidering tiufness as to skirt while her bare,
snowy reck and bosom rise out of some soft
yelling accessories ;ha; an angel might not dis
dain to take pattern by rs trimming to spirit
robe.
"Ah II is pity you have not got Aunt Agg's
! diamond necklace TO wear tonight. You would
make all the other women faint with envy
then.' | remarked. affecting a critical air. hut
iawardty ful! OF pride as ] surveyed my wife's
appearance We We're going to a dance at Gov
ernment House afterward. 1t was to be the
thing of The season.
IF had should be the happiest woman in
india; laughed Aiaude back. AS it is per-
haps am second happiest. But il ir too had
they should have disappeared SO mysteriously:
or rather that no living being seems 10 know
what your aunt did with them-and she il
dead. What L. the story? Tell us all about
1t. put in Thorold. WAS that the old lady
who cut you of with. l suppose. the pro-
verbal shilling for marrying mine hostess
mere. Ike Il wise and lucky man," INV
dear fellow. She cut rae off with plum pud-
ding. L ruefully explained. The very pud-
olnS YOU are soon about TO be regaled with
The story is briefly. as you know. that was
disinhe-ited for not cousenting 10 marry Miss
Margaret Macintosh. whom my aunt wished
to go with the property. SO tc speak. And a
year later, that Il. siN months after we were
married. my cousin. Dicky Colson. was welded
70 ne aforesaid Miss Macnintosh. and came in
Tor all my relatives fortune four wears ago
MAY they both be happy ever after. But nv
poor aunt must have had n yearning for me
SIN IN her hard old heart, for before her death
ut was some time IL autumn) she wrote me
strange letter 1t Was 10 this effect:
Dear Henry: You know 1 was always a
woman of my word. so il viii be no surprise to
you that have left my fortune to your cousin
Richard. But hearing that your wife is a
pretty young woman and well behaved that is
fea. her IN your cap. Maud, isn't IT'D I send
you my forgiveness. And you will receive
further. plum pudding, prepared by my own
hands, which desire Won will have served up
at your own table on a Christmas day whenever
| you feei In your heart that you likewise freely
forgive the memory of your aunt
| AGATHA UPCHER.
'P.S-The doctors tell me I may get better
Of my illness. Bat they are all idiots or COW
| ards. for shall not.
And she WAS right, poor old lady, for she died
one week later. The curious thing was that in
her will she said. II have already given INV
| diamond necklace to Henry Upchsr. my dear
| nephew. VINO will receive il safely, trust.
! some future day." That is all. And though
| Margaret Mrs. Colson. mean. has hunted for
that necklace everywhere-thougn she has con-
| suited detectives and taken every trouble.
besides writing Us tine kindest of letters. the
necklace was nowhere to be found after INV
aunt's death. 1t is clean gone--vanished. No
one seems TO blame. The diamonds were
usually kept at the bank. and my aunt herself
took them away a few days before her death.
''Stolen," remarked Thorold dryly. "And no
doubt broken up before your venerable rela-
| tive was even buried. But how does it come
that you have waited four years to feast on
| this legacy 1T has gone through such vicis-
though in a faltering tone. With stern truth
| fulness interrupted her wifely and womanly
attempt to glaze the ugly truth. because
an ashamed to say that, till tonight, never
could bring myself to fully and freely forgive
nv Aunt Agg The first Christmas WAS still
| haep cuf ,r,f of
| fortune. The second one. this little woman
here was i'll. because / had not been able to
afford charge up to the hills for both of us
and she gallantlv refused to leave me. The
third one, what did happen that third Christmas,
1 MaIde:"
The plum pudding could not be found. -
cried Naude. laughing. 1t turned up at last
inside a bonnet box, where it was making itself
useful as stand for nv best hat Oh, the
strange adventures of that pudding. Ii has
Travelled all over India with us in its tin case,
and once it was really almost lost for five
months when We left Agra, and it was packed
away no one knew where, because little Jim
was ill and my hands were full with him.
Then. when our bungalow at Simia took fire,
| It must have got some cooking. And once,
crossing river. some of our baggage was up
! set and the poo pudding was all bat washed
down stream. Luckily, one Of our servants
knew had a sentimental fondness for that tin
case lit had always seemed to me such a curl
! oun iuSi vi the Oiu puuuluk
should be a sign of mutual good wild. so be
Owed ana brought il back with some trouble. ~
| You gave him more rupees than even his greed
expected. No matter. l was glad, too, not to
lose my legacy" said cheerily. .'Ah. here it
| comes. Look at the flames. Jim. lookr' boo
bazes" CALCULATED my son and heir. clapping
his soft hands and chuckling with delight.
1t was a fine pudding. and as it WIS placed
| before me, rich and dark amid its leaping blue
! flames, ] somewhat solemnly uttered before
! giving the first cut. Now, here is to my Aunt
Agatha's memory, in all peace and goodwill -
Amen" promptly murmured Maude in echo,
| smiling. 'Hallo!" came in an exclamation of
perplexity. as, digging deep into the tooth
some dainty. something hard and metallic re-
| sisted my efforts. ''What-on-earth is in the
middle of this pudding?'
| With vigorous attacks Of spoon and fork,
urged on by the wondering curiosity of all
out brought presently small tin case from
the heart Of the plum pudding, It was tied
round with narrow ribbon, which was fastened
in a dozen places by great blobs Of sealing wax.
impressed with the full Cpcher coat-of-arms.
20, Harry. what can it be-" by Jove! here
| is surprise!'' chorused Thorold and Maude
| in astonishment. rising and looking eagerly.
| Here hi, Get me something TO open this,
quick" hurriedly ordered, in the native
vernacular Of my butler anything! from q
hammer to a Ratchet" (For wild idea had
darted across my BRAIN 1t was done. In
thirty seconds the tin case Was open, and with
fingers fairly tingling with anxiety and delight
drew forth roll Of cotton wool and tissue
paper and unwrapped-the diamond necklace