The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1900-01-19
THE STORY ORA SHIELD PIN,

'''es' Seul 4ol Hit u TAKE up small
personal mystery l responded with q
| poor grace.
Scarcely had she begun to tell hel
story, however, than l became so inter.
ested that l begged her to continue and
| tell ME the details as far as possible.
Miss Angel was engaged to Mr.. Cloud
| "a peculiar combination of names to be.
gin with, and was devotedly attached tc
hlm. In fact, she confessed with tears
in her eyes that his love was more, OF
had been more, than life to her.
The rest of the story l will let her tell
| IN her own words.
Mr.. Cloud" she said, sis in the habit
OF calling on me almost every evening
About a week ago he came to dinner. in
Vlted by mamma. He was to attend q
supper of the Phoenix club ut 10 o'clock,
and wore evening dress.
AT the table we noticed an exquisite
shield pin he wore. 1t shone so brilliant
y. that it caught the eye at once. Mr..
Cloud took the pin off and it was passed
around the table for us all to examine.
1T was a shield as large as Il quar-
ter with the outside edge bordered with
pure rubics, blood red all of size and
without a flaw. The center of the shield
consisted of large diamond cut not very
deep, yet too deep to be sunken, SO it was
diamonds were perfectly matched black
pearls. The combination was 80 unusual
that VIC exclaimed as we handled the
jewel and l remarked that | had never
seen it before.
when we had finished examining it
Mr.. Cloud said: That is my Phoenix
club badge. I'll belongs to the president
When 1 Was elected the badge was pre-.
scented to me by the members and when
| resign, and a new president comes in,
l must give up the badge to him. 1t is
the presidents badge, to be owned by
him during his term of office. OF course,
it is only to be worn at the meetings
Mamma spoke Of its great value. Yes,
said Mr.. Cloud, it is indeed very valua-
to lose it should feel ruined, as could
never hope to replace it,
LAS he spoke Mr.. Clouds face became
very serious. We once had n case OF
that kind, said he-'a most curious case.
The president lost his badge and COM
mitted suicide next day. You see he was
suspected of having sold it,
AFTER we had looked at the badge and
talked about it, l very fOolishly asked to
wear it, and in Il tit of waywardness
reached across the table, took it up and
put it in the bow of ribbon at my throat
AT the CLOSE of the meal, Mr.. Cloud
asked me for it, but l. to tease him, said
| meant to keep it, and ran up stairs with
it Oh.
After they were seated in the parlor 1
stole quietly down the stairs and placed
the pin in the lining of Mr.. Clouds over
coat. directly unt;er The lapc!.
81 went back up to my room and came
down stairs again. l found mamma and
my sister seated alone in the parlor. Mr..
Cloud had gone out to send a telegram.
He would be back in Il minute.
NV hen he returned. which was q flor
half an hour. he came in for only il min
ute, to say goodby. he said. and to ask
for his pin: Come. Maize. he said, you
have leased me long enough; Let me
have The PIN now l must so
~ gave it back to YOU said. and
Then | stood up and running my fingers
along the lapel of his coat felt for the pin.
1t was gone.
Il turned as white as snow and as I
felt the color leaving my face, l said:
1 gave it back
Ny mother looked up surprised and
MIR. Cloud stared at me, Yes, gave it
have it. 90 must
"'Why. Maize said Mr.. Cloud, how
| passed over the disagreeable scene
which followed. will not mention Mr..
Clouds chagrin or my mothers amaze
ment. even as | explained how I had
stolen down the stairs and had fastened
the precious pin in the lapel of the coat,
just for fun, and how l intended after
teasing him to tell him that it was there.
AS l talked l could see my mothers in
credulous looks and Mr.. Clouds absolute
dismay. They did not believe ME.
After the most painful quarter of an
Cloud left, shaking hands cordially with
my mother and saying Il cold goodnight
to me.
AFTER he had gone my mother said:
.Mazie, my darling girl, tell the truth.
1t is not too late
There is nothing more to tell, moth
CT. said. 1 have told you the whole
truth
AFTER while my mother saw that I
was in earnest and she believed me. But
as next day came and passed, and no
word came from Mr.. Cloud, I saw that
he doubted me. The third day there
came a formal note saying that if |
would return the pin he would give me
its value in money, paying me as rapidly
as his circumstances would permit. As it
was valued at many thousands, it was
then beyond his means.
Il tore the note into bits and did not
reply PLY, ,-
three days was too much overcome by
modification to take any steps toward
establishing. my innocence. But now
that l am in sOberer mind l wish to
learn, if possible. what became of the
pin after | placed it in the lining Of the
lapel of Mr.. Clouds coat and where it
now is"
The recital took some time, for the
Young lady'S emotion overcame her more
than once. And | must confess that l,
fnrs A.
fate. should have played so unkind
trick upon so beautiful Il young girl;
and secondly. that her lover, Mr., Cloud.
should have doubted her so easily.
Il am willing" she said, ito spend any
amount to clear myself of this disgraceful
suspicion. and hope, with your assistance.
TO solve the mystery"
lit is so long time" I began, IF
Still" l said. Il viii do my best. Bn+
you must allow ME to talk with Mr.
sary"
g At this she BECAME greatly alarmed, but
hnally consented.
That same day l called on Mr.. Cloud
and was received by him in his private
Office. He was not cordial, and I soon
saw that. while he would not accuse the
young lady, he thought she had kept the
pin, He told me that, OH leaving the
!'arlor, he had put OH his overcoat and
had gone to the nearest telegraph office to
send Il message. There, meeting an old
friend. he had gone into cafe and taken
a drink, after which h. had returned to
the house Of his fiancee, having been
gone about half an hour.
Tel me the name of the cafe.' said
Having carefully noted the names and
addresses of all concerned during that
half hour, left Mr.. Cloud and 1 will do
him the justice to say that think no
was half-convinced that he might have
made a mistake.
Going first to the telegraph Office I
walked from there to the cafe. At that
moment wagon stood in front of the
to0r and they were bringing out the
soiled table linen.
An inspiration came to me. and l said
to the driver: "How often do you take
away the ]inen?'
"Twice a week. said he. "But this
week we had breakdo5sn and we are
late, and it's almost eight days"
As the driver started away I said:
Il want to- search that load of napkins
and if you; will drive them into that
EHfHOt Int I will nav 1,sH, wall 60. .-.-.