Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1890-09-28

seen and admired then and there before
the rehearsal began.
They will all be yours, you know"
Ralph said to Aurelia. "'You shall wear
them on your wedding day"
You are always talking about being
married." said Aurelia, with little
pout. 81 wish you would try and think
of something else to say. | was quite
looking forward to it myself until
came here, and now | am quite, quite
tired of it beforehand"
Ralph laughed delightedly, and Sir
George reminding me that everyone was
dying of anxiety, himself included. ran
upstairs to take the brown bag from
around my neck, and in few minutes
returned with it in my hand. They were
all waiting for me, Lady Mary drawn
up in an arm chair beside an ebony table.
on which a small space near her had
been cleared, Charles alone holding
rather aloof, slipping his coffee with his
back to the fire.
Don't jostle," he said as they all
crowded round me. Evelyn, let me
beg of you not to elbow forward in that
unbecoming manner. Observe how Aunt
Mary restraints herself. Take time Mid
d etOn! Your coffee is getting cold.
Won't you drink it tirSt?'
As he finished speaking | turned the
contents of the bag upon the table. The
Jewels i'm the bright lamplight seemed
TO blaze and burn into the ebony of the
table There was a general gasp, a
silence, and then chorus of admiration.
Charles came up behind me and looked
over my shoulder.
Good gracious" said Lady Mary
Solemnly. Ralph. you are a rich man.
Why, mine are nothing to them" and
she touched u diamond and emerald
necklace on her own neck. Il never
knew poor Sir John had so much good
i'm him."
ION, Ralph, Ralph" cried Aurelia,
claSping her little hands with a deeu
sigh. And will they really be my very
own?"
Ralph assured her that they would,
and that she should act in them the fol-
| lowing night if she liked.
think there was not n woman pres
ent who did not envy Aurelia as Ralph
took up a flashing diamond crescent and
held it against her fair hair. saw Eve
/ lyn turn away and begin TO tear mp a
small piece of paper in her hand. Wo-
men are very Jealous Of each other es-
pecialy the nice, by which / mean the
pretty ones. | was sorry to see jealousy
so plainly marked in such Il charming
looking girl rs Evelyn, but women are
all the same about jewels. Aurelia
bluShed and Sparkled and pouted wher
the clasp caught in her hair, and shook
her little head impatiently and was al
| together enchanting.
After the first burst of admiration had
subsidized Gen. MarSton. an old Indian
officer who had been somewhat in tn,
rear came up and looked long at the
glittering mass upon the table.
Are you Sware." he said at last tC
| Ralph, pointing TO the crescent, that
those diamonds are of enormous value.
/ have not seen such stones i'm any ShoI
/ in London. dare not say what that one
crescent alone is worth or that emerald
/ bracelet. Jewels of such value as thi:
are Il grave esponSiblity.' lie stood
shaking his head a littl and turning the
crescent in his hand .Wonderful"' he
said, wonderful. Do not tear up that
piece of rice paper, Ms Derrick he
added, taking it from her. The crescent
was wrapped in it. and | will put ii
round il again. All these stones want
polishing. and many of them reSetting.
They ought not to be tImblcd together
this way in a bag. with nothing to pre-
vent them scratching each other. See
Ralph. here is a clasp broken, and here
are some loose stones. and this star ma,
no clasp at all. You must take them
to some trustworthy ieweler and have
them thoroughly looked over"
Il suppose the second son was Spc-
cially mentioned, Mddlc.on?" said
Charles. as l drew back TO let the rest
handle and admire.
"Of course" said Lady Mary sharply
and u very fortunate thing, too
"Vcry-for Ralph" he replied 1t j:
really proyidential thatI am what am
Why. | might have ruined the dean
boys prospects if had paid my tailor's
| bill. and lived i'm the country among tho
buttercupS and daisies. All, my deal
aunt, as see You are ABOUT TO remark,
how all things here below work together
for good
Il was not going to r,mark anything
of the kind" retorted Lady Mary. draw
idg herself up: but" sac added spite
| fully. Il do not feel the less reioiced at
Ralph's good fortune and prosperity
when see. a | often Co. the ungodly
nouriShing like green bay tree.
"Of course" said Charles, shaking his
head. IF that is your own experience
bow before it. But for my own part
must confess ! have not found IL so.
Flourish like a green bay tree. No, Aunt
Mary. il is a fallacy. They don't. lam
sure only wish they Il. But ! see the
rehearsal is beginning. May give you
an arm to the halle"
The offer was entirely diSregarded
and it was with the help of mine that
Lady Mary retired from an unequal
combat, which she never seemed able 10
resist provoking anew, and in which she
was invariably worSted causing her, as
| could see. to regard Charles with the
concentrated bitterness of which Sc
verely good woman alone is capable.
[ soon perceived that Charles was on
the same amicable terms with his father
and they rarely spoke, and that it was
evidently only with view to keeping
up appearances that he was ever IN
vited to the paternal roof at all. Be
tween the brothers, however, in spite
of so much to estrange them, certain
kindness of feeling seemed to exist
which was hardly to hive been expected
under the circumstances
The rehearsal now began, and Sir
George DanverS, who had remained be-
hind to put by the jewels, and lock them
up in his strong box among his papers
came and sat down by ne, again thank
ing me for taking charge OF them
though l assured him i. had been very