The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1897-10-06
THE G0LD-LINK
BRACELET.
The Story of Girls Inordinate Love
Of Finery.
BY L. NJ. MONTGOMERY.

a iiutter of delight. Aunt Marian was
Uncle Fred's wife and they had never
seen her before. At first they felt
somewhat shy, for she was very stylish
and pretty, but their shyness soon wore
off, for they found her very kind
hearted and amiable.
She delighted the girls with her
lively ways and her good comradeship,
and one of their great pleasures was to
go to her room and gaze at all the pref
ty things she had TO show them-her
rich, dainty dresses and hats, her fans
and parasols, her laces and her jewelry.
This last was what Muriel liked best
to see, for she had weakness for trink-
cts. And Aunt Marian had such beau
tiful sparkling diamond rings,
pearl brooch, an opal pin, hair
dagger set with turquoises, gold neck
chain, with heart-shaped locket, and
many others. But what Muriel ad-
mired most was gold bracelet.
This was of exquisite workmanship,
with slender chased links and little
paddock set with a monogram with
pears
81 value this more than anything
else have, think" said Aunt Mar
ian, as she sat with her jewel-box on
her lap and Muriel and Flo on the floor
beside her. "Not so much because of
its beauty or value, but because father
gave it to me the last Christmas | spent
at home, and he died soon afterwards.
/ would not lose it for the world and |
seldom wear it.n
She had clasped il on her wrist as
she spoke, and Muriel's eyes fingered
on it wistfully. What would she not
have given for bracelet like that, she
thought.
am not at all sure that Aunt Mar
ian's display of dresses and pretty
things was Just the best thing for
Muriel, although Aunt Marian herself
had no thought beyond giving her
young friends pleasure; she did not
dream that it might induce certain
little demons of envy and discomfort
to creep into their hearts.
1t did not hurt Flo in the least, for
she was a sensible, intelligent content
ed girl, who enjoyed looking at pretty
things for their own sake, and never
thought of feeling covetous or discon-
tented on account of them. But Muriel
was very different. She was a pretty
brown-eyed girl of fifteen, and she
wanted great many thugs she did
not, and could not, and perhaps ought
not, TO have.
Before Aunt Marian's advent she
had been fairly well contented with
her own simple, pretty gowns and hats
and the little pin and brooch that were
her only jewelry. Bat her simple
finery seemed very poor and insignifi
cant beside Aunt Marian's city splen-
dors
Flo could put on her new gingham
and walk serenely down the street with
Aunt Marian in her summer silk, and
enjoy herself thoroughly; but Muriel
could not. Foolish? Yes, of course,
she was foolish. 1t is always foolish
and maybe wicked. as well, TO let
thoughts about our clothes, or envy of
someone else's, interfere with our COM
fort and happiness.
Muriel thought entirely too much
about that bracelet of Aunt Marian's,
and sighed whenever she thought of it.
II only she had one like il, How all
the girls at school would envy her.
When Muriel went into Aunt Mar
ian's room with fresh towels the next
day, she found herself alone. Aunt
Marian's jewel-casket lay open on the
dressing-table, and there, in its box, on
a bed of perfumed pink cotton, lay the
dainty thing itself Muriel picked it
up little doubtfully and fastened it
on-she had pretty wrist and the
bracelet became it.
''Oh, / do wish it were mine, ;" she
said despondently. "Fve always want
| ed bracelet so much, and chains are
all the rage now. / might as well wish
for the moon, though, as for one like
this. IL must have cost great deal"
She unlocked it and put it back with
a sigh; bat she did not leave with it her
discontented longing; she carried that
with her wherever she went, and she
slipped in to peep at the bracelet
great many more times than she ought
when Aunt Marian was out, forgetting
that the first stage on the road of temp
tation is very gradual one indeed.
One day Muriel received little note
from Clara Howard inviting her to
birthday party the following evening.
Flo was not invited, as she was not
i'm CIara's class at school, but she did
not feel disappointed over it, for she
and Aunt Marian had planned drive
to the city the next day, to visit Aunt
Isabel, and they intended TO remain
over night.
Muriel was in flutter of expectant
delight. She enjoyed parties, and
Clara Howard's were always delight
ful, for Clara's father was rich aud de-
MED her nothing. She was sure of
having good time and she had pref
ty new dress to wear to it; besides, her
father gave her new pair of slippers
for il and brother Charlie brought her
the very prettiest silver belt buckle
imaginable.
Muriel dressed alone that night,
missing Fio's skill and aid not little;
but very pretty, indeed, she looked
when she finished her simple toilet
and stepped back with bit of pardon
able vanity to smile at the radiant
reflection.
But it takes a great deal to satisfy
some people, and Muriel was not satis-
fled. She wanted a bracelet; all the
girls at the parts would have one, and
She felt decidedly ill-used because she
could not have one, too. Then Muriei
thought of the gold bracelet in
Aunt Marian's box. 0i, if she could
only wear that to Clara Howard's par
ty, How the girls would envy her.
When people allow ideas like this to