Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1894-04-19


in music? Have | any little pet belief
that is dear to my soul? Let me tell
you a story for answer"
Then let us go out and stroll on the
piazza. 1t is pleaSanter there than here
! in the ballroom and vastly better for
converse ton. Besides, | think you are
tired of dancing"
NO, | never tire Of that; the waltz
is the path to paradise for me- But
will go outside with you, for 1t Is very
warm here
The long piazza faced the beach and
| the music and tapping waves mingled
with the strains that came floating out
! from where the dancers gayly circlcd.
! The air from the sea blew soft and
warm and the moon and the stars
! ShOnc down with soft radiance. Yet
! Miss Merton shivcrcd Il little as the
! salt wind touched her and drew her
! tlmy mantle closer about her white
! shoulders.
| I'VE will 20 inside if you are cold"
! said her companion, noticing the move
mcnt. perhaps you are not used to
the night air"
NO. 1t always make me cold to
! think of an opal. They call the light in
! them fire but it Chills me instead of
warming. And they are changing and
! treaChCrous as the sea yOnder.
THE sea has been my very good
friend" said the other; II have found
that its changes rests me-
That is all very well for a man, lieu
tenant But a woman needs something
different from men. There should be
nothing in their lives to disturb its
calm. That is why | hate opals-One
did that for Il friend of mine"
The young officer laughed gently.
"Fancy will do much-fOr Il woman"
he said.
IF you are going to laugh and fling
at our sex | have dono!" said Miss MCr-
ton. Il can find better amusement
than being laughed at in the ballroom"
II beg your pardon. | will be very
good" he answ cred COntritcly.
For Il few moments they walked on
silently until they were at the farthCSt
end of the piazza. Then Miss Merton
began her story. Her voice was low
and musical and at first Lieut.. Phelps
who had long been beyond the sound
of any wOman'S voice WhatevCr-waS
content simply to listen to its smooth
flow. But she had only spoken II few
words before he began to find her story
of absorbing interest.
This opal" said Miss Merton. was
given by a man to the woman whom he
said he loved. The man believed in
the evil power of the stone. Now, sir,
YOU may laugh and have your fling ut
! us. He was afraid Of it. but she was
rot. When he told her to choose Sh"
| asked for that and he gave it to her,
with many Il caution. IF any harm
! comes of it harm will come to us, he
! told her You must never let it be
upon the hand Of another. for then that
/ one will come between us
/ ''Shr promised of course, but she was
young and careless and did not believe
in looking ut the serious side of life
! when there was n brighter and better
one to see.
! The stone was very beautiful. In
its depths it held all the glowing col
/ orS of the furnace. 1t was Changcablc
| as the chameleon. 1t fascinated me
when l looked at it, but frightened me
! because it was so incOnstant. As |
told you my friend was young. She
! had not yet learned how very serious a
! matter life is. The ring kept other men
away from her. Curtailed her pleasures
/ her freedom
Her companion began some protest,
but Miss Merton stopped him.
Yes; | know what you are going to
say-that she Should have reckoncd
upon that-that she would not have
cared if she really loved him. But you
cannot change the nature of a girl in
day. She found that the ring mar
rowed her life and so one day she put
it away
IF she was not willing to wear ii
she should have given it back to the
man who gave it to her." said the lieu
tenant.
He would hHSe misunderstood it,"
said Miss Merton. He would have
said that she did not care for him-that
she had never loved him, that she had
played him false-and all the other nice
things men tell the women they love
whenever their point of view happens
to be different So the poor girl did
what she thought was best and laid the
ring away and met him one night with
out it upon her hand. | don't know
what he said to her, but he was so bru-
tai about it that the girls proud spirit
rcbelled, as it should have done
| Then she brought the ring to me.
Helen. she said, | know you love
me. | can trust you. He said that if
any other wore it that one would come
/ between us. Now. | want TO show him
| how silly his superstition is. | want
| the ring but do not want it to be my
| tyrant. Take it and wear it tonight
and let him see it on your hand. And
| Miss Merton'S voice grew very soft
| you won't come between us, will you,
sweetheart she added, kissing me-"
Miss Merton paused and they both
stood silent and looked out upon the
sea, bathSd in its glorious +. moonlight,
for long time. The lady stole glance
at the mans face to see il he took any
| interest in her story. But it told no
mere than the white walls # the great
hotel in whose shadow they stood.
Whcr she resumed, her voice had lost
its mellow sweetness and had taken in
stead hard worldlineSS that grated on
his ear like music out of tune.
Il did not mean to be false TO her.
! should not be telling you this now
if | could not say that honestly. But
when she gave me the opal she tempted
me- She said: See how 1t CLOVIS, Hell
en-, like fire. l think he is like that.
If ! am not careful / will get singed
in the flame
Il had never been without men about
| me, but they were little men. There
| was no fire in them and l thought j
should at last like to play with the
hamc-although l knew it burned for
another.
That evening l wore the ring and
Harry Germain saw it on my hand.
told him whose it was and why /
wore it,
This is capital he said, let me
wear it and il will serve its purpose
better still. If he sees me have 1t he
will be insanely jealous l hesitated
but n moment and gave 1t 10 him
Perhaps it was because Lieut. Phelps
was abSCnt-minded, for he dropped The
hand that had been resting on his arm
aud leaned back against one OF the
pillars of the piazza.
Il knew" continued Miss Merton,
that If he We're jealous the fame
would be easily kindlcd for ne to
play with, but did not think of what
might follow. He saw the ring 81 d