The Wichita daily eagle., 1897-12-22
The Ruby Heart.
Rv F NeSbit.1


| r;,b tba furniture that had belonged 10
Aunt Jessica's forbears many score years
ago. and enriched by the spohs OF many
| lands, brought home by the enersetc
| hands of Aunt Jessica herself
There was one treasure above all that
coveted, and that I would have sold my
! soul TO have had for my own-my COUSIN
| Edith.
AZ for the money, well, I am not more
d;sinterested than most people; but would
rather have had Edith without penny
| than all Aunt Jessca's money without
| Edith.
William. and Bertram, and 1 were sitting
| in the dining-room. Edith was above, help-
| ing poor aunt in the hard work OF dying.
Three rams came on the floor. We knew
they were a signal that we were 10 90
nm and that aunt had asked for us; and
up We went.
.I nave left everything divided among
vou fo,,r', she said, "and the ruby heart
| i IN 90 to whichever of you three boys
can find it" She spoke slowly and with
| difficulty.
.~You know ii has charm to make you
hannv in your love. 1t would have made
| me happy. but he died, and 1t hadn't
chance to do its work; and now my time
| come-it has been weary waiting.
And with that-the first and last hint we
ever had of a romance in my auncs NE
| she turned her wrinkled old face TO the
ni,Iow with sign like a tired child's, and
there were only four of US left IN the
room.
After the funeral and the reading OF the
will We three set to work to find the cnarm.
..r shall take the library and aunt's bed
room first" said Bertram. AS these were
the rooms she had most used. Imagine
| he thought he had made the best choice
.'You other fellows can arrange as you
| like"'
William chose the drawing-room anu the
,,,eet chamber. and they took the weole
day searching Systematically inch py ihch
for the ruby heart. I began to look IN
| tba I.ninp-room. but Edith came in.
"Do YOU care so very much for the ruby
heart?" said she.
..I confess I should like to find It,,
| answered.
Shall I help you to iook%'
Sbe n,,lled out a book or two from the
| ebalves in an aimless, desultory way, and
then said:
.It's very sunshiny out of doors. don't
you think?''
| So we went on the river.
The next day I began to look for the
| heart again. Edith sent her duenna-com-
ran;on (who had once been her governess)
| 70 ask me if I didn't think it would be
nice to drive OF course, I said 1 thought
! it would, and off we went.
That evening we asked Bertram and
William if they would like to come out
next day to see some ruins.
Thanks" said Bertam; but think my
| first duty to poor aunt's memory is to
! find that heart"
Besides" said william. who never had
much sentiment like Bertram, its worth
thousands of pounds, 1 believe"
'To say nothing of the charm" I added
| 'But you'll come, Wilfred"' she said,
| looking at me with her soft gray eyes.
"Of course I answered.
Bertram and William scowled at me.
They would have given their ears, their
| lives. ANYTHING, in short, but their chances
| of a ruby heart worth thousands of pounds,
| for the privilege that was 20 be mine to-
| morrow.
| To be in love with Cousin Edith was
a. mode. a fashion, among us. Besides,
Edith was now an heiress.
| "As soon as I have fulfilled dear aunt's
| last wishes" said Bertam-he talked, the
silly fool, as If aunt had wished him to
find the heart--'T shall be only too glad
to accompany my Cousin Edith on any ex-
cursion she may propose"
$50 shall t. said William.
So Edith and / went to the ruins alone
together.
| II hope it does not seem like disrespect
to poor aunts memory" she said, as we
| drove snugly back in the dog cart that
evening, ''our going out like this. But
| I couldn't bear TO stay in the old house
alone where she was so kind to me- It's
better to go out, and I'm sure she would
| have wished it,
I felt that it was foolish for me not to
make an effort to find the ruby heart. So
next morning 1 got up very early and
came down before the servants were about.
1 had pulled out half the drawers of the
| Chinese cabinet and looked into them, when
my heart leaped into my mouth at the
touch of hand On my shoulder-Edith's 5.
"Stin after that wretched ruby! she
said. How you waste your time!''
why? Don't you think 1 shall find
it?"
81 don't know" she said, looking at me
| with her eyes very wide open; ''but 1 don't
| think you will find it there. because Ber-
| tram has been through that three times
already Did you ever eat strawberries
before breakfast and gather them your
self?"
So We went into the kitchen garden and
ate strawberries till the gong rang for
breakfast. Bertram and William were get
ting quite suIky and savage, from the non-
success OF their search; and the little time
l had devoted to it annoyed them.
81 believe said Bertram. with an air OF
saiety, a little overdone, " that Wilfred
thinks he knows where the heart is. and
! ~
moment"
At wish could said.
80 do t. said Edith, almost In the
same breath.
You wish wilfrid TO find the heart"'
said William. Why
20, no: I don't mean wilfrid; mean
at least-weli, we shall all be glad wher
it's settled one way or the other. shan
we?'
1 had never told Edith loved her. be
cause l didn't know how my aunt intended
to leave her money. and II Edith were Il
be the helress of the whoIe-5ut any one
will understand MY reasons.
| 1t was a week after aunt's funeral tha'
1 went into the rose garden where Edit
was shipping roses into basket.
i've been looking for the heart again,
said. "but haven't found it.
NO" she answered: and 1 don't sup
pose you will. Would a Giorie de Dior
be any compensation?
She began TO stick one in my coat a.
she spoke. Her slender waist IN its blacl
gown was very near My left arm vher.
she stood.
II Will take the bud I said. but no
as compensation for the heart
Don't you think" she asked ne, "taa
It might be possible to 1--we happily withou
a charm to help your?