Show A peregrinating pearl BY KATE M CLEARY copyright 1901 by dally atory pub co theodosia was turning the house up ilde down she had lost the bear out of the ring had given her it wasai t an engagement ring although theo had allowed jasmine marsh to suppose it was roderie was theodo la s second cousin oh you re a fidget theo cried her sister dottle sweep the room look under the dresser it s just rolled into some corner you 11 find it maybe I 1 v on t said theo her found greenish eyes gleamed s cantly you see I 1 may not have lost it dottle heeled around what do you mean by that theo inkeri it was a valuable stone declared miss banker darkly it could have been ened out of the setting it would be comparatively easy to dispose of by one who who looked like a lady and do you mean to say you think your pearl was demanded the younger miss brinker in much excite ment her shrill young voice reached jas mine marsh and arrested her steps al most on the threshold ot the bedroom she was a dark haired slender girl with a face patrician ot feature and gentle of expression she taught the brinker twins who being considered delicate were receiving their aduca alon at home I 1 t be surprised sed to learn it was you remember the other day I 1 ws speaking of its balile to to me miss brinker said jasmine marh quietly she came forward into the room I 1 recollect your stating that mr merrall had been at pains to secure such a flawless stone she stood waiting silent and digal fled theodosia turned a brick red all over her broad rather flat face I 1 did not say that anyone in this house would steal she said defensive ly but I 1 was sure the setting was fast it glancing challengingly at the young teacher certainly looks queer jasmine made no reply she still waited as though tor miss brinker to speak again when she did not she remarked that 1 heo a mother had asked to see her at once then she left to me miss inker the room immediately dot broke into a string ot reproaches I 1 don t see how you could speak so ebeo you as good as told her you suspected her of stealing your jewel you know when all s said the marshes are a better family than the brokers any day it youve noticed the way rod merrall looks at jasmine when he calls here you d think your chances were mighty slim dorothy brinker you keep still theos voice was hoaeae with anger As it rod would lower himself to ad mire a common nursery governess I 1 do think she stole my pearl and you may tell her so it you want to whereat miss brinker swept from the room still trembling with resent ful excitement she flounced into the library and found her mother was not a one it was too late to retreat the visitor was roderie merrall wrong he cried rising such a tempest ious countenance cousin mine the the the pearla you surely are not troubling your head over that get you an other as perfect and larger ive just been telling your mother I 1 can afford to be wildly extravagant an apparent ly theory of mine hs just survived the cruciel test ot actual ex pediment peri ment the capital ats are generous in the matter ol 01 royalties I 1 knew all would be glad of my good fortune so frank so kind so manly he looked standing before them in the pride of his youthful success that it would be an unimpressionable heart indeed that would not go out to him in spontaneous congratulation A wonderful a delightful po s ability took theo s breath away what 11 he had only been waiting tor this good luck to say to her the words she had so long to hear him speak some day dot heard the news rapturously rod she cried we ve got to cele brate surely laughed merrill he and dot were great chums I 1 m going tc take you all to the theater tonight the last act is a bore so we 11 cut it out and drop into bucys lucys for supper and a whirl on our way home my sister gives a little dance ou know you got cards won t you comee of course we will replied dot catch us refusing and miss marsha she never goes anywhere theo doe a interposed q lickly she isn t asked to many places put in dot she s young enough and what what s this pretty enough to like a good time why she s three years younger than vou theo walt a minute rod go ask her before theo could interfere dot all elbows and angles as sixteen Is apt to be was flying up the shaira ehg came back rueful and depressed jasmine won t go she says to thank you ever so much tor thinking of herbut she wont go I 1 am very sorry said merrill in a low voice he looked hurt and dis appo anted in a short time he took his leave hen he drove up that even ing he noticed a black clad form leav ing the brinker residence something familiar about it drew his attention that jasmine marsh he asked himself as she vanished in the shadows of the winter night he put the same question to dot when she met him in the ha 1 she lifted a flushed little face that showed traces of tears yes theo got mamma to pay her a month extra and send her away at once I 1 don t know what s got into theo because jasmine has ts sup port her brother who Is at school out of her earnings theo seems to think jasmine must need money badly enough to steal that dota rod cried sharply did you say steal dot nodded theo thinks jasmine took the stone out of her ring I 1 don t care how hard up jasmine marsh was she wouldn t do a thing like that 0 o she wouldn t dot there was a ring of emotion in his voice she v t for a kingdom dot flashed upstairs and nto theo dosia s room hurry up sue cried rod Is wait ing are you going to screw your feet into those slippers 7 you 11 never do it in a month of sundays they re two sizes too small for you do make haste A final frantic struggle with her new kid slippers a grab for her flowers a clutch at her opera bag and theo was on the landing was walking down the stairs as unconcernedly as she could she fancied rod s manner was stiff and cool her physical torture however blighted all mental impressions the tight slippers were agonizing one es pec lally she whispered to dot that she was afraid she could not dance in them there s something in one she began dot cut her short with scant thy there Is it s your foot and its twice the size it ought to be to fit in a number three slipper she declared why don t you kick it offa theo took her advice she wriggled tier toot out of the kid covering when they were about to leave she thrust her toot around in tumbling and in effectual search tor it merrill and his mend noticed her embarrassment what Is the matter he asked courteously have you lost any i it a her slipper explained dot the er it was too tight she took it off to rest her foot III get it for you theo allow me said merrill he went down on one knee found the cause ot theo s discomfort offered to put it on but theo crimson with cation refused hallo he exclaimed they were n the back of the box he paused as he was about to hand her her property what what s thise A round object white and glistening had caught hia eye it had rolled from the toe to the heel of the slipper oh its your pearl cried dot theo brinker aren t you ashamed to think how you made mamma send jasmine awaya but for once theo was speechless jasmine rod merrill said when he found miss marsh next day I 1 ve been waiting until my proposed expert ment was proven a success before I 1 dare tell you how I 1 have loved you will always love you Is there any hopeb but tb 0 you gave her that ring you say she found the pearl you are engaged I 1 have never been engaged to any woman jasmine and if you send me away she could not meet the love splendor in hi eyes he held out his arns with a little blissful sigh she capt into their strong and sheltering class to go to church twice tn I 1 |