The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1891-07-04
JANETS ROUGH LESSON.


daughters to Long Branch for the sea-
them. Janet was beautiful girl, grace
ful and we'll bred, and the Seatons fan
cied her; and the judge, being a remote
relative of her mother, felt it a kind of
duty to look after Janet a little and to
do what he reasonably could for her.
"Twill do the child good" he ex-
planned to his wife, land no one knows
what a pretty girl may accomplish in
tho run of Long Branch season."
Mrs Seaton elevated her delicate
brows in well bred surprise, but she was
too amiable and ladylike to raise any
objection to her husbands will, so the
matter was settled.
On the very afternoon before their de-
parture, while Janet was packing her
crisp muslins and her one silk, an old
camphorwood box arrived. Captain Lar
rimer, of the brig Nautilus, brought it
down He had just got into port, and
had spoken with the White Swan on his
hnmeward voyage. Jack billiard was
inst mate on the Swan, and sent the old,
sweet scented chest as a present to Janet.
They were not formally engaged, but
they had been lovers ever since child
hood, and Janet wore Jacks plain gold
nng on her engagement finger. Jack
never forgot her, and now he had sent
tho camphorwood box over the seas as
birthday present
But Janet was too much excited, too
fnn Of her trip to Long Branch to notice
Il She went on with her packing, and
when Tom Seatou, the judges handsome
son, drove down to take her over to the
CedArs, she hurried of. not even pausing
10 bestow a glance upon the queer old
box. When Janet had fairly gone the
old farmer shouldered it and carried it
up to her chamber.
~Ah, my girl he muttered, yell be
glad enough to como home to Jacks box
by and by-this sudden fever IL soon
bum itself out"
4Anet found Der sojonrn at Long
Branch perfectly enhancing; the gay
company, the balls, the music, and, more
than all else, Tom Seaton's constant and
aattering devotion, bewildered her brain
a1d silenced both conscience and com
Inon sense.
From Long Branch the judges party
went to the mountains, and one hazy
september afternoon Janet found her
self all alone with Tom Seaton in one of
the most romantic haunts of the Cats
kills
~What in the world makes you wear
tins old fashioned ring, Janet? Is it a
love gift or anything of the knd?'
no" replied Janet. coloring with en-
bGxrassment
''Then let me take it off and put some
thing prettier in its place
a Janet was too weak, too fond of his
hH4tery to resist, but sharp pain
Qierced her heart as he drew the plain
gid band from her finger and put a cost
y diamond in its place.
Nov. that's something like" he said.
You must wear it for my sake. jamie.
md I'll keep this"
He dropped Jacks ring in his pocket.
and Janet sat silent, a vivid re1nem-
bcAnce crowding through her mind Of
tho night Jack put it upon her finger.
Poor Jack! Her eyes grew dim with
tears as she thought of him, but she
made no effort TO remove the flashing
diamond
The season was over at last, and the
jewellers turned their faces homeward
It was the middle Of October when
Janet returned to the farm house. Farmer
Gresham was busy gathering in his
stores Of grain. and his thrifty wife was
mp to the eyes in her preparations for
winter.
After the first greetings were over
Janet ran over TO her own chamber,
with its sweet and simple appointments
She sat down on the snowy couch and
looked about her. Not an article had
changed. and there in one corner stood
the old camphorwood box
A vague curiosity stirred the girls
heart as her eyes fell upon it. What had
Jack sent her. she wondered, and she
glanced down at her snowy diamond
with a sudden pang.
Presently she stole down to her IA
TIERS chest and obtained hammer and
chisel, and then she set to work at the
battered lid.
The box was lined with silk and
emitted a quaint OdOr. Down in the
very bottom she came to a marvel of
loveliness-a snow white shawl, with
long trailing fringes and web Of folded
silk that CLEANED like the bosom of a
swan: and deeper still little casket,
and in it a lace veil that looked like a
nlm of moonlight, and Il string Of great
milky pearls as lustrous as eastern
moons
There was a strip of paper. and
&crawled On it were these words:
'My darling. when l come home
zkall ask you to be my wife, and if yor
say yes these may help for your wed
ding things"
Janet let the battered lid fall, ant
dropped her head upon it. Then sht
broke into q storm of passionate tears
Poor, good Jack! and she had forgotten
him and given away his ring Then sh'
went on with her sobbing till the sount
OF voice below interrupted her-Mis
TAbitha Turner's voice raised to an ex
cited pitch.
RI