The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-11-14

had heard during the course of the
evening, and SO diverted ROsey's atten-
ton from the subject of their cOnver-
sation. Nothing more was said about
the star in my hearing that evening.
but not little to my surprise a few
days afterward, Rosey told me that
all Northtowers was agog as to why
the loss of 50 valuable an article had
been hushed up. And everyone seems
to think that it is very queer" Rosey
ended.
My dear child" I hejoined, 'if Sir
Thomas chooses to hush a matter or
that kind w it is no business of any
one else's. Don't mix yourself up in it
its no business of ours
But p4ple are all talking like any
thing" she rejoined eagerly; then. see
ing that l was about to speak, she
broke in eagerly: "Oh, Joe. you dear.
honest old straight-lace. don't try to
stop me or shall surely die of it. l
must talk about 1t to somebody, and,
after all, there's no one SO safe as
you. There. now you're laughing and
look like yourself, which. let me tell
you, sir, you never do when you put on
the sanctimOniOuS air."
She sat down on the arm of my chair
her favorite seat-and twined her
arm about my neck. joe" she said,
in her most confidential tones. what
do you think they are saying? That
Lady Peach never lost that star at all,
but that she gave it away"
Fiddle" l exclaimed. What will
these silly people say next. wonder?"
We'll, there is something in it-or it
seems So" ROsey went on. 1T seems
that the very same day that it was
lost. or supposed to be lost, some young
man pawned it at Cowper's. COwper
lent him fifty pounds on it. and then
hearing that Lady Peach had lost her
star. he took it to Sir Thomas and-and
asked him, you know, If that was the
one? For, as he told Mrs. Dixon. he
did not want to be implicated in any
thing shady. Sir Thomas was quite
angry about 1t, and said it was not the
star, or anything like it,"
Il suppose he would be most likely to
know" | interrupted, mildly.
My dear joe" said Rosey. myster-
ously, "Cowper happened to show it to
Waters. who sold it to Sir Thomas, and
Waters says positively that it is the
same"
Dor a moment I was too much sur
prised to sneak. Then l pulled myself
together in a moral sense. II daresay
the old man had a reason for not wish
ing to have 1t talked Of l said. AT
all events, we can hardly go and ask
him for a full explanation. can we?"
mo, Joe, certainly not" said my
wife. quite Indignantly. "Only as we
at least. am human, one cannot help
wondering, 1t was an inolved SEN
tence. and l made no attemnt to an
swer 1t.
1t was quite two years after this that
young Lady Peach had a dangerous i'll
ness which went very near to costing
her her life. In all my experience l
have never seen anything to equal the
distress and anxiety of Sir Thomas dur
ing this time. He was like man be-
side himself saw him one day at the
door when | had called to inquire for
the invalid. Come in, Mr.. Dallas" he
said. II came down with the doctor
Were going to have another man down
from London. I'm not satisfied with
the last one we had. Yes, there's
shred more of hope than there was.
Mr.. Dallas, if | lose my wife, it will
kill me-" he ended, suddenly.
''Oh, but | hope it is not so bad as
that" put in, hastily, though had
hard work to choke down the lump in
my throat, which rose at the very
thought of that poor young creatures $
battle with the King of Terrors.
II don't know: but come in, do! l
want you to do something for me-" he
said. ''See here, she likes you best of
'em all-all the clergy, l mean. VIII
you say prayer with herr"
"Of course | will"
It's diphtheria-of the worst kind, ="
he said almost threateningly "Are you
nervous?"
did not reply: looked at him.
and he realized that we black coats are