The Canton times. (Canton, Miss.) 1893-1906, 1895-09-06
JACKY'S DIAMOND RING.
BY MATTE W. BAKER.

ut was just like man." Mrs. Law
son said, Ito give young girl such an
unsuita BILE present. Diamonds for a
girl of fifteen! Brother Jack ought to
have known better" But pretty
Jacqueline didn't think her new dia-
mond ring at all unsuitable, and called
Uncle Jack ''the darlingest man in the
world" to give her such lovely
birthday present The fact is, she
was his namesake, as nearly as she
well could be, she being girl and he
man; and he said, by way of excus-
ing the extravaganza of the gift, that
he had never given her anything for
her name before. He had not seen her
since she was a baby, till he came back
from California with pocket full of
rocks to find her lovely, grown-up
girl. for whom, he was sure, nothing
could be too good.
Jacky was SO fond of her new ring
that she would have worn it all the
while, but her mother objected.
'Only on dress occasions" she wise.
1y said, until you are eighteen. A
schoolgirl in flannel gown, only half
long at that, wearing ring that
never cost less than hundred dollars
is not in accordance with the eternal
fitness of things Besides, you might
lose it,
That danger was real one to
Jackys mind, since it was trife loose
for the finger on which she wore it, the
finger the ma ority of her friends adj
vised, for, on so important matter as
that, of course, she had taken album
'dant counsel.
But dress occasions were all too sell
dom now, Jacky thought. So, for the
most part, the ring was shut into
its case of royal purple velvet, and
that was locked in Jacky's satin-Ened
jewel case, which in turn, was kept in
a locked bureau drawer
Mrs. Lawson herself advised all this
care, for, though she considered the
servants honest, she did not think it
wise to put too much temptation in
their way Mrs. Orth. the cook, had
lived with them many years, and they |
knew her to be true as steel; but |
Matte White, the sec ond girl, had come |
to them aperfect stranger only few !
weeks before. She was so quiet and |
refined that they were all favor
ably impressed with her, but there is |
that old saying about sumnering and |
people before you can really |
know them. She was but little older |
than Jacky, and Mrs Lawson had |
often noticed Mates wistful, almost |
envious glances at Jacky's tasteful
dress and ornaments, so in contrast
with her own plain things
Jacky was invited to a grand New
Years party. All the boys and girls in
her set were going in a large sleigh,
for it was tive-mile ride The night
was clear and cold, so sharp that Mrs.
Lawson bundled Jacky up very warm
ly, putting her own fur mittens over
Iacky's fine wooden ones OF course
the diamond ring must be worn on that
occasion, and very brightly it flashed
IN Jacky's pretty white hand, in con-
'rast with her crimson cashmere dress.
1t was after midnight when the
leigh drew up again at Judge Law
'on's gate, and Jacky came in from the
'horus of many good nights, tired,
leepy and cold and glad of the cheer
III coal fire in the dining-room. She
at down on the lounge behind the big.
warm stove while she took off her
many wraps and warmed herself
through and through before going up
o her room to bed.
The gayeties of the evening, the
lusic. the games and all the merry
hat were still ringing in her ears as
he undressed, and not till her head
-as laid on her pillow did she miss her
iamond ringl
Left 1t IN my mitten, probably" she
lid to herself Il could not have lost
T. for J an almost sure remember
cling it on my finger on the way
pine"