Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1891-06-18
so FAR.
Asketh how hearis Paradise. thou who for Il
hast striven?
How far soccer from truth thou art, so far
art thou from heavrn.
-[Chicago Inter Ocean.
WARNED BY A MOUSE

IL ueserVeu 10 De. Cut on from the
hiehroad by clump of ancient and
well-woodei wych- elms, the few ira
vellers who passed by the plantation
gates plodded or drove YEARLY on mp the
steep hill beyond il, reached the top,
admired the view away across the valley
Of the Bar, and little dreamed of what a
curious old mansion lay hidden among
the trees.
Its master and owner, John Trow-
bridge, was an old-fashioned bachelor,
who had few friends, and their visits
were few and far between, he always
Boosting that they were "enough for
him, and enough was as good as feast. I"
1t was lonely place, too, ten miles
from the county town, and six from, the
station; while the whole hamlet of Barton
consisted of about score of cottages,
oil clustered around the tiny church,
half mile down the valley below.
The Squire. therefore-as he was every
where called-when not busy in mis-
library, troubled his head about few
things beyond his own domain, lived in a
royal sort of cosy comfort on half his in
come, and gave up most of his time and
thoughts TO the care OF his niece and
ward, Miss Grace Rivington, declaring at
times she was the plague of his life; and
at others, that without her he didn't
know what would become of Barton
Manor.
Left an orphan when a mere child,
with fortune of eco, 900 on coming of
age, she had grown up at last to be as
wilful, high-spirited and charming a
young lady as could be found in all the
countryside. In short, she was the old
mans pet, and managed by dint of coax
ing, fiattery and scolding, to have her
own way Gin things little or big" as
John Trowbridge' often confessed. His
favorite name for her was, " the little
witch" Ia wee body, but with mind
and spirit in it big enough and deter
mined enough TO manage the most fussy
and troublesome horse in the stable, or
out of it.
These were the two who sat chatting
together one wintry evening in Novcm-
Der, on the day Of her coming Of age,
cases, and in defiance of his urgent
entIeaty, she had insisted on having no
dinner party and no birthday celebra-
ton; but quiet time "just for us two. Z"
she said; land / can have you all to
myself. Dinner was over, and the table
was wheeled up TO the blazing wood
fire; Graves, the butler, had departed,
and at last she could speak freely.
MY dear, dear uncle" said she.
there never, never was, and never will
be, anything half SO beautiful as the
necklace you gave me this morning. l
had 1t in my pocket all dinner-,ime, and
was longing to look at it the whole time
but why did you spend so much
money!
"Why, my dcar2 Well, because YOU
are such naughty, ill-tempered, ugly
little shrimp, and | determined that
people should look at your diamonds to-
morrow, if they wouldn't look at you.
As TO money, child, / only had them re-
set; they were my mothers fifty years
ago, and her mothers before that - "A
wedding present from that old Jack
Trowbridge whose eyes are now looking
down at you from the other side of the
room. Gentleman Jack they used to
call him when he came back from India
and brought the diamonds with him"
Look" she said, taking them out of
her dainty morocco case, see how they
shine in the light of the fire | shall be
as grand as queen tomorrow night at
the ball; and in that lovely dress from
Paris, oh. uncle! the very happicst girl
in Cornwall! What can say, what can /
do to thank you-the dearest, goodest,
wisest OF old uncles2"
Well. Miss Grace Rivington say
good might, be off to bed, and lnois up
your necklace in a safe place, and keep
the Key in your pocket. You'll have
thousand things to do tomorrow; so GO
now and get your Beauty-sleep, that you
may look your best at night. Half the
women will 60 crazy az the sight of your
necklace and gay feathers; and all the
men about your lovely face. But mind,
the first quadrille is for me-"
In less than an hour from that time
the diamonds were safely locked up in
an old oak cabinet, and the happy owner
like most of the hou sehold, sound asleep,
and dreaming of AL the joys of the com
ing morrow.
The morning came, as most to-morrows
do, in good season, heavy with clouds
at first, but slowly breaking out into
sunshine at last. Miss Grace Rivington,
oANSi hOi -SlCcD. uOWu
ant to breakfast; and that being over,
sent off special messenger to her special
friend Florence, at the Grange, with the
following brief ncte
my Dear Florrie Come over at once. If
only for half an hour, and you shall see the
loveliest necklace TO be found in Cornwall.
am TO wear il tonight. g. H."
1t was but a short walk from the
Grange TO the manor housc, and in less
than an hour after the dispatch of the
note the two friends were in full talk by
the side OF a roaring wood-fre in Graces
own sanctum, cosy, snug room, with
oak panelling and oak furniture, which
opened out upon the lawn. The two
girls were in high spirits; the necklace
was duly admired, looked at again and
again. carefully put away and locked up;
and then came the discussion of dresses,
laces and partners, about which last
point there was considerable difference
OF opinion, as great almost as the differ
ence in the personal appearance OF the
ladies themselves. In that difference, in
fact. lay the strength of the friendship.
Florrie was tall dark brunette, with an
abundance of black hair, loud, rather
masculine voice and a still more mascu-
line manner, dress and tastes.
1t was six o'clock in the evening, and
Grace Rivington, after an early dinner,
had gone up to her own room for the i'm
portant and la5orious work of dressing
for her first ball.
II had been a fine, calm day for no
vember the fire Of wood had all but
died out, and the window was still niar
as her friend had left it in the morning.
But as it grew darker and colder, and