Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1897-04-01
THE EUCLASE RING.

will tell the story as well as can, but
1t will be at best, fear, but thing Of
shreds and patches. 1t happened more
than ten years ago, and in these days one
lives fast and forgets soon, and some of
the details may have escaped ME. But it
was your remark about words breaking
no bones that recalled the tale. To me
words are living things, endowed with a
power that few of us give them credit for
possessing l believe with Adelaide Anne
Proctor that
Every word has its own spirit,
True or false, which never dies.
And think that the story of Cecile Longs
life goes far toward indorsing my opinion.
You must remember Frank Whiting
ton? He was my godson, and I was very
fond of him, and when he introduced me
to his atfianced bride, Miss Cecile Long, I
was fully prepared to be almost as fond of
her as he was.
She was certainly very charming girl
bright handsome and attractive-and
turned deaf ear to the disparagers who
whispered that she was weak and shallow,
had been a tremendous flirt, and was,
moreover, extremely delicate-a bundle of
nerves and Il most unfit wife for man
who had his way to make in the world.
thought them admirably well suited, and
they seemed to think the same. l never
knew them to differ on any subject save
one. and upon that occasion Frank solicit
ed my friendly intervention.
l remember the time and the place SO
we'll We were sitting at tea together tete-
a-tete in the coy little houdoir of my house
in Queen street, Mayfair. l can see now
the rays of the setting sun flltering through
the dark green Persiennes and touching
with golden light the bright brown locks
of my godsons curly head, and can hear
as plainly as l did then the note of pas
sionate pain in his eager tones. He was
not one to suffer in silence when a woman
was at hand to sympathize, and in me he
knew he had ever the most sympathetic of
friends
"Have you ever noticed d" he said, "that
little ring with the pale green stone that
Cecile wears ON the third finger Of her
right hand No, it is not crysolite 1t is
q
tains. 1t is rather rare stone, believe
and the ring was given to her by the young
Polish artist who used to be hanging about
her at Ostend. He wanted to marry her,
it seems, and--and he had no business to
give her ring, and she ought not to wear
it. Don't you agree with nieS'
did; but, as I am nothing if not con-
ciliatory, murmured something soothing
about "a gift from departed friend. !"
However, Frank would not be put off in
this manner, and he made me promise to
take an early opportunity of speaking to
Cecile on the subject and pointing out to
her the improperly of wearing young
Anatoff's gift.
you 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 not lot
me see it on her finger She must not
wear it. -
promised to do my utmost to induce
Cecile to see the matter from his point of
view which was also mine, and with that
intent sought and obtained an early in
terview with her l put the case gently
but plainly before her. l appealed both to
her respect for the convenances and her
love for Frank. But spoke in vain.
II am very sorry, Mrs. Grey, but l can
not do what Frank asks. really cannot.
In the first place, 1t is a physical impossi-
bility. My hand has grown so much fatter
since poor Paul placed this ring on my
finger that cannot remove it now. Here
1t is, here it remains until l grow thin
again And, besides, swore to him that
! would never remove it whatever happen
ed"
"What made you take such vow?"
asked,
II don't know; can't say. was hur-
ried into it. 1t happened like this: We
were walking on the Digue at Ostend one
evening. Nine. Anatoff and mamma were
on In front. Paul and were behind. He
was In very low spirits that day, for he
had just seen some specialist, who had told
him point blank that he had not six weeks
to live, and he could not bear the thought
Of dying and leaving me. Up to that mo-
ment he had always cherished secret hope
that might yet become his wife-poor
Paul! He was Pole, you know, and very
romantic and superstitious and altogether
different from any other man have ever
known. His despair that evening terrified
me, and when he asked me II would
grant him one last request. whatever it
might be, answered Yes, without think
ing-anything to comfort the poor fellow.
And the request was that should let him
place this ring on the third finger Of my
right hand, and as he did so repeat after
him some sentences In Polish. did 1t, and
then he told mo that I had sworn solemnly
to wear this ring until death, to be buried
with it, and that had asked God to unite
us hereafter, even II 1t should be his good
pleasure to separate us here upon earth. 4"
"And you took that VOW and you ut.
tered that prayerl'' exclaimed in horror
EYES," she said. "What else could do?
Paul was in despair, and he was dying.
It would have been cruel to refuse him.
There are times when regret horribly
having acceded to his request, and yet
m quite sure that If the time were to
come over again I should behave exactly
the same"
There entirely agreed with her. III
the time were to come over again., w
should most Of us "behave exactly the
same" As were the bygone days, so will
the coming ones be- The Ethiopian can.
not change his skin. The copy book moral
list has told us that Experience teaches. .
Possibly she does, but fancy that the
number Of her pupils who have proflted
by her lessons Ii very small, and 1t will
take her all che knows to enable her to
bold her own (as an inspirer Of conduct
against temperament for the physical