The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-04-16
TWO OPAL RINGS.

ustd OOuSHb GWO Opal rings OF q wandering
peddler. What did he care about the 81
perstition regarding the stonesS His fei
low officer, Allonby, was only laughed at
for warning him against the purchase.
Clifton rode off with the rings, while his
friend strolled over to where the peddlel
was tying up his pack.
See here" he said, sthere's a rupee fol
you. Now tell me about those rings. The
sahib has bought them, and you can tell
me the truth now. ~ master promise not
to tell the other sahib, and I will tell him, =
replied the old man. Allonby gave the re-
quired promise.
Those jewels very unlucky Jewels, - be
gan the ancient vender. 'tThey making
very bad luck to different peoples. First
sahib who bought them was maharajah OF
Karospoor. The sahib knows what hap
pened to him. Then Fortescue, sahib at
Rot1bad, bought them. That poor gentle
man killed out riding very next day Aft
er, Rotibad merchant buying those jewels,
and his house burned down next week.
Then all the people saying, These very
bad jewels, and all very much afraid to
buy them. That merchant wanting to sell
them to me, but I, too, am much afraid to
buy. Then another man told me--those
jewels only bad for threspeople. You buy
and then sell them, and next purchaser
will have g\)d luck
Clifton refined in in front OF pretty lit
tie bungalow half way up the Kharpur
hill, where most of the residents of the sta
ton had their bungalows, and where what
breeze there was in the place could be en-
joyed by the jaded plain jewellers. At the
sound of his horses hoofs young girl
who had been reclining at ease on a deck
chair in the veranda hastily rose. .Nettie
Vernon was a pretty sight that afternoon,
with her golden hair and the English roses
still in her cheeks. So thought Clifton,
and he thought, too, what a lucky fellow
he was to have won her. "Why, sir Off
Gel" said the young lady, with the light
of laughter in her eyes and its dimples in
her cheeks, what brings you here SO early
this afternoon? Have you been promoted
Are you ordered to the frontier to fight the
Russians, or what? Do tell me, and don't
oh don't look so serious" The young
officer looked down at the bewitching up
turned face, and then
Did you come all this way to do that?''
asked Miss Vernon with mock reproach
ooh, how foolish and hotheaded tile
young men of the present day arel Now,
when 1 was young-ohp' The sentence
was not finished.
"Look here, Nettie,' said her lover
"what do you think of this ring? That's
what brought me here. Isn't it a beautiful
opal? And the most beautiful girl in
Pangal shall wear it if she fikes''
ooh, Charlie, what d dear you arel''
cried the young lady in delight. "But
aren't opals dreadfully unlucky?'
"There you co. said the discounted
lover "You are as bad as Allonby, who
has been croaking on the subject like Ed
gar Allan Poe's Raven y
81 didn't say they were unlucky,
pleaded Miss Vernon. 81 only asked if
they weren't. 1 am sure, Charlie, dear,
nothing will be unlucky that you give
me, - she added sweetly.
In another moment the ring was on, and
the two lovers, comparing their Jewels
thought them quite the incest in Kharpur
A few days later Charlie Clifton was
driving to the Kharpur station. It was
the day of the Sawarbad races. Sawarbad
was some 40 miles from Kharpur, and a
large party was going over. The railway
station was a couple of miles from Cliff
toms bungalow. He had driven about halt
way when he discovered that his famous
opal ring was not on his finger.
"Confound it!' he exclaimed. 81 must
have taken it off when 1 washed my hands.
l must have it. promised Nettie never
to take it off. Besides it might be stolen.
I shall have to go back"
He turned his horses head and drove
rapidly home. He found the ring, and he
found also when he got to the railway
station that the train had gone without
him. Poor fellowl sHow sick he felt as
he walked out of the stationl Nettie must
e have gone without him, and he had been
looking forward SO much to the outing. A
dreadful feeling of. desolation took pos
session of him. 1t seemed to him that he
was separated forever from his beloved.
oI1T hn min hoI
the cause of his misfortune. Was it really
going to bring him i'll luck after all, he
wondered? A sound of wheels approach
ing made him look up. Was it possiblef
He knew the cart He knew the driver
Miss Vernon drove up looking the prettiest
of pictures in new straw hat and a most
becoming frock. After all, there is not
always such a great gulf fixed between
paradise and the other place.
"We must be quick, Charlie" cried the
young lady as she threw down the reins.
81 have run it very fine, know" Don't
hurry, darling" was her lovers reply,
given in a calm and leisurely manner-he
could afford to be calm and leisurely now
the train has gone without US. ooh,
what a pityl' cried Nettie, clasping her
hands, ''but never mind, dear, we have gos
each other" and she looked at the young
man in way that more than consoled
him for all his disappointment. And
nOw," said the young lady, 81 dare say
you'd like to know how it is am so late
Do you know, sir, it is really all your
fault? Yes, it was. It's no good denying
it. It was that opal ring of yours that fell
off-you know it was rather large for me.
Well, 1 spent no end of time looking for it.
1 thought 1 should never find it, but did,
and here it is. But what on earth makes
you stare SO? Don't do it, dear; you look
so ugly, and you are really not such bad
looking boy in your normal state. Poor
Clifton explained the cause of his own de-
lay, which he had been trying to do for
some time, but his fair lady had not given
him a chance. Now, dearest, he con-
cluded, "doesn' t it strike you as very curl
Gus that we should both of US have been
delayed on account of our opal rings? 1
wonder what it means?'' eyes, l wonder,
too, said Nettie, nodding her golden head
refectively.