The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-11-14

4
SHE WAS QUITE QUIET WHILE 7
PERFORMED MY OFFICE.
that--and hadn't had it, hadn't had
it day--a year, week-how long was
] it, nurseP"
1.-TWO weeks, my DEAR" replied the
nurse. $50 you told me yesterday"
"Ah. yes-and you took it, you took
it.--lIe never said a word--he is so
good told him you said" And then
Sir Thomas, his face working and his
eyes blind with tears, drew me away
out of the room.
"Come in here" he said, as we
reached the door of his own little room.
"You heard what she said; always on
about that star, curse il. oh, / beg
your pardon, shouldn't have sai&S hat!
But feel savage with the thing, for it
has worried her, and it's there on her
poor mind yet, taking away what little
| chance she Aas. y -
IF that did not worry her something
else would" said, by way of consola-
ton.
He seemed to catch at the idea. "You
think so; you really do? Iwish could.
You see i know how she has troubled
over it--far more than the thing was
worth"
In a moment the vague hints that 1
had heard, concerning the loss or dis.
/ appearance of young Lady Peach's dia-
mond star all came back to me. "Let
me see said, Lady Peach lost star.
or it was stolen, or something of that
kind. Has that been troubling her?"
Trouble her! Yes, Mr.. Dallas, far
more than ever the thing was worth"
Sir Thomas rejoined. "Look here" he
continued, as If moved by some special
impulse to tell me all aboutit. "You'rea
good fellow and a gentleman, and she
has always liked you; I'll tell you how
IL was. My wife is lady--.you don't
need q rough old fellow like me to tell
you that. She came of good old stock,
and If there wasn't very much money,
we'll, there was everything else that
people are proud Of She married me,
God bless her, and--and, If lose her
shall just put rope round my neck, for
life wouldn't be worth living without
her. As l said, she married me. and she
has made me happy--happier than I've
ever been In all my life, and meaning no
disrespect to my first wife, either. il
helped her mother bit IL was nothing
10 anyone, but IL seemed to be great
deal TO her. ard she was never tired o!
telling me how good was-I, when she
had married an old hulk like me. Well,
was telling you about that star. You
know gave IL to her on an anniversary
and she valued il as such, besides liking
| II for what IL was worth. as any other
young thing of her age would. hap
| pened, not very long after j gave it tc
her, TO be away for a couple of days. ]
| had run up TO town on business. Twas
10th TO leave her, somehow, and the mo-
! ment l got back j saw that something
or other had happened 10 upset her
At first could not get her 10 tell me
what IL was: then she told me at las,
that a young cousin of hers, who had
been brought up by her father and
mother. had turned up suddenly, asking
her 10 help him out OF some mess. She
poor innocent, begged him TO wait foi
my return, saying she knew would
help him out for her sake. But the sell
fish beggar would not do that. ami
stuck to his point that she could helE
him herself IL she would. My poor li'.
tie girl hadn't more than ten pounds OF
so by her, and she told him SO. Look
here he said. you've got star on tha,
in itself would fetch more than want
Give me that AID TT raise what want
on IL. If you don't he went on. 'Tll
just blow my brains out and with that
he whipped out revolver and put IL to
his head. OF course. my poor little
girl took of her star at once and gave n
20 him; aud she has been possessed OF o
dread ever since that | should think
there had been something between
them. didn't know just what she had
in her mind till / heard her babblinr
about IL these last few days. though. OF
course. knew that something was
troubling hcr--my poor little girl"
! don't know that I ever piiicd any
human being meFe-i4.a-- tt-i-fi--rii tt-i-fi--rii TIM. N
rich man sitting there so unxiousl,
awaiting the issues OF life and death
then hanging in the balance In that
upper chamber. I watched him for a
minute ~ he snt huddlcd MP oil in o
lump. and then ] put my hnud on hi,
shoulder "Sir Thomas" soid. "God
is very mcrciful."
II wish l dared comfort myself witt