The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1890-10-09
HER UNCLE'S TREASURE.
j. Came Near Causing Trouble in
a Love Affair.

"Eh!' said Uncle venable. "You-
to-get-married?"
"If you don't mind, sir" said Yer.
bena, dropping her pretty head, while q
blush like the lining of a pink sea she'll
crept over her face.
"But what nonsense that Is" said Mr..
Venable, shutting his cabinet drawers,
leaning back in his chair, and looking
at Verbena with eyes like gimlets.
"Who is the young man?"
"Please, uncle, it's Fritz" whispered
Verbena, half inclined to run away and
hide herself.
"Fritz!' roared Mr.. Venable. "That
farmer fellow?'
"He's farmer" admitted Verbena,
"but he owns his own farm, sir, and his
mother is very anxious for me to come
there, because"
"Oh! 1 can imagine that!' said Mr..
Venable, with a sneer "You--a Venable
talking about marrying farmer. You
tho heiress of the Malmaison emerald
You that might take any place in soci-
ETY. that you wish, when once the value
of the gem is known, to talk of allying
yourself to clodhopper like that, who
doesn't know an opal from moonstoner
Verbena burst into tears.
HE isn't clodhopper," said she.
"And l wish there wasn'tany such thing
as the Malmaison emerald"
Mr.. Venable transfxcd his niece
through his spectacle glasses with .
glare that might have paralyzed her.
'Silence, missp' said he; "do you
know it is on the reputation of the
Malmaison emerald that the venabies
| will go down to fame? The Empress
Josephine"
II don't care for the Empress Jose
phine," said Verbena, who, having
drawn the sword, was now minded to
cast the scabbard away. "And I'm not
particular about fame, and don't sup
pose shall be Venable forever"
"This sort of talk won't do, verbena,r y
said the old gentleman, soiemnly.
"Where would society be If every one
refused to bear the responsibilities and
shoulder the cares Of their stationsa
You are not merely my niece, Verbena.
You are the representative-the last
surviving representative - Of the Ven
ables. To you in my will is left the
guardianship of the Malmaison emer-
aid"
"I'm sick of hearing of it," vehe-
mently protested Verbena.
"And," went on Mr.. Venable, 81 de-
sire you to give up all idea Of marrying
this young man. It's entirely out of the
question-entirely."
"But what is this about the Malmai.
son emerald?" asked Fritz Elcombe, in
bewildered way when he found Yer.
bena crying by the sitting-room window
few hours later.
Her blue eyes sparkled through thei,
vail Of tears.
"You don't mean," said she, ''that you
have never heard Of the famous Malmai.
son emerald?"
"That's my meaning exactly" admit
ted Fritz. "Do consider in my behalf
that I've only been here year, and
have lots still to learn"
swell, listen" said Verbena, half cry.
ing, half angry. ats a famous unset
gem"
ooh, it is, is it?"
Sand it used to belong to the Empress
Josephine"
'Did it, indeed?"
Sand she wore it in those days at NAL
maison."
"Hence the name, eh?"
81 suppose so. And Queen Hortense
gave it to some one who sold it to some
body else, and it was finally given to
one of the Venables who was a surgeon
in the English army, by dying officer
out in Hindoostan, to whom he had been
able to tender kind offices; and so it has
come down to US. 1t really is wonder
full stone"
II should suppose so," politely in
credulous.
They say" went on Verbena, ''that
when uncle kept it in the little iron
safe let into the guest-chamber wall,
whoever slept thsre used to dream Of a
beautiful, sad-faced lady, who walked
up and down in marble terrace under
the trees and wrung her hands. That
was Empress Josephine, Of COURSE"
''Of course" still more incredulously.
"And my uncle declares that the color
In the stone is always dim and turbid
when the anniversary of the poor Ia
dy's death comes around, further added
verbena. ast
"Yes, that is exceedingly probable" {"
dryly observed Mr.. Elcombe.
| my uncle has been offered a great
deal Of money for the gen." said verbe-
ma, with sigh. "and wish to goodness
| he'd sell It, But he won't. And what
is worse. he wants me to marry hate
fnl, specialized little old man In New
lNrri.i i'who, next to himself, is the best