River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1891-12-24

Ring up the curtain now. on an In
dian New Years dinner six years later
| and my family-thinlx of that-are
gathered round the table. IL is a small,
round table. chosen tonight for cozi-
ness. so that INV wife and ! are near
each other aud our FIVE year-old heir
sits between Us. with his golden head
not very high above the tablecloth.
Opposite him SITS ThOrold, a true and
tried friend To Us both and comrade
of mine Maude is more ,1vely than
ever in NV eyes. Just as winning and
laughing. but glorious woman instead
of a mere charming girl She looks es-
pecially beautiful'to-night in a new ball
gown, a triumph of eXquisitely fitting
satin about the bodice, and of bewilder-
ing fiutfineSS as to the skirt, while her
bare, snowy neck and bosom rise out
of some soft yelling accessories that an
angel might not disdain to take pattern
by "a trimming to- a spirit robe.
''Ah. IT is a pity you have not got
Aunt Agg's diamond necklace 10 wear
tonight. You would make all the
other women faint with envy then,
remarked. affecting critical air. but
inwardly full of pride "a ] surveyed
my wife's appearance. We were going
to- dance at Government house after
ward: it was to be the thing of the
season.
IF had, | should be the happiest
woman in India" laughed Maude
back. "As it is, perhaps, ! am second
happiest But il is too bad they
should have disappeared so mysterious
ly: or rather that no living being
seems 10 know what your aunt did
with them-and she is dead "
What is the story? Tell us all about
IT," put in Thorold. Was that the old
lady who cut You off with, | suppose. the
probverbial shilling for marrying mine
hostess here, like a wise and lucky
MANI"
My dear fellow, She cut me off
with plum pudding" ! ruefully ex-
planned. The very pudding you are
soon about TO be sregaled with The
story is briefly, as you know, that /
marry Miss Margaret Macintosh.
whom my aunt wished to go with the
property, so to speak. And a year
later. that IS, six months after we were
married. my cousin, DiclSy Colson. was
welded to the aforesaid Miss Mackin-
tosh. and came in for all my relatives
fortune four years ago. May they
both be happy ever after. But my
poor aunt must have had. a yearning
for me still in her hard old heart, for
before her death lit was some time in
autumn) she wrote me strange let
ter. Ii was to this effect:
DEAR HENRY-You know ] was always a
woman OF my word so it will be no surprise TO
you that have left my fortune TO your cousin
Richard. But hearing that your wife Is a pretty
young woman. and well behaved that is a
feather in your cap. Maude isn't itsl | send
you my forgiveness. And you will receive
further a plum pudding, prepared BY my own
hands, which desire you will have erved up
al your own table a New Years day when
ever you feel in your heart that you likewise
freely forgive the memory Of your aunt
AGATHA UPCHER.
"sP S.-The doctors tell me may get better
OF my illness. But they are all idiots cow
ards. for l shall not
And she was right, poor old lady, for
she died one week later. The curious
thing was that. in her will. she said:
I have already given my diamond
necklace TO Henry Cpcher, my dear
nephew. who will receive il safely,
trust, some future day. That is all
And though Margaret-Mrs. Colson, |
mean-has hunted for that necklace
everywhere. though she has consulted
detectives, and taken every trouble. be-
sides writing us the kindest of letters,
the necklace was nowhere to be found
after my aunt's death. 1t is clean
gone, vanished. No one seems to
blame The diamonds were usually
kept at the bank, and INV aunt herself
took them away few DAYS before her
death.
''Stolen.H remarked Thorold, dryly.
And no doubt broken up before your