Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1890-09-19

thoughtfuliy.
"llc is going up to New York to-
morrow to a lapidaries' conventions"
said VERDE a. "And | suppose he
will bring Mr.. Twistleten back with
him. Oh, FRITZ"
"Don't be alarmed, hearts dearest!"
said Fritz, consolingly, encircling her
waist with his arm. "rhe only wav
in which we can cfIectually guard
against this complication of ills is"
Ncs, Fritz?"
"To get married while Mr.. Venable
is gone.
"Oh, Fritz, | wouldn't dare openly
to defy him, like thatl He has been
very good to me-" fiuttered Verbena.
m'll be good TO you, too, my darling"
"Nonsense, Fritz! You're spelling
my hair! DO stop, Fritzl" protested
the girl.
"Then promise me, Verbenl."
"No, I'll promise nothingm
AT the lapidaries' convention there
was stormy session that year Herr
iIeidelgrun was there, a snufly, dried
up old man, of great age and still
greater arrogance, who had apparently
conc ont Of his spiders-web in Vienna
for the sole purpose of discomfting all
the antiquaries of the western conti-
nent.
"De Malmaison emeralt, :" said Herr
HeideIgrun. "Dat ish a mishtake.
Vat you call one big lie. 1t occupies
you all your time to chase desc lie, and
den nal him down. haf the NAL
maison emeralt in mine collection"
GLOW can that be?" said Mr.. Ven
able, choking with rage, while Mr..
Twistleton stood by, ready to espouse
his friends cause, "when here it is
the very stone itsclf?"
lie opened the velvet case which
contained the drop of green fire. 1t
blinked at the circle of eager faces
above it like baleful eye.
Herr Heidelgrun laughed a shrill
cackle Of derision.
'.Dat de Malmason emeralt!" said
he. ooh, how easy are some people
hoodwinked! A very goot imiia-
ton, grant. Oh, yes, can tell you
all about himl But de genuine NAL
maison emcralt it was sell me in 1856,
at Vienna, by one Captain Giles Ven
able"
('Verbena's father" thought Mr..
Yenable, with a start and sinking of
the heart.)
"For de gracious Empress Augusta,
who was den making dc collection for
a necklace which should outshine all
the courts of Europe. ] pay Captain
Venable three thousand florins for
him, and engage my best workman
to make him an imitation Malmaison
emerald which shall deceive dc very
jeweier himself. / t'ink / make my
fortune, but | am wrong. DE captain
he pockets his horins and he rides
away. De gracious Empress she
change her mind. She get tired of
emeralts, and she fink she will haf
pearls. But | know dere will some
day be market for de Malmaison emer-
alt keep him. | haf him yet
Here he is, and here is de letter from
Captain Giles Venable, which proves
his genuineness. Eth? Are you to be
satisfy now?"
And the green blaze of the real gem
put the artful imitation to shame at
once.
Mr.. Venable came home without
waiting for the adjournment of the
lapidaries' convention. lie did not
bring Mr.. Twistleton with him.
"A man who couldn't even tell a
bogus stone from a real one," sput-
tered Venable, "and calls himself a
Judge of gemsl Verbena, come here"
Verbena came accordingly, with the
teapot in one hand and pan of hot
Graham mullins, fresh from the oven,
in the other.
Give got something to tell you,
said Mr.. Venable.
eyes, uncle" murmured Verbena,
her little heart giving an ominous
throb under the cluster of roses she
wore.
''The Malmaison emerald is a-hum-
bug!7 said Mr.. Venable, distinctly.
ooh, unclew
.And Caleb Twistleton is chari-
atan and an adventuTer 7"