The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1890-04-04
miscellaneous.
The Necklace.

"Now, madame, what do you think o
that ?" asked Nine. Valois, drawing from ,
little mauve colored velvet case necklace o
curious beads, of substance resembling am
Der, but having in the heart of each ligh
like that of the finest opal, and being general
ly of the color of which we speak of crushed
strawberry.
"What are those stones ?"
81 think the necklace beautiful" / replied
"But you must tell me what the stones are
for l cannot even guess; have never seer
anything like them, nor do they tally will
any description that remember"
Nine. Valois looked pleased.
"Ah, madame, cannot tell you" she said
spreading her hands abroad, "nor can any
one, l believe. They have been ex
amined by many people learned in such
things without having name given to them
They are pretty now, but when the warmth
of the wearer's neck acts upon them they
glow like rubies. The little clasp also be-
comes transparent, and you see that toad il
carved upon it. 1t has been in our family 9
century and half, and many celebrated
jewellers and lapidaries have seen it. never
dreamed that should be the first to get cleW
to the mystery, but think have done so
1t was by reading your Shakespeare, madame
You look astonished, but it is true. I an
much indebted to your Shakespeare" said
Nine Valois. "What wonderful man he
was! 1t was while reading his plays that
solved problem that has puzzled many
generations of our family. You remembe,
what he said:
"'Like toad, ugly and venomous, still
hides precious jewel in his head"
"My necklace, am assured, is made oil
those jewels that are mentioned by your
Shakespeare. will tell you my reasons for
thinking so:
"You must know that have in Avignon
a very old yet still very pretty chateau which
l now lease to an American.
"a hundred and fifty years ago our family
resided there, and one day a Valois brought
home TO the chateau very gay and pretty
Partisan wife. Mime. Valois, coming young
bride to her husbands chateau in Avignon
thought it gray and gloomy, and felt that
after Paris, it was very stupid. To be sure,
there was great garden, but it was SO in
tested with toads that at first her walks
among the borders always ended in her fly
ing home in an agony of terror. crying out
that the little wretches were too disgusting
to endure.
Zone day, however, as she sat upon bench
beside an old stone fountain she heard close to
her little singing noise and saw squatting
close beside her on the bench little toad. 1t
sat quite still and made this little plaintive
musical sound continually. Its eyes were
fixed upon her and she noticed that they
were bright.
"'Poor little thing she said to herself
Really, it looks hungry And, having a
little cake in her pocket, she crumbled it
upon the bench.
"The toad looked at her as she did 80, and
when she said kindly:
"'There, Toady, is your breakfast, it hop
ped forward and eat every crumb. Then ii
did strange thing. 1t sat upon its launches
and touched its fore feet to its forehead as an
Oriental does to make an obesance, and hop
ped away.
1.-THE next day Nine. Valois awoke think
ing of the toad, and whenever she eat any
thing she liked very much she saved some
bits, saying Toady would like that, and at
sunset she went TO the fountain, carrying a
basket, and sat down upon the old bench.
Mot five minutes had she been seated
there when she heard the soft, singing sound,
and there sprung to the bench beside her
the toad she fed the day before and four OF
the most charming little toads any one ever
saw, evidently Nine. Toad's family.
"She sat in the middle with two on each
side of her, and they eat the crumbs Nine
Valois gave them, and when all were gone
Nine. Toad made salutation as On the first
occasion, and hoped away backward as PEG.
pie are expected to retire from the roya
presence, and Nine. Valois went home anG
wrote in her journal-which is preserved tc
this day--all the particulars have recount
ed to you.
"She was now quite in love with Nine
Toad, and every day she went at the same
hour TO feed the little creatures. She was
very young and very much afraid of her hus
band, who was very grave, elderly man
aud did not like nonsense, so she did not tell
him anything about all this, but kept the
secret for her diary until winter came. Then
indeed she was obliged to confide the matter
to her maid, for the dearth of insects caused q
famine among the toads, or 80 she supposed
for when she went to the fountain hundreds
of them came and suuatted about her with
pleading looks in their little bottle shaped
eyes, and all their little hands clasped i'm
ploringly.
"When she saw them thus assembled for
the first time, Nine. Valois made them this
speech:
my pretty little toads, 1 love you all. You
are my tenants-being born upon my ground
morning and every evening you shall be fed
"Atter this the maid always carried q basket
of food to the bench and madame distributed
it. The army of toads swallowed the last
crumb, Nine. Toad thanking her as at first
and away they hoped. All this and much
more she has written in her diary.
thine passed on, and one day there came
baby to the chateau-a beautiful little girl
Madame was very happy but she did not for
get her toads. Every day the maid fed them
and reported to her. AS she lay in bed she
often said to her baby: "Ah, Petite, when
you are able to take notice you shall see my
toads. But while she was still an invalid 9
very curious thing happened.
"The winter was passing the all was mild
the window of her chamber was left open and
one evening when the nurse was absent for q
time Nine. Valois suddenly saw dark object
and appear on the window sill-another
another.
"'The toads,' she said to herself, and
watching, saw the great throngs that she had
foI q he