Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1897-03-18

ing actress at ,Ae Royalty. who s cTe-
at.ng sach a furore just row, brought
him the fellow ornament 10 yours but
yesterday, only hers were real stones,
and George glanced l.eeniy 1t his SIS
ter as he ventured the statement
~ fig for the actress What has she
to do v-,th US? Ring the bell and
order the brougham at once, George.
Mr. Brunt will give us his written war
ranty that my jewels are diamonds.
Paste, indeed! Your jew can be no
Judge of such things" but when Mrs,
Harwood. an hour later. met Mr..
Brunt's amused smile as he took the
case from her hand and examined its
c0rr+rrTt=-, her insurance ahhad aa""--- ~
dismay.
"Iou have made a not unnatural mis-
take. my dear madam. This ornament
is decidedly Of paste, and was made to
your husbands order in this establish
ment last week He expressly desired
IL to be the counterpart of the original
setting. aud as it would take con-
noisseur to distinguish them. you have
confounded the one with the other"
"How stupid of mel OF course that
is precisely what | have done," ex-
claimed Nora, with assumed hardihood,
but rapidly paling face; Il am. sorry
to have so needlessly troubled you, Mr.
Brunt," and taking her brothers prof
fered arm she was dimly conscious OF
walking slowly through the establish
ment to her carriage, resolved that no
" ord or action of hers should provoke
comment. But Dick of all men in the
world to have deceived her!-Dick
whom she loved better than life itself;
in whose honor she had implicitly trust
ed from the first day they had met
Pride, anger and veXation struggled for
the mastery as She reclined back upon
the seat and her eyes were bright with
unshed tears.
Don't take il so much to heart" !"
whispered George. "A satisfactory ey
PLANTATION will no doubt he forthcom
ing"
"Of course it will" she said, proudly
quick to resent commiseration.
"And after all it is relief to discover
that Dick is not invulperahle," pur
sue1 Der brother, cqua6ly, unable to
resist thrust at his brother-in-law,
whose refusal to aid him had engen-
1ered enmity.
i'What do you mean2 How dare you"
she flashed out petulantly, Jealous
womanlike--of her husbands honor at
other hands.
what ] say; for it is evident TO me
your diamonds have gone to that pretty
actress to whom the jew referred.
Otherwise, how account for the sim.
ilarity of Jewels and the exchange of
your own?"
"Stop the carriage, and leave me this
instant, George! How dare you weave
such falsehoods! Dick rarely frequents
q theater.'
"Hoity, toity, Nora, what Il spitfire
you are! Why, | know for fact that
your immaculate husband is often in
attendance at the Royalty, for | have
seen him flirting at the wings myself
with this identical actrcss!"
Leave mel" she reiterated, passion
ately. Il will not be forced to listen
to your slanderous tongue!"
at your own door, sis, and not be
fore Why, here we are. BY the way,
what am / to do now for that money?'
but she brushed past him and into the
hall with ears which heard nothing but
the lSnell of her own departed happi-
ness, and eyes that pierced the gloomy
future in abject misery. Lifc's sweet
ness seemed crushed out, and life's JOY
buried in breaking heart.
Foolish little woman, She did not
pause to reflect that the intrinsic value
of the diamonds was of no moment to
man in her husbands position, and that
il was absurd upon the face of it to
imagine him risl,ing detection and
STOPPING to deceit over their exchange
for paste. Jealousy had too deeply i'm
planted her poisonous fang for reason
to hold sway, the vision of the lovely
actress, whose beauty Nora had fire.
quently heard extolled, peryerting her
| judgment.
MIR. Harwood glanced up in surprise
as she entered his study.
"Why, what is the matter, Nora ?"
But she sprang aside as he advanced
towards her, and stood with eyes that
flashed in angry defiance behind un-
shed teardrops "What is wrong, little
woman"
where are my diamonds?" she de-
manded, in a voice not quite under the
proud control she would have emulated
what diamonds?' he asked, in sur
| prise, forgetful for the moment Of the
past.