The Tupelo journal., 1910-06-24
The Amethyst
Pin

mere Is Sucl b IniuB dS uclH6 wv
conscientious remarked young Mrs.
Langton, dolefully.
Have You suffered from IT." asked
her friend.
you may smile II you like. but ]
have suffered from the effects OF the
abnormally developed conscience of
my mother-in-law. Do you remember
the amethyst pin you admired so
much when I wore 1t to your lunch
eon?"
Indeed. / do. It was 80 pretty with
your wisteria gown"
ut was" declared Mrs. Langton. 1T
was lovely with that little dress. AND
to think that | bought a suit and a hat
with special reference to that pin!
The worst of 1t Is that Walter. doesn't
sympathize with me at all. He just
laughs and says that untruths are al
ways punished In some way or other"
II can't offer my sympathy until
you tell me about It," limited her
friend.
ut was this way. Mamma Langton
thinks that Walter and | are very ex-
'travagant. She was Mortified at the
mount of money we spent in furnish
ing the house, and when as an after
thought we bought the clock, though
any one will admit that 1t looks as If
1t had been made for the spot at the
turn of the stairway, she almost
wept. made up my mind then and
there that the next thing we bought
which couldn't be classed with the
necessities of life would have to be
purchased by stealth.
"One day when | met my husband
down town / asked him to stop for a
moment at the window where the pin
was displayed. / mentioned casually
that It would be sweet with my new.
est dress, adding that of course 1t was
out of the question for us to buy 1t.
Walter is of a peculiar disposition.
Just tell him that he oughtn't to
spend his money for a particular arti-
Gle, and he s%traightway is determined
to have that very thing. Well, he
went in and bought the amethyst. !
suggested that we say nothing about
the matter to his mother for awhile,
and l had worn the pin a number OF
times before she saw It,"
Then what happened?"
ut was one day when / was dress
ing In a great hurry. / asked her to
come to my room and hook my waist
for me, forgetting that the pin was on
my dressing table.
THAT is something new she said.
picking up the ornament. Where did
you get it?
"'Oh, that is just a pin l found |
replied, anxious to get out of 1t the
best way I could.
"'When?' she asked.
yesterday | returned.
Then 1t is your duty to adver-
tise It,
1T isn't worth It, l said. for the
stone isn't genuine
THAT Is where you are mistaken
she Insisted. The stone is a fine
color and the setting is beautiful
Then / will wear 1t today l said,
reaching out my hand for it.
mo, l wouldn't If l were you,' she
objected. Where did you find It?
Under the seat of the street car.
IL saw 1t glitter, you know, an
swered. getting in deeper and deeper.
r'You want to find the real owner,
don't you, Beatrice?' she asked, in her
%severest nne
ace o,rc r da . 7 eforp,,arad
Then | will lock it up in my little
safe until you are sure you may wear
1t with a clear conscience And she
marched off with 1t.
Next day Walter and l went to New
York and were gone a week. Almost
the first thing Mamma Langton said
when we entered the house on u re.
turn was, Well, Beatrice. | found the
owner Of the amethyst pint
Il merely gasped, and she went on:
OF course, you wouldn't have enjoyed
wearing 1t until everything possible
had been done to find the owner, so
deemed 1t best to put IN advertise
ment in the newspapers. | had a mum.
Der of answers and one of them de-
scribed the pin almost exactly, SO
replied to it. A very nice woman
called and after she had paid me fol-
the notice | gave her the pin. She was
delighted
"'Wha is her address?' l asked In
a choked voice.
~ don't know, I'm sure. But what
~zz Il roa++1~ob o.lyol -, r,1+ho~ IL
law.
Nov my lovely amethyst is gone
%forever!"
Excuse me for laughing" apollo
gized Mrs. Langton's friend. "but 1t is
funny, you know"