Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1891-02-20

hands a case containing n diamond
necklace which made that lady's eyes
sparkle.
In due course the coveted invitation
arrived. In due course also Mr.. and
Mrs. Sykes, who had been in their
yacht in the Solent for n week past,
found themselves among the proud
gathering at the Duke of Beaumonde's.
While this was happening Lord and
Lady Pail Mall were still in town, de-
tanned there by his lordship's some
what superfluous devotion to his duties
as an hereditary legislator. On the
night of the Duchess fete they were
engaged to dine with brother peer,
who was still waiting for the rising OF
Parliament; and while Mrs. Sykes was
basking in the sunshine OF the German
Kaiser and his English relatives, Lady
Pail Mall was reaping her reward in
the contemplation of her glittering
necklace of brilliants. Tor week her
ladyship had kept the present from
the knowledge of her lord and master,
having, indeed, her own reasons for so
doing. To night, however, temptation
was too strong for her, and after much
doubt and hesitation she came down TO
dinner with Mrs. Sykes diamonds round
her neck.
1t was astonishing how quickly the
glitter of the stones caught Lord Pau
Malls often unobservant eyes.
''Why, where ON earth did you get
that?" he asked.
at is a little present that / have
had" answered his wife.
"a present! Who the dickens from?"
Don't be alarmed" said her lady
ship. MY adplirer was,no one more dan
gerous than Mrs. Sykes-Sykes' Soap
Substitute, you know"
'Oh, chi And what have you been
doing for her?''
Lady PAN Mall responded in a whis-
per
What fools these people must ber'
exclaimed the peer. Why. the stones
must be worth couple OF thousand" F"
"Oh, no--not half of it. replied Lady
Pail Mall, turning away rather hastily
from her lords scrutiny and changing
the subject. His lordship returned to
it, however, when they came back
from the reception that evening.
'The fact is. Alice" he explained,
''that-things have been going confound-
edly crooked in the city the last day or
two, and at this moment / am at my
wits end for"
why will you speeulate?" inter
rupted his wife. impatiently. Things
always go crookedly when you have
any thing to do with them"
at is only a temporary difficulty,
assure you. can't explain the posi-
A. .,n1nrc4o n if |
did; but must have e1,000 within the
next few days; and, if you would lend
il to me, that necklace of yours would
just save us from ruin"
"How can you ask such a thingr'
cried Lady Pail Mall, the tears starting
to her eyes at is the only decent or
nament / have. win you leave me
nothing?"
"oh, of course, If you refuse, there's
an end of it." replied her husband,
coldly. Keep your necklace, by all
means, and much pleasure may it give
you"
Lady Pail Mall, with all her clever
ness and knowledge of the world had
one very soft place in her heart, as his
lordship well knew. She stood for mo-
ment looking at her husbands care
worn and not over intellectual features;
then with an impulsive movement she
unclasped the necklace and held it out
to him.
Take it and get the most you can for
it, she said, but with rather a husky
voice. 81 hope it may prove as valua-
BILE as you think"
With many protestations of graft
tude, and solemn assurance that
the stones should be returned in g.
weeks time at the very farthest, Lord
Pail Mall took Mrs. Sykes offering and
locked it up in his desk.
Next morning he was absent from
home for an hour or two. On his re-
turn he dashed up at once to his wife's
room and cosnfronted her with n face
expressive of the deepest indignation
and disgust.
"Alicer' he exclaimed, ''are you re-
sponsible for this trickery?"
''Trickery? don't understand your
replied his wife.
"Did you not know when you gave
me these confounded diamonds that
they were paste?"
If he had for moment thought that
which hiswife betrayed at the question
would have convinced him to the con-
trary. That the stones were paste was
proved beyond all question. The young
man at Mr.. Melchisedek's, to whom
Lord Pail Mall had rendered them as
security for an advance of one thousand
pounds, had detected their true charac-
ter in half a moment. The question
now was, with whom had the imposture
originated? AS soon as Lady Pail Malls
first outburst of anger and disappoint-
ment had subsidcd, she and her hus-
band debated this question between
them very eagerly.
II think" said Lord Pail Mall pres
entity, ''that l see way of solving the
mystery, and, what is more, of getting
Won your diamonds, with something
handsome beside"
'eYou dol" exclaimed her ladyship.
81 think that do. The Sylzeses are
back in town ON their way North. met
him in the city yesterday. Ask them to
dinner tomorrow, and then do as | tell
you"
The same evening Mrs. Sykes was en-
chanted by the receipt of an invitation
to dine with Lady Pail Mall on the fol-
lowing night-not q formal invitation,
but friendly note which might have
come, as Mrs. Sykes observed to her
husband, from an old schoolfellow.
This was return, indeed, for the
e2,00Ol OF course the Sykes went, and
of course Lady Pail Mall put on her
diamond necklace for the occasional
compliment which the worthy proprie-
tor of Sykes Soap Substitute fully ap-
preciated, and which, coupled with the
remarkable affability of his host and
hostess, helped to quickly put him at
his ease. Indeed, before the dinner
was over Mr.. Sykes grew quite conf
Dental and entertained his noble
friends with many edifying anecdotes
of his early life and adventures in the
soap trade. In the course OF such con-
versation the talk somehow turned upon
Mrs. Sykes love of fnery.
'Ah, you can afford to indulge these
tastes" said Lord Pail Mall, with a
glance at his wife For my part am
always telling Lady Pail Mall that it is
folly to spend fortune on real jewelry,
when stones can be initiated well enough
TO deceive the best judge"
Couldn't deceive me, )" remarked Mr..
Sykes, with knowing air. Give me