The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-07-30
THE GOLD EARRINGS.

o.
Voices and footsteps hushed into sort OF
n,i'.ilance as if they feared to disturb
somebody.
iobt and quick they rushed to and fro,
herring their merriment, cutting short
mikes of silyery laughter IN the gain
*. until the sharp sudden peal OF
.ded in an adjoining hall Then
In silence fell on the rejoicing four
az knew it!' gasped Kate Godfrey.
IT'S Margery Dlxon." whispered Emily
Hardaick. "She does gigge SO dread
fully"
but It was you knocked over the foot
stool. Kate" reported Margery. the giggler
lyon know ii wasF
youthful hostess of the occasion. DO hush
Please 60 home, Kate and Margery we
had no business TO be playing such NOISY
game Emily, leave of pOktng the fire
the logs crate SO dreadfully against the fire
just at this juncture the door opened. A
wrinkled, haggish old dame stoou In sne
black portal holding candle.
"Pd ike to kuow," cTORked she, "how
You Young ladies coma TO be making such
racket? She wants you right away, MISS
Mary"
Mrs, Jac9ueline Rozelle lived here at Re-
zeUe Croft ike q handsome old ogress ID an
enchanted castle-semi-blind, nail DEAF ana
wholly eccentric.
She was supposed to be flch. although she
never spent any money, and Mary Mellen,
her grandnieCe, represented the captive
maiden element of The story. while Polly,
the maid. did the houseWOlk and helped
Aunt Jacque 10 scOld poor Mary.
Why did she endure TINS? Why 90 we an
endure the Inevitable? Because she had to;
hacauss there were six other Mellen birds
in me nest at home, and because the parent
birds had reioicod greatly when Mary was
asked 10 20 and live with ner aunt
"Sbe must be rich. said Mrs, Mellen,
because size has lived ID that oid mouse ana
spent nothing for 81 years
perhaps she hadn't 1t TO spend, sug-
gested Hiyauda MeIen.
"Ob. she must have i'll" said Oriana.
besides" suggested Alfred, the elder
son .ther= are the RCZele diamonds that
TTncle Fernando gave her for wedding
preseut-the diamonds she wore at the ball
AT Versailles when she danced with Louis
NapoIeou. the first President Of tie French
republic ,.,,.--,-
the doub.er Of the family. The ROselle
diamonds, indeed DID any one ever see
ghem? p
"N-nol But"
nodded Miranda.
iTen, all this has nothing to do with
estiOu" said Mrs. Mellen, cOnciu>
Your fathers Aunt JaCQuehne
ked Mary TO 60 to Rozelle Croft for
indefinitely long visit and Mary must 60
So this pOOrlittle human flower was trans
planted from q large, merry family OF boys
ard girls, living in city fat, 10 the soil
tudes o. q dreary cOuutry-house, standing
behind a row Of LOmbardy poplars in
swampy plain.
Even Cd Polly took pity upon Mary. and
tod of ba
neiGAbor girls should be asked in to keep
her company.
''she ami used to q place like this" said
Polly.
But Mrs. R.zelle shook her ancient lace
AZ, !" sns said, decisiyely. 81 want none
Of tie neighboThood girls racing around
here, and ] won't have EN-"
Aunt JaCque. however, was confined TO
OTIS - ech0lng room upstairs. and she did
not know 1t. when Polly, driven 10 desper-
alton. consented to MaTy's piteous appeals
for companiOnship.
"0b, Polly, do let NE ask Emily Hard
wick TO come here, she sobbed. 'ohe shall
sleep with ne, and she wont eat much; ana
feel myself stiffenIng into an old Woman
here alone. Aunt Jacque will Fever know"
Emily came, under vox;~'Of solemn Sc
eteey' Emily acquainted with Kate
OooIIey, me I'm steT's daughter, and Kate
INTRODUCED pretty MaTgery. Dixon, and the
hugely, always on tiptoe and under their
breath.
IF Mrs. RozelIe finds this out lose my
place, said Polly. n
But she never shall md II outT CRIED
the four 10 chorus.
Aunt Jacuue was very cross this evening
when Mary ran apprehensiyely upstairs.
What's all that noise down below 2"
said she fTetfully.
Pm very sorry that the footstool got
knocked over" fateTed Mary. land in
pOking the fire the logs tumbled over the
fredogs and"
why haven't you been up here before
TO read to me?" imperiously questioned the
old dame.
'I didn't think 1t was SO late"
Light he lamp" said Mrs. Rozelle.
'Get your book; begin now"
Mary oDeyed, and when she had read the
ed woman to sleep she sat looking at the
odd little figures on the lamp shade Won
deriDs wondering how Aunt Jacque could
nave been young and pretty enough TO
dance with the first President in the
brilliant Partisan court; wondering where
The famous RoZelle diamonds were kept;
wondering why Aunt Jacque had not
SHOWN them to her when she displayed
the quaint contents Of the fiat jewel drawer
IN the japanese cabinet - thin, oId-god
chains. fantastic brooches, more or less
broken, sauceT-shaped loekets and bracelets
ol curious make, but never precious stone
In the lot.
The dead-gold ea-irops, like miniature
Rins were the most modern thing among
lea, but the whole collection, Mary
told herself, was not worth So!
she would show me the dia-
thought Mary.
that very instant Aunt Jacque
18th little start.
as dreaming about the Rozelle da-
," said she, sharply peering toward
9sndy-legged japanese cabinet.
Aunt Jacque."
perhaps the time was come at last.
Look at the tall blue vase on the right
Eand corner Of the mantle. Is there key
"Yes. Aunt Jacque."
o6. then IFS safel But the dream was
so very, very vivid. Rlug for Polly. 7
want my wine-posset. feel like going to
Aunt Jacque went to bed as usual The
next morning she did not get IN She was
nessick, she said-only tired
put the doctor shook his head, and gave
quiet. A0p' 'eiS
Miss Emily will have to go home" said
Folly, and Miss Kate and Miss Margerv
mqstn come here any more at present"
Emily suceumbed TO circumstances, and
went TO stay with Kate Godfrey for a few
days before she returned to the city. Kate
was going to have party.
Oh, if could only have something nice
70 wearP' said Emily. Those gold ear
rings of madam's! For one night, Marvi
Shes lying quite drowsy and uncon scious !;
sne never would know. And / am so shabby
and poor boxing among all Kate's friends p
And Mary. persuaded, crept into
Aunt jacques room, took the key from tile
blue vase, unlocked the drawer and alb.
siracted the dead-gold knobs with velvet
soft fingers.
Emily uttered cry of JOY.
.'Oh, you are 80 sweet, so good" said she.
Be sure you bring them back to-mor-
row." adIured Mary