Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1891-07-31

uarJmoor had clearly something on her
mind. She had had violent fit of hyster
les at Lady Doublechin's ball. I sent for
her mother, Mrs. Werner; warned her not
to leave her daughters bedside for an in
slant. ''In your daughters state, my dear
madam" said, "you must take no notice
whatever of any absurdities she may utter
in her rawlings" directed that no one but
the nurse and Mrs. Werner was to enter
Lady Dartmoor's room.
live in Harley street. There is no gar
den to my house in Harley street. The fact
of there being no garden to my house IN
Harley street is great trial to Maria, who
is very fond of flowers, but, like John Gll-s
pins wife, she has frugal mind. She
does not buy her flowers at the norlst's;
she deals with the barrowmen IN the
street. She does not pay in cash; she
swaps my old clothes for floral treas
ures. 1t is no use my demonstrating with
Maria-she will do it.
Two days after the commencement OF
Lady Dartmoor's illness my wife rushed
into my consulting room. "Oh, Ananlas"
she cried Maria is very fond of me, and
she will call me by my Christian name),
''look what have found" Then she held
out magnificent three stone ruby ring
L IcCO5L1LC0 cllO 4luS ftu OACCs ca ~~N~AJ
Dartmoors.
"Ananiasp' cried my wife, IT got rid of
your old shawl dressing gown today; I bar
tered it for ferns. One of them actually
came out of the pot, it was SO dry, poor
thing; and between the pot and the earth
was this beautiful ring"
l congratulated Maria, and took charge
of the ring. When called professionally
upon Lady Dartmoor that day her mother,
Mrs. Werner, was very much depressed.
'She has been raving all night about
Captain Blackadder and her ruby ring,
doctor. She seems perfectly conscious
now, but she does nothing but shed tears,
doctor, and stare at her left hand. And"
added Mrs Werner dismally, "her ruby
ring is missing, DR.. Swansdown."
Then went up to see my patient. She
was perfectly sensible, but her mental de-
preston was intense and tears were flow
ing freely from her lovely eyes. l got rid
of Mrs Werner on some preteXt or other.
Then stopped, and, pretending to pick it
up from the floor, handed her the ruby
ring.
"Oh, DR.. Swansdown," she cried, in
voice of genuine gratitude, ''then it was
all dream-a dreadful, dreadful dream
I must tell you, DOCTOR" she cried in her
excitement; 81 must tell you. Somebody"
she somebody who shall be name
less-has been persuading me for ever so
long that Dartmoor neglects me, and I
dreamt a dreadfully vivid dream, DR..
Swansdown, and thought was sure that
my dream was reality, for l had lost
my ring; and l dreamt that when was
sitting out with him in the conservatory
at Lady Doublechin's ball the other night
he asked me to elope with him that night
At first I Indignantly refused Then l
dreamt that / hesitated; told him to
leave me; that if consented would put
the ring in a flower pot that held fern
which was standing behind us; and then
dreamt-and my dream seemed real, doc
tor-that | made up my mind that Dart
moor no longer loved me, and that placed
my ring in the flower pot, close to the edge;
and that just then Dartmoor appeared to
take me home. And then l remember
nothing more until late last night. And
then / found the ring was gone; and, oh!
DR.. Swansdown, loathed myself"
"Calm yourself, calm yourself, my dear
young lady," began, with genial, pro-
fessional smile. Late hours, my dear
Lady Dartmoor, late hours and London
cir have much to answer for. It was az
lucky thing, though, that you found your
ring: and now your mind is thoroughly
disabused of the-um-monstrou halluci
nation. You must try to dismiss these
ridiculous ideas from your mind. All! we
are much better this morning, much bet
ter Are we not, Lady Dartmoor?" said,
with smile that was childlike and bland,
to Mrs Werner, who just then entered the
room.
I did not tell Lord partmoor how very
nearly the happiness of his young Wife's
life had been wrecked; but I ordered the
Dartmoors off on voyage round the
world; and they started within the fort
night in Sir John Binnacle's big steam
yacht, which Qartmoor purchased.
When got home I told Maria that I had
lost the ruby ring, and added that I did
not believe that they were rubies.
sob, Ananiasl" cried Mrs. Swansdown
in her just Indignation, Hyop are a perfect
foolp'
What became of Captain the Honorable
Reginald Blackadder? Why, Jarnac, the
French deputy, spitted him upon the sands
of Blackenberghe because he was a great
deal too attentive to Nine. Jarnac, and he
died upon the field of honor. Serve him
right, the beast! They manage this sort of
thing so much better in France.-St James
Budget.