The free press. (Poplarville, Miss.) 1890-19??, 1897-08-26

"Aunt JacqueP' gasped Mary.
eyes" nodded the old dame-''yesi
You never suspected it, did you? The
dead-gold drops are hollow-the great
sparkling stones are inclosed inside
them. The diamonds that wore that
night when L danced at Versailles,
with Eugene de Montijo opposite me
in the set. This old house and the
diamonds are all that is left of the
great Rozelle fortune, and they are to
be yours!'
The dew of perspiration broke out
on Mary's forehead as she listened,
and no sooner had Mrs. Rozelle fallen
asleep again than she called Polly to
take her place, and hurried across the
meadows to the Godfrey house.
Everything was in the wild disorder
incident to the morning after party.
Kate, just dressed, came yawning to
greet her.
where's Emily? My, didn't you
know? Gone back to New York in
the five o'clock morning train. Re
ceived telegram that her mother was
sick. Didn't even go to bed after the
party"
''Did she leave no message for me?"
''None that | know of-except, of
course, her love and all that sort of
thing Isn't it too bad that she should
be hurried away like this?"
Mary wrung her hands. What was
to be done? Suppose Aunt Jacque
should insist on seeing the jewels She
hurried to the railway station and tele-
graphed to Emily to send the earrings
at once, and then returned to Rozelle
Croft with feelings that can better be
imagined than described.
cit was my own fault, )" she kept re-
peating to herself my own fault
And [ alone must bear the punish
ment!"
The day passed slowly on, and no
message came. Aunt Jacque walked
and slept by turns, talked about the
first president and beautiful Eugene
de Montijo, called Mary by some low
ing name, and then drifted back into
the darkness that borders on the I'M
seen land.
But presently, as Mary sat by the
fire in the saloon, drinking her tea,
while Polly kept watch and ward up
stairs, the shrill old voice called out,
in plainly audible accents:
''The gold earrings! Bring me the
gold earrings, say! Mary has the
key. Tell Mary to bring them here"
The girl started up, clasping her
hands and turning very pale. The
punishment had descended upon her
at last.
At the same moment hand tapped
at the window glass. Margery Dixon's
bright face was closelypressed against
the easement.
"Open, Mary-open!' cried the
sweet, fresh voice. "Here's little
package EN- Hardwick left with me to
give you, and haven't had chance
to come over until now"
The Rozelle diamonds at last, in
their unpretending shells of plain
gold-and the cloud was lifted from
poor Mary Mellen's heart.
And Margery Dixon could not
imagine why Mary was crying so hys-
terically as she took the trinkets from
her hand.
SIS she so bad as that?" said she.
''But you know she was very old"
1t was true Miss Rozelle was every
old" She died that night; but be-
fore she died she solemnly gave into
Mary Mellen's hands the Rozelle dia-
monds and the deeds-of-gift of Rozelle
Croft and all its lands, in the presence
of the doctor and old Polly.
The girl was not much of an heiress,
that was true; but to her the thing
meant wealth.
Gather and mother and the chill
dren shall come and live here said
she, ecstatically. Sand perhaps some
day, when have laid off my mourn
ing, I can go to party and wear the
diamonds"
For, as you will see, Mary Mellen
was but girl, after all.-Saturday
Night.