The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-02-08
rhe Hoop of Gold.

ing dress, and they were gentlemen in
other respects as well, which being eluci-
dated means that not every man in even
ing dress is a gentleman. says the New
York Sun. They were sitting about a
table in a Washington club house where
gentlemen land others congregate, and
they were having a delightful time telling
over the stories of their past summers ex-
periences.
You may say what you please about
the Coming Woman, the Fin de Steele
Maid, and the Summer Girl" said the
handsomest fellow in the party but 1
went up against a combination this sum-
mer that beats them all. -
1t must have been a woman's conven-
val officer.
Possibly it was merely an old-fashion-
ed girl said a shy secretary to senator
Not exactly either of the two but near
er me Iatter, smiled the narrator. 1t
was only one girl. and not a very big girl
at that. In fact, she was quite petite
though plump to atone for lack of length -
/ do not love a dumpy woman says
Bt{yTo4n, remarked an oldish man with a
she wasn't commended the talker, Wig
9rously. on the contrary, sha was the
daintiest prettiest, cheeriest. cutest crea-
ture at the hotel where l spent four glo-
rlous weeks in her divine and .eXhilarating
somebody mad presence Of mind enough to
ask when they. were going to get TO the
point where the story came in.
AS | was on the eve of remarking. -
proceeded the talker, Il put in nv voca-
tloh at a charming place not more than
twenty-five thousand miles from the cap
ltaI or the nation, and among the guests
az the same place was this lovely crea-
! ture ! am talking about. The first few
Gays after my arrival ] was not feeling
at all well, and 1 met no one until the
denouement, and then l met everybody
However, the very first sight that delight
ca my VISION was this girl, whose brown
Z fanH tod /.
| the hotel a half hour Who she was / had
no idea, but whose she would be before |
left the place | began to dream that very
| night. AS l said, l was feeling so in the
| dumps when L made my appearance at
| the place that l studiously avoided all
meetings except. among the men, several
| OF Whom soon became on very agreeable
| terms with, and to whom l raVed a times
| over the brown eyes
One afternoon as I passed along the
! hall, | struck my foot against something
| on the floor which could not distinguish
| IN the semi-darkness of the place, l picked
| II up, and carrying it into the light of my
/ room found IT to be a beautiful silk gar
! ter with gold buckle adorned by a single
| diamond as, white and pure as truth. To
say that | was paralyzed would be put
! ting II mildly. 1 simply had a conniDtion
/ TIT, and as soon as recovered my mental
| equilibrium. ! began casting about in my
| mind now could the most delicately dis
| cover the fatr owner, a difficult task, as
most of the guests lived on this same floor.
| In line with my most laudable efforts that
| same evening | took the beautiful bauble
! from my inside pocket, and after swear
| ing my four best friends whom ] had join
/ ed in the smoking room, to everlasting Sc
crecy, | unfolded it from the silk hand
! kerchief in which had sacredly wrapped
| it. and asked if they knew to whom 1t be-
| lOnged. / felt that | was doing the proper
thing, for they were ali men of family. and
| would consider the matter as a solemn
| trust, but none of them recognized it.
After some discussion, during which
time l had inadvertently held 1t in my
han NJ H.. $50
smoking room opening on the main hall
was not closed, so that any one passing
might easily look in, they offered to put il
| in the hands of the ladies' of their families
so that 1t might thus reach its owner.
| was about to turn it over to them as a
| Committee on Observation-Disclosures when
| my cute little maiden stuck her curly head
| in the door and called out the oldest mar
in the party. / hastily thrust the bauble
into my pocket, thinking she would merely
| suppose it to be one of those brilliant silk
| hat bands or something like that that the
| girls are always making the men unhap
| Ply with, and in about two minutes the
| elderly gentleman returned with the start
| ling information that a lady desired TO see
me on important business, and that he haC
been deputed to escort me TO her. He hat
no idea what the business was, but he haC
no doubt she knew In any event il wa:
my duty to go, sick or well. That settled
il, and l went with him, and in the hall
met my charmer, who looked at me II
such a roguish way that l fell in love
worse than ever.
THE presentation having been duly &C
complished, she sent the other man bach
to his fellows, and taking me by the arm
she walked me out on the piazza, where
the moon peeped through the clustering
vines and winked itself into fairy grim
aces in shadows on the floor
" Il brought you out here, Mr.. X sht
said where the air was not so blue will
tobacco smoke as it was in there, and alst
to tell you that you have something o
mine, and to prove property, here is thu
match to it, and before my eyes flashed
the respondent twin of the bauble l haC
found that afternoon in the hall.
Il surrendered on the spot, and wal
about to pass in a few ecstacies, deliria
rhapsodies and things like that which ar
so delightfully."- apropos of moonlight nights
and pretty girls, but as she took the gilt
tering bauble from my reluctant hand
she dropped me like hot potato and dis
appeared into the house, leaving only
faint little feminine shrek or squeak trail
ing after her, as tail to some mysterou
meteor flying wild"
When did you say the cards would b.
| out?" inquired the naval officer most I'm
expectedly, but not most inapproprately
for il was all true story, and the card
will be out before the dogwood blossoms
in the spring.