Brookings register. (Brookings, S.D.) 1890-1894, 1894-05-04
A BAG OF JEWELS.

my jewels!"
The exclamation came from beneath
the heavy, dropping white mustache of
the pasha-the white pasha-General
Templeton.
Yes, general, your jewelsl We
want to see them"
The speaker was lovely girl, quite
creole in her dusky beauty. AS she
spoke she approached the reclining sol
dier from behind and placed about his
swarthy neck a pair of arms like col
umns of smoked ivory.
The doughty general clasped the
drawing the willowy creature onto his
lap as he swung in the hammock re-
piled;
II am sorry, Verna, but | cannot
show them to you. Your mother asked
to see them yesterday. They are not
here. How did you know | had jewels,
chiidI''
oh, we heard so. And the hint was
dropped that you came by them in
very romantic way"
The snowy head of the veteran was
laid back in the hammock and his pierc-
ing eyes were fixed upon the full moon,
just rising over the liquid boulevards
Of Venice. 1t was perfect night. The
soundless voices of a million lights, tell
ing of the great floating city's gran
deur, spoke from all sides, and then an
swered back as they danced in the rip
pling waters. Nothing else disturbed
the poetic quiet of the night but the oc-
and the sweet laughter of this bevy of
lovely women who were assembled up
on the portico of the Palais du Regina.
Tell US all about it, Won t you, un-
Gle? Come here, girls! Hear General
Templeton tell us a story!'
Handsome Verna was always leader.
Directly the passengered hammock
was surrounded by half a dozen as
handsome women as ever an Italian
moon shone upon. The SCARED veteran
thus environed drank in the aroma of
animated femininity, smiled admiring-
ly at the several upturned faces and said
How much this reminds me of the
very night received the jewels Verna
wants to see and hear about! And prob
ably it is in association of ideas that
find willingness to do what ! never did
before-relate how they came into my
possession. have an idea. ladies, that
when | conclude my narrative you will
feel disappointed, but my story has a
moral, and if you absorb it, and the
point of my experience is not lost upon
you, then J will not regret having made
you my fair confessors.
II was in command of the foot forces
of his majesty, crossing a corner of
the desert. The march was very fa-
tiguing. the outlook dismal, and must
confess, soldier as | was, | felt very
much discouraged. To add to my de-
preston had not heard from my tiancee
in some weeks, and | found my mind
dwelling more anxiously upon her daily.
II may indicate the Importance of my
mission by adding that while l was
making all possible haste to relieve
Meldon Pasha | had buttoned in my
paign, which was to deliver to Meldon
in person from the minister of war.
Night came upon US as we entered a
piece of palm forest. We halted and
made camp. Late in the evening a sol,
dier came to my tent and informed me
a lady desired to speak with me. was
very weary and utterly dejected-really
lovesick, am ashamed to say"
The grizzled veteran looked down into
the fair faces about him as he said this,
but they were absorbed in the story and
expressed none of that hurt he imagined
they would indicate at his last remark
Such a thing as visit from lady
in that remote locality aroused my cur
osity, and glad to have chance to talk
with one because she was of the same
sex as my absent love | followed the
soldier to the very outskirts of the
camp. where found an Arabian horse
Of peerless majesty, and standing beside
him Moorish girl, who so closely re-
sembled my affianced / uttered cry of