Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1900-08-30

IN had brought them with her from
across the seas. There were rubies
red as hearts blood and amethysts
purple as the summer sky at mid
night. There were moonstones and
emeralds and diamonds from the
heads of Indian idols, jewels from
temples old as the earth, and gems
from royal crowns and coronets.
Kings and warriors had laid them at
the feet of the capricious beauty.
Each gem had not only long and
ancient history of it's own, but each
represented a broken heart as well.
For the beauty had at last given her
hand and her heart to comely Eng
lish lover. and away they had sailed
TO America. to astonish the new world
with the splendor of maiden's jewels.
But one day when she was old,
when her beauty was gone and her
friends were dead, and there was no
sweetness in her withered heart. and
40 joy in living, Madam laid down
and died.
She had grown sour and resentful
because time, the great robber, had
stolen away her marvellous beauty
and power, and she had covered alone
and ashamed and altogether unlovely.
IN her great curtained chamber that
opened on fiowery terrace which she
shut quite away from every ray Of sun
shine.
But she died, for if time is cruel
death is merciful and they hid her
hdeous old body away in the earth
and talked of the time when she was
young.
And when little time had passed
they began to search for the jewels.
My great grandfather and his genera
ton sought with diligence, but they
found no shining treasure. At best
there were but few letters in quaint
Did French, and some in queer for
eign lingo that nobody could under
stand.
My grandfather and his generation
sought with faint hearts. surrepitious-
". My father and his generation
laughed ut the old legends and tradi-
tons indulgently. regarding the kings
and the Jewels as nothing more than
pretty ornament for fine old story.
l and my generation listened in our
turn to the stories, but each with his
individual opinion. for we had come
upon a time of Independent thought.
We had drifted, too, far from the
old Southern city. though the fine Eng
tt,t, lxr,, 60. N
phrdonable pride claimed for my
own the name of the Englishman who
had brought the fair Marie away from
all her lovers.
There We're times when I fancied
that / belonged farther back than the
record. Times when l wearied of the
modern clash and rush and longed for
the slow quiet of the old days.
With one of these spells upon me
l drifted down to the old Southern
city. The place was dream of
beauty with its soft, sun-bathed,
fiower-scentcd air, its wonderful pur-
ple-blue sky and the glistening green
little whitecappcd waves on the mar
now strip of beach that skirted the
city toward the east.
was enrapturcd.
"The fair Maries jewels" | said to
myself. The great quivering emerald
here ut my feet. the great yellow opal
all about me. the shimmering anne
thyst above me-"
And one day, in n many terraced and
fowcry old garden. ! met the fair
Marie herself. And when | saw her |
believed even the most romantic of
The stories that had followed the first
Marie over the seas. l watched the
garden and l gave her my heart, for
had nothing more. not money. nor
fame, nor jewel.
Her father had deigned to read my
letters OF introduction. and with
sudden change of manner had opened
his arms and his doors and had
claimed me as his kinsman. Il being
TO be treated with consideration and re-
spect.
Then | heard again the legends and
traditions that belonged to the his
tory of my great. great grandmother.
saw, too. IA picture of her painted
by one of the famous artists of her
day 4 slender maiden in "A quaint
pld gown. and face that was Marie's
own. only more piquant and daring.
md lacking the shy beauty Of Marie's
English blue orbs.
And you are the brawny English
man again. except for your sad. far
seeing eyes; fancy that the first
Marie's were like them when she was
not quite happy" said one of the
stately old danes who belonged In
the household. smiling upon me-
Each day my faith IN the jewels
was strengthened. II only l could
ind them and give them to Marie.
The desire consumed me. gave no
heed TO any who came or went. was
living In the world of romance. I
cared for nothing but the sight ~ the
girl | loved. Her face. the dark. pi-
a..