Evening journal., 1900-12-01
Continued From Monday
Chapter V, Continued.

them on your wedding day"
''You tare always talking about being
married. said Aurelia, with a little
pout. Iwish you would try and think
of something else TO say. was quite
looking forward to it myself until
came here, and now / am quite, quite
tired of it beforehand"
Ralph laughed delightedly, and Sir
George reminding me that everyone was
dying Of anxiety, himself included, ran
upstairs to take the brown bag from
around my neck, and in few minutes
returned with it in my hand. They were
all waiting for me, Lady Mary drawn
up in an arm chair beside an ebony table.
on which small space near her had been
cleared, Charles alone holding rather
aloof, slipping his coffee with his back to
the fire.
"Don't jostle," he said, as they all
crowded round me. Evelyn, let me
beg Of you not to elbow forward in that
unbecoming manner. Observe how Aunt,
Mary restrains herself. Take time, Midi
dletoni your coffee is getting coldl'
Won't you drink it frst?" si
As he finished speaking 1 turned the
contents of the bag upon the table. The
jewels in the bright lamplight seemed
to blaze and burn into the ebony Of the
table. There was a general gasp,
silence, and then chorus Of admiration.
Charles came up behind me and looked
over my shoulder.
Good gracious" said Lady Mary
solemnly Ralph. you are a rich man.
Why, mine are nothing to them!' and
she touched a diamond and emerald
necklace on her own neck. II never
knew poor Sir John had so much good
in him"
.Oh, Ralph, Ralph" cried Aurelia,
clasping her little hands with a deep
sigh "And viii they really be my very
own
Ralph assured hcr that they would,
am tast she should act in them the fol-
lowing nigh,if she liked
think there WAS nos woman pres
ent who did not envy Aurelia as Ralph
took up a flashing diamond crescent and
held it against her fair hair. | saw Eve
lyn turn away and begin to tear up a
small piece Of paper in her hand. Wo-
men are very jealous of each other, es-
pecially the nice, by which l mean the
pretty ones. was sorry to see jealousy
SO plainly marked in such charming
looking girl as Evelyn, but women are
all the same about jewels. Aurelia
blnshed and sparlled and poutod when
the clasp caught in hcr hair, and shook
her little head impatiently and was alto
tether enchanting.
After the FIRST burst u admiration had
subsidized Geu. Marston, an old Indian
officer who had been somewhat in the
rear, came up and looked long ~ the
glittering mass upon the table.
"Are you aware" he said at last to
Ralph pointing to the crescent, that
those diamonds are Of enormous value?
Ihave not seen such stones in any shop
in London. dare not say what that one
crescent alone is worth, or that emerald
bracelet Jewels Of such value as this
are grave responsibility" He stood
shaking his head a little and turning the
crescent in his hand. "Wonderful." he
said, i"wonderfull Do not tear up that
pieceo rice paper, Miss Derrick, he add
ed, tal1ingit from her. s'The crescent was
wrapped in it, and viii put it round
it again. All these stones want polish
ing, and many of them resetting. They
ought not to be tumbled together this
way in bag, with nothing to prevent
them scratching each other See, Ralph
here is a clasp broken, and here arr
some loose stones, and this star has nc
clasp at all. You must take them mp tC
some trustworthy jeweler and have
them thoroughly looked over.
''I suppose the second son was spe
cially. mentioned, Middleton said
Charles, as 1 drew back to let the rest
handle and admire.
''Of course, said Lady Mary sharply
'.and very fortunate thing, too"
'sVery-for Ralph" he replied. 1T il
really providential that am what am
Why, l might have ruined the dea'
boys prospects If had paid my tailor
bill, and lived in the country among thl
buttercups and daisies. All, my dea
sunt, as I see you are about TO remark
how all things here below work togethe
for goodr'
II was not going to remark anythin,
;ef the kind. retorted Lady Mary, draw
ingthersef up; but, she added spite
fully. Il do not feel the less rejoiced 2
Ralph's good fortune and prosperit,
when see, as / often do. the ungodl,
hourishing like green bay tree
"Of course" said Charles, shaking hi
head, "if that is your own experience
bow before it. But for my own part
must confess I have not found it SC
Flourish like a green bay treel No. Aun
Mary. it is fallacy. They don't. i an
sure only wish they did. Bat sss IL
rehearsal is beginning. May giTs yo
an arm to the hall9o
The offer was entirely disregardea
andit was with the help Of mine tina
Lady Mary retired from an unequs
combat, which she never seemed able
resist provoking anew, and in which Sd
was invariably worsted, causing her, .
could see, to regard Charles with Il
concentrated bitterness of which 81
verely good woman alone is capable.
soon perceived that Charles was {
fhe same arnicable terms with his