The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1912-08-20
The Ripening Rubies
BY MAX MBERTON
(copyrlsht. " W. G. Chapman.)

hAdut iuohu Aol lllt az neI sue.
do get me another cup of tea," she
said; i've been talking for ten min
utes to Col Harner, who has just
come from the great thirst land, and
I've caught it,"
You'll ruin your nerves." said I, as
l fetched her the cup, land you'll miss
the next dance"
"Tll sit It out with you." she cried
gushingly; and as for nerves,
haven't got any. l must have shed
them with my first teeth. But l want
TO talk TO you-you've heard the
news, of course! Isn't it dreadful"
She said this with a beautiful look
of sadness, and for a moment i did
not know to what she referred. Then
1t dawned upon my mind that she
had heard OF Lady Faber's loss.
Yes" said I, Its the profoundest
mystery 1 have ever known"
"And can't you think OF any expla-
nation at all?" she asked, as she drank
her tea at a draught. Isn't it pos
sible to suspect some one just to pass
the timer"
IF you can suggest any one" said
/, I'VE will begin with pleasure"
well. there's no one in this room
to think of, is there?" she asked with
her limpid laugh; 'of course you
couldn't search the curate's pockets,
unless sermons were missing instead
of rubies?"
"This is a case of sermons in
Stones" / replied, land a very seri-
Il
with all those pretty brilliants on
your sleeves"
But haven't escaped" she cried;
why, you're not up to date. Don't
you know that l lost marquise
brooch at the Hayes dance the 9TH
er evening? / have never heard the
last of it from my husband, who will
not believe for a minute that / did
not lose it in the crowd"
''And you yourself believe"
THAT it was stolen, of course. /
pin my brooches too we'll to lose them
some one took it in the same cruel
way that Lady Faber's rubies have
been taken. Isn't 1t really awful to
think that at every party we go to,
thieves go with us? It's enough to
make one emigrate to the shires."
She fell to the flippant mood again,
for nothing could keep her from that;
and as there was obviously nothing
to be learnt from her, l listened to
her chatter sufreringly.
81 can just see the top of the mems
heads" said she, craning her neck
forward In the effort. Have you no.
ticed that when a man is dancing.
either he star-gazes in ecstasy, as
though he were in heaven, or looks
down to his boots-well, as If it were
the other thing?"
Possibly" said /; "but you're not
going to constitute yourself a vehm-
gericht from seeing the top OF peoples
heads"
Indeed" she cried, chat shows
how little you know; there is more
character in the crown of an old
mans head than is dreamt OF in your
philosophy, as what's his name says.
Look at that shining roof bobbing up
there, for instance; that is the halo
Of port and honesty-and a difficulty
in dancing the polka Oh! that mine
enemy would dance the polka-espe-
cially If he were scout"
do you really possess an enemy?"
l asked, as she fell into a vulgar burst
OF laughter at her own humor; but
she said
do I possess one? Go and discuss
me with the other women-that's
what 1 tell all my partners to do; and
they come back and report to me-
It's as good as a play!"
ut must be-" said l., "a complete ex-
travaganza. But your enemy has fin
ished his exercise, and they are going
to play a waltz. Shall take you
DOWN."
yes" she cried, land don't forget
to discuss me. Oh, these crushesi"
She said this as we came to the
press upon the corner OF the stairs
leading to the ball room, a corner
where she was pushed desperately
against the banisters. The vigor of
the polka had sent an army of dan
GERS to the conservatory, and for some
minutes we could neither descend nor
go back; but when the press was
somewhat relieved, and she made an
effort to progress. her dress caught
in spike of the iron work, and the
top of panel of silk which went
down one side of II was ripped open
and left hanging. For a minute she
did not notice the mishap; but as the
torn panel Of silk fell away slightly
from the more substantial portion OF
her dress, / observed, pinned 70 the
inner side of II, large crescent
brooch OF diamonds In the same IN
slant she turned with indescribable
quickness, and made good the dam.
age. But her face was scarlet in the
flush OF it's color: and she looked at
mo with questionirg eyes.
What a miserable accident" che
said. 81 have spoilt my gown"
Have your said / sympathetic2lly,
81 hope IT was not my clumsiness-
but really there doesn't seem much
damage done. Did you tear 1t in
front?"
There was need of very great re-
stralnt in saying this Through
stood simply palpitatng with amaze
ment, and had to make some show
of examining her gown, I knew that
even an ill-judgod word might undo
the whole good of the amazing dis
covery, and deprive me OF that which
appeared TO bc one OF the most as
founding efgrfne of tho vaor rr1 r.,,t