The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1890-06-20

fancy dress party. q when 1 asked her
for il. she told me she had lost it."
Lucia Fanshawe?r
YES"
"Hr,nph.' said Frank. Gin that case,
why don't she make good the loss to
your
Ellen arcied her pretty eyebrows.
II don't think that Lucia likes to spend
money" said she. except where it viii
make a show"
Its very strange" said Frank, re-
feetively.
He met Miss Fanshawe at a reception
the next evening. She was superbly
dressed and looked very handsome, but
he could not help remembering Ellen
Liiburne's lost clasp.
II don't see" said Lucia, petulantly, to
her mother, "what makes DIR. Lindsay
SO cold and standofish of late. They
tell me he has got q very fair practice,
and, Of course, he'll inherit that old
Lindsay estate in the suburbs sooner or
later. He used to be rather an admirer
of Ellen Lilburne, but since she has gone
entirely out of society
Don't fret, DEAR" said Mrs. Fan
shave; N'men have their hot and cold
fits; it's their nature. Now, Pm quite
sure that Frank Lindsay admires you.
Give him plenty of line-you'Il be pretty
certain to land him at last,n added the
accomplished old maneuverer.
The very next time that Lindsay went
to DR.. Findley's house the old gentleman
alluded to the amethysts again.
"Have you found that match for my
circlet of gems yeti" he said, jeeringly.
"No," answered Frank. '.Win you al
low me to look at the stone once more.''
".As much as you ike-as much as
you like, " said Findley, gleefully. "One
or two experts have seen 'em, and they
tell me I've got a real treasure in 'emlv
did you tell me where it was that you
obtained themg" asked Lindsay.
mo, I didn't; but it is no secret. NY
grandniece, Lucia Fanshawe, gave them
to me. They were an heirloom in the
family, it seems-on her mothers side
but Lucia is a good hearted little thing,
and she knows my fancy for rare stones.
However, she has lost nothing by it, for
/ gave her in return a $500 diamond.
I'm not one who likes to be under obliga-
tions to anybody" .
"Ah" said Frank. swell, then, sir,
if l was to use a paradox, your clasp Of
amethysts is its own match"
"Ehp cried the old gentleman.
"This is the very ornament of which !
was speaking said Lindsay. 1T is the
same one l used to see in the dress Of a
friend Of mine-Miss Lilburne. Your
very obliging niece has been generous at
some one else's expense. She borrowed
Miss Lilburne's crescent of amethysts,
and very conveniently forgot to return
it. It is strange to what depths of mean
ness your society lady will stoop at
times" he added, bitterly.
DR.. Findley pulled meditatively at his
grfzzled mustache.
"Humph! humph!p said he. ssThe dia-
mond was clear gain, then, wasn't it:
But where does this lady live, Lindsay
must either return this trinket to her,
or see if she viii part with it to mo for a
fair compensation. l must say that I
am unwilling to lose it,"
keep the clasp, sir" said Frank; 81
viii undertake that all shall be right. /
am going to ask Nelly Lilburne to marry
me-and, of course, the interests Of hus.
band and wife are one.
The old gentleman shook hands heart
lily with him. II congratulate You, my
boy" said he. I'm a bachelor myself,
but there are times when / question the
wisdom of my own course in life"
And Lucia Fanshawe had never re-
ceived so severe a verbal castigation as
that which DR.. Fndley gave her that day.
Niece" said he, lyon have been a
thief and a liar both. Idon't know from
whom you can possibly have inherited
this moral obliquity, but ] am certain it
wasn't from my side of the genealogical
tree. Be so good as to give me back the
diamond ring, which you neither earned
nor deserved; I intend to offer it as a
wedding present to the girl whom Lind
say is going to marry-the real owner Of
the amethysts."
And poor Lucia had not a word to say
in her own defense. All her life long
she hadpracticed these Little diplomacies,
and she had never before been found
out. But now, to lose diamond, lover
and the esteem of her rich old grand
uncle, all at once-it was rather over
towering.
Dir. Findley kept his word. He sent
the diamond ring to Nelly Lilburne with
a pretty co~ngratulatory note. Nor was
this all. On her wedding day she receiv-
ed as perfect aset of amethysts-brooch,
ear pendants and bracelets-as New
York could supply.
''In their way they are perfect" said
DIR. Findley; "but they are not. like the
clasps, antiques
But Lucia Fanshawe received no cards
to the wedding. Probably she would
not have gone II she had. Failure does
not like to walk behind the chariot
whssels of Success.