The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1896-04-10
THE MISSING SAPPHIRE
BY HELEN FORREST onAyEA

Mrs. Rooney" said the bakers wife
sand loaf Of bread? and a card Of
black gingerbread? just let me take
your basket, ma'am, and I'll pack 'em
in a deal better than you could. Yes,
as I was saying, there he lies, clean
out OF his head and raving, and no.
body to take care Of him but me. And
you may guess how much time get
ma'am, what with the shop aud the
six children, and Feathertop's old
mother to look after.
"But why on EARTH" said the GUS
toner who had ordered tea biscuit,
bread and black gingerbread, "don't
you send the poor fellow to some hos
pItal?"
Gust what the doctor advised his
own self, said Mrs. Feathortop.
"But, la the minute one mentions
the word hospital, you'd think he
would go out Of his head, poor soul
No, no, mol he says, over and over
again, and he holds on to the side of
the bedpost until one must have a
heart of iron to try and get him away.N
And the worst of it is, he's just been
turned out of his place"
Turned out of his place !" repeated
Mrs. Rooney, whilessdiss Price, the
pale little seamstress who rented the
top back room of Mrs. Feathertop,
and kept herself on infnitesimal NOR
sells OF bread and meat which she
picked up nobody knew where, paused
to listen, on her way through the
shop
"He was getting good wages in
manufacturing jewelers." said the
bakers wife, evidently enjoying her
small audience, ''and Mr.. Goldilove
set store by him, for he's way of
working that he'd learned in foreign
parts, and they tell me it's quite an
art to set them precious stones in the
gold so as they'll stand firm and show
off their colors to advantage. And
there was a particular choice jewel
sent there to be set as a wedding pres
-ent for some young lady-a sapphire,
they say it's called-and it was gin
into his charge. And from that day
to this ma'am and Miss Price, there
hasn't nothin' ever been heard Of that
sapphire. If it had been any one
else, Mr.. Goldilove would have had
Vim arrested; but this John Judson
had always borne SO good a character,
and was such an out-and-out respect
able man, as he hadn't the heart TO do
it. But he discharged him, of course
who wouldn't? And here the poor
fellow is, out of place, with no ref
,erence, and, so far as know, without
a penny in his pocket. And what
we're to do, I don't know. for it's
downright sure as can't spare the
time to give him his drops and look
after him as sick man should be
looked aster."
'Has he no friends ?" said Mrs.
Rooney.
''Bless your heart, no !" said the
bakers wife. che is a stranger in
the country. Aud poor folks, mind
you, ma'am, don't pick up friends
here and there and everywhere, like
the millionaires we read about"
Just here Miss Price stepped for
ward, with her little splint basket on
her arm.
"Mrs. Feathertop," said she diff
IDENTIFY, 81 am quite alone in the
world, with no ties to keep me busy,
If you don't object, I'll take my sew-
ing down into Mr.. Judson's room and
take care of him days, if Mr..
Feathertop won't mind the night
charge"
''Pm sure, Miss Price, itwould be a
deed of Christian charity" said Mrs.
Feathertop.
And as she afterwards said to Mrs.
Rooney:
'Tt wasn't as if Miss Price were
young and pretty. She's forty, if
she's day." said the bakers wife.
-''And she's had smallpox, as you may