Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-10-25

CHANGING across the table with her fork up
lifted and pea upon it. Gam ] to be tn
potatoG'
3The choice is with you," he replied
CALAMITY. "Shall it be the potato or tn,
peas"
Mrs. Burton Smith, seeing him so alb
sorbed in his companion, grew puzzled
Look as often as she might at Joann;
she saw no sign of jealousy or self-con
sciousness in the girls face. Joann:
seemed to be getting on perfectly will
her partner; to be enjoying herself to thu
full, and to be as much interested as any
one at table. Mrs. Burton Smith sighed
if the truth be known. She had the in
stinct of matchmaking. And she saw
clearly now that there was nothing be
tween the two; that if there had been any
philandering at Temple Rothley neither
of the young people had put out hanc
or heart beyond recovery.
But this success of Wibberleys with
Mrs. Galantine had its consequences
After the ladies had withdrawn he grew
Just trifie presumptuous. By ill luck
too, the Hon. Vereker May had reached
that period of the evening when India
as seen through the glasses of his mem
ory-was accustomed to put on its rosi
est tints; and the two facing one anothel
fell to debating on a subject of which the
returned civilian had seen much and
thought little, and the private secretary
had read more and thought not at all
They were, therefore, about on par as tc
information, and what the younger man
lacked of obstinacy he made up by readi.
ness. 1t was in vain the nabob clustered
asserted, contradicted-6 grew sulky
silent, stertorous. Wibberley pushed his
little triumph, and soon, as we shall see,
paid dearly for it.
1t happened that he was the last to enter
the drawing room. The evening was chilly.
The ladies had grouped themselves about
the ire, protected from assault, so to speak,
by couple of gypsy tables, bearing shaded
lamps. The incomers, one by one, passed
through these outworks-all but Wibber-
ley. He cast glance of comic despair at
Joanna, who was by the fireplace in the
heart of the citadel; and then, resigning
himself to separation, he took a low chair
by one of the tables, and began indolently
to turn over the books which lay on the
latter. There were but half dozen. He
scanned them all, and then his eyes fell on
a bracelet lying by them on the olive green
plush; a sketchy gold bracelet, with one
big boss-Joanna's.
He looked up at the party-himself sit
ting a little aside, as we have said-with a
stealthy glance. They were none of them
facing his way They were discussing a
photograph on the over-mantel, a photo
graph of children by Mendelssohn. He
stretched his hand out softly and covered
the bracelet He would take it for pat
tern, and Joanna should ransom it. He
tried, as his fingers closed on it, to catch
her eye He would have liked to see her
face change and her color rise. 1t would
have added to the faint charm he felt in
the boyish foolish act he was committing,
if she had been privy to it-yet unable to
prevent it.
But she would not look, and he was OBJ
Lged TO be content with his plumber. He
So the gold trife deity under the fringe
of the table, and clasped it round his arm
not a very lusty one-thrusting it as
high as it would go that no movement of
the shirt cuff might disclose it. He had a
keen sense of the ridiculous, and would
not for all the world that anyone besides
Joanna should know of the act that dod-
1ering old fossil May, for instance, who,
however, was safe Notwithstanding on the
rug with his back turned, and his slow
mind forming an opinion on the photo
graph.
Then-or within a few minutes, at any
rate-Wibberley began TO find the party
dull. He saw small chance of private
word with Joanna. Lady Linacre, his
nearest neighbor, was pressing On to Mrs.
Burton Smith, his next nearest. And he
himself, after shining at dinner, had fallen
into the background. Hang it, he would
go 1t was 10 o'clock.
He rose, and was STOPPING across the ta-
Bile, murmuring his excuses to Mrs. Burton
Smith, when Lady Linacre uttered an ex-
He was leaning across her be-
tween her head and the lamp at the mo-
ment, and he fancied he had touched her
pray pardon me, Lady Lin
acrew he cried gayly. 81 am just going
I have to leave early-so the encroach-
ment will be but for moment"
at is not that" the old lady replied.
"But where is my bracelet ?" She was
feeling about the table as she spoke, shift
ing with her white podgy hands the halt
dozen volumes that lay on it.
No one, on the instant, however, took in
the situation. Mr. Burton Smith had
risen and was listening to Wibberley. The
others were talking. But Lady Linacre
was used to attention, and when she spoke
again her voice was shrill and almost in
decently loud. "Where is my bracelet ?'
she repeated. "The one with the Agra
diamond that l was showing you, Mrs
Burton Smith. 1t was here a moment age
and it is gone 1t is gomez
Wibberley was still speaking to his host
ess He heard the old lady's words, but
did not clearly apply them. He finished
his leave-taking almost at his leisure, and
only as he turned recollected himself and
said, with polite solicitude, "What is it
Lady Linacre? Have you dropped some
thing? Can find it for your"
He stopped as he spoke, and she drew
her skirt aside, and both peered at the
floor, while there was quite a chorus from
those sitting nearest Of, "What is it, Lady
Linacre? Dear Lady Linacre, what have
you lost"
MY Agra diamondp she replied fussily
her head quivering, her fingers cropping
about her dress.
''No? ' some one said in surprise. why
il was here a moment ago. ! saw it in
your hand"
The old lady held out her wrists "Seer'
she said feebly. II have not got itp
''But are you sure it is not in your lap?''
suggested Burton Smith. Lady Linacre
had rather an ample lap. By this time
the attention of the whole party had been
drawn to the loss, and one or two of the
most prudent were looking slightly I'M
comfortable.
no. she answered 81 am quite SURE
that placed it on the table by my side. /
am sure / saw it there. was going tc
put it on when the gentlemen came in, anc
/ laid it down just for minute, and-it i:
gone p
She was quite clear about it, and looked
mildly at Wibberley for confirmation