Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1897-01-21
THE EUCLASE RING.

the details may nave escalCu me. but IL
was your remark about words breaking
no bones that recalled the tale. To me
words are living things, endowed with
power that few Of US give them credit for
possessing. l believe with Adelaide Ammo
Proctor that
Every word has its own spirit,
True or false, which never dies.
And think that the story Of Ceclo Longs
life goes far toward indorsing my opinion.
You must remember Frank Whiting
ton? He was my godson, and l was very
fond Of lin, and when he introduced mo
to his ..Aneed bride, Miss CcciIe Long l
was flu! prepared to lie almost as fond of
her as be was.
She vas certainly a very charming girl
-trigl.i, handsome and attractive-and |
turntu IA deaf ear to tho disparagers who
wAisl ed that she was weak and shallow,
had en- a tremendous tlirt, and was
moreover, extremely delicatc--a bundle of
nerves and n most unfit wife for q man
who lad his way To make in the world. l
the, ht item admirably well suited, and
tt, seemed to think the same. l never
XIV item to Cllier on any subject save
one, and upon that occasion Frank solicit
ed ny friendly intervention
remember the time and the place so
we'll We were sitting at tea together tote
a-tetc in thr coy little tGudOir Of my house
in Queen street, Mayfair, | can STE now
the rays of the setting sun ilteriug through
the dark green Per.ieunes and touching
with golden liG4t the bright brown locks
OF my godsGn : curly mead, aid | can hear
Us plainly Is | did then tine note of pas
siounte pain in ms eager tones, He was
not one tn suffer in silence when a woman
was at hand 10 sylnpdthize, and in me be
knew he had ever tAe most sympathetic of
friends
"Have yeu ever noticed, he said, that
little ring With tho Ialn green stone that
Cecle wears on TIE third finger Of her
right hand. No, it is not crysolite. 1t is
euclasc, II stone found in the | raj noun
tains. 1t is rather u rare stone, l believe,
and the ring was given to her by the young
Polish artist whu used to be hanging about
her at Ostend He wanted to marry her,
1t seems, ard-an1 he had no business to
give her u ring, and she ought not to wear
It. Don you agree with me-
did; but, as | am nothing if not con-
cilatory, nurmurod something soothing
about "a gift from departed friend"
However, Frank would not be put off in
this manner, and lie made me promise to
take an early opportunity of speaking to
Cecile on the subject and pointing out to
her the imEropriety OF wearing young
Anatoff $ gilt.
"Iou must try and prevail upon her to
throw it away or To give it to you, or to do
anything she likes with it, but do net let
me see it on her finger. She must not
wear it.
promised to do Ivy utmost to induce
Cecile to see the matter from his point of
view, which was also mine, and with that
intent l sought ard obtained au early in
terview with her. l put the case gently
but plainly before her. ! appealed both to
her respect for tho eonyenances and her
love for Frank But spoke i'll vain.
II am very sorry, Mrs Grey, but l can
not do what Frank ASKS. l really cannot
In the first place, it is u ply sical impossi-
bility. My hand has grown 50 much fatter
since poor Paul placed this ring On my
finger that Garnet remove it now. Here
1t is, here it remains until grow thin
again! And, besides, ! swurc to him that
! would never remove it " hateyer happen
ed -
what made you take such vow9"
asked.
ried into it. 1t happened like this: We
were walking Oh tie Digue at Ostend one
evening. Mlno. Anatotf and mamma were
on in front. Paul and were behind. He
was in very low SPIRITS that day, for he
had just seen some Il ecialist, who had told
him point blank that he had not six weeks
to live, aud lie could not bear the thought
of dying and leaving me. Up to that mo-
ment Lie had Away cherished u secret hope
that l might yet become his wife-poor
Paul! He was u Pole, you know. and very
romantic aud superstitious and altogether
Inherent from any other man have ever
known. His despair that evening terrified
me, and when he asked me if l would
grant him one last request whatever it
might be, | answered Yes, without think
1ng-anything to comfort the poor fellow.
And the request WAS that | should let linn
place This ring on the third finger of my
right band, and AS lie did SO repeat after
him some sentences in Polish. did it, and
then he told he that | had sworn solemnly
to wear this ling until death, to lie buried
with 1t, aud that | had asked God to unite
US hereafter, even if it should be his good
pleasure TO separate us here upon earth.
And you took that vow and you ut
tered that rrayer!' l exclaimed in horror.
Yes, " she said. what else could dof
Paul was in despair, and he was dying,
1t would have been cruel to refuse him.
There are times " hen l regret horribly
having accoded to lis request, and yet
am quite sure that if the time were 60
come over asain | should behave exactly
the same.
Ih4re l entirely agreed with her, "if
che time were to come over again, We
should most of Us "behave exactly the
ean!e A were the hygone days, so VIII
the coming ones be. The Ethiopian can
not Change bis skin. I he copy book moral
LIST has told It's that experience teaeHc,
Possibly she does, but l fancy that tAe
her of her pupils who have protief
by her lessoLs IS very small, and it VII
take her at! She knows to enable he. 10
hQll lAnr -