| OCR Text |
Show Pair of Earrings. , , IIY MATT IK ('IIIUMi. (Copyright, IKil. by Dully Blory Tub. Co.) Bbe was alone a tiny atom frum th mass tif humanity that frolicked wllh ths breakers quarter uf a riillo awar. nd (he tcnautlesa doll carriage, the dolll lying with soiled and crumpled frock on th allium! sand, me bright bin tin pall spilling lla contents of shoves and shells, aa well aa her position posi-tion on "all fotira." wore allenl but eloquent witnesses that a raUutopba bad overtaken the Utile muldon. Jark Wllllama aaunlered from the belter of the boardwalk lo the scene. "Ijuat anything, all? The bloe-gruy ryos glanced ahylr P It hint and fell. "Ye, air," and the childish voice was churge.1 Willi lean. Jeek atooped down beside her. "What did you low, dear?" and the rolre and look contrasted strangely with Ilia rough, weuthiT-bruteii countenance. coun-tenance. "A enr-wlng," and the teara watered (be red rhockt. "1 don't think young ladles ought to wear cirrlnxs until they aro too big to play In the dirt; do you?" The brown hend drooped. "It wasn't rnlne, waa the rfsjM.nae In a low voice, while tho alemliir little lingers played nervously with each other. "It waa my mamma's! I I Jus" took It it little while to put on my tloli an" "Oh. yea; and haughty, rnrclees Miss Dollle went and lout It. Hut how did he manage to lone It In thli pile of and?" "I I played aha waa dead, an' I put ber down the deep hole, an' covered her up, an' when I took her up again It waa gone." I "Ob, yea. Now I understand. The (rare rohhera have taken It. I ahnuld-n't ahnuld-n't wonder If the glow wornia alole It to make their light with " (He Hopped at sight of ine pathetic little face. "What kind of an earring waa It. dearf "It waa a pretty dl'mon' nnn." i ' "Then I am aura I ran find II," he aid cheerfully, reaching for the tiny thornl. "1 am used to looking or diamonds." dia-monds." "Ha gut a little arrow to It lo make tt atny In," the little innlilnn volunteered volun-teered after watrhlug the search for the lout gem a few momenta. Jark paused lit the act of drnwlng a bowlful uf aund from the pile and looked at the child curloulr. "Where's your nioiher'a other earring?" ear-ring?" be aald abruptly. "Hhe ain't got no mure, like It now; but Kile's goln' to get 'nother one tome day, ao alia ran weur 'em." wna the reply re-ply In confidential voice. "Look liore!" He thruat hla hand Into hla breast pocket anil produced tiny leather cose. Ilia band trembled lightly aa he opened It "1 don't sup-poae sup-poae your tnothur'a earring looks sny-thluk sny-thluk Ilka tli In oneT" A pare white diamond of unusual rt gleamed on the autlli lining of the case. "That' It!" the child exclaimed joyfully, joy-fully, putting out her hand to take It. Jack allently closed and relumed the cue to hla pocket and returned to hla S ' r' "Where' your moUur'i other ear- rlngt" . i tuk of dlaiuond-illKKlng with un en- ' irgy and eaKerneaa he bud never felt ouul then. I'reheutly he took from 1 the damp nand the object uf bU aearcb. ' He looked at It long and carerully. then bclj U out to the child and anked: "Whose earring la thin?" j "Thafa It, Iiki!" alio ejrl.ilined; then i looked up at hiui with a puiiled ex- 1 prefuilun. "AH rlvht! Now let'a alt down here ! little while and rent uud talk." The child picked up her neidacted doll and went and ftnt down beiitde him ao cIqjiq that the browu head preined aRnlnst hla arm. He put hla hand under the little chin and looked aearclitui;ly Into the tHuutlful dark-f dark-f j lined cyea. "Now. toll me what your name la!" "Wo-e ' "Hone' llo.o I,hI V Wo-e Wniera. Wli it a your name?" twi-iinic n huit'iii c.n hie i'iiiiI In a con-llil. con-llil. nihil any tlmt pn.Mik-il a Had little umlln from her cmp-mlou. ".Inck W'llliniiii- Itiil you ever hear It?" The little one nhook her head. "Whnl la your - your mother'i name?" "Hlie'a named the nnrne an me." "And your- fatner la ninneil Itlch-ard Itlch-ard WlUon. Im'l he?" "I ain't got no Iniher. Ilea down the deep hole," wna the reply In an an-Inwited an-Inwited tone. Ilia ciprcioilon i hi lined lo one of Incredulity. In-credulity. "I your father really dend. Iloee?" he aaked, attlvlng agnlmit the lellng of eihllaratlon which pervaded hla being. be-ing. A vlgoroua nod In the affirmative waa the reply. Jin k waa illent now; hla blue eyca wandered out to aea and darkened and ahone wllh vlilona which made him forget the child. Hhe grew reatleas, and after awhile timidly touched hla arm and aald: "Give me my nioiher'a earring now. I mua' go home." Jack' eyea came quickly hark to the aniloua little fare. "Where la your home, dear?" Her Mil Opening one of her little Dina. eipreaalon beciune ono of perpleklty aa ahe looked nnYtotuOy toward the con-ftinlng con-ftinlng mana uf holela. "1 forget where It la," ahe aald plaintively. The next moment the exclaimed with audden Inspiration: In-spiration: "You ran find It, can't you?" "1 hope an. Hone," Jack responded cheerfully, taking the small band In hla and turning from the beach; "1 hall try very bard anyhow." "There It It now! Hee mamma nn the porch?" and a tulle of a linger tried to point out In the crowd ou the ve randa of the large hotel a certain slender slen-der black-clad flKure wllh fuco like the Illy and hair like Its heart. The book Mrs. Wutera held In her hand wna suddenly Joetled, and glancing glan-cing down for the cause, she found her child leaning acrons her lap looking up at her with a roguleh smile. "Where have you been, you uuughty child? Mother has been worried nenrly to death about you." Hut the plucld fuco and tone helled her words. I.llllo Hose replied by slightly opening open-ing one of her tli;lilly clocd little It.Hs. dlHclorlng a spurkllng gem. Mra. Wa-lera Wa-lera promptly snatched It. "Mind. 1 am going to punish you, Hnse, for taking this." she aald In low, firm voice. Koe only continued to smile and gently unclosed the other tint, showing the other earring. As the mother seised this also, she looked at ber little ilauxhlcr wllh a startled expression. Homo stole a glance al.lu-wise. al.lu-wise. The mother followed 11 to the tanned, benrdeil fare of a stranger whose dink eyes met hen with a look I hut for a moment affected her as the sight of the second furring had done. Hut In a moment her fuce resumed Its natural expression. Hhe smiled condescendingly. conde-scendingly. "You are the Jeweler at the corner of the avenue and the beach. I believe," be-lieve," she said. Something suddenly faded from the strungcr'a eyes. " This la a very good mutch for mine, apparently." Mra. Wutera continued, "the best I've ever seeu. I should like to have a connoisseur compare them. Mr. I'nmeron," turning to s gentleman near her and holding out the earrings tu him, "what do you think of these?" "Why, they are niugulllcent, Mrs. Waters," after momcura scrutiny. "This one Is, 1 know." "Why. they ure matched. " Oh, no! The mate of this one Is In Mouth Africa." Then lo hla look of luuutry she replied rouuelllshly: "I gave It to an old lover of mine ten years ago. He wua going away, poor fellow, to seek bit fortune and mine, and I wanted him to have some reminder of me. so I guvo him ono of my priceless earrings fo a shirt stud." "And ho never cttino buck?" "Whut waa the use?" "On. yes! I understand: womanlike, you wero the one to forget.'' "And he went off to Mouth Africa, poor old Jurk, to bury his disappointment, disappoint-ment, they say. I have often wished he had been thoughtful enou'th to send my earring back to me." "You can certainly get a perfect substitute sub-stitute for It In Hint ono." "Hut I expect it la boyond my means It It Is genuine," she said looking at the diamond longingly. "However, I am going to ask him to put It aside for awhile, anyhow, wouldn't you?" "I certainly should If I wanted to match the one ou have." Turning to the owner of the gem, whose stony eyes were riveted on her face, Mrs. Waters said graciously: "If you will lay tt nslde for ma few days " "Keep It yourself, niftdani, he ln-I ln-I torruptod. hastl!--; "keen It until I call f ir It." end .urtiing abruptly he bur. i rld sway. " hin lulls Hose rams to her mother iiikI held up the sm'ill lialtier rase. ' Tut It III here, mamma," she salt roalllisly: "li come In here." The n.o'htr took the cane and me. clinically I'.'U' hed the spring. The l.g I Hew up, uud fiom Its Kitm llninr. t tiny photogi.iph of herself In her girl. Uh lua ity smiled nmcklnuly at her. Hha started end III" coior left her fare, flia s;u.mg to her feet ana looked with Inmtry eyes down tin street; but It was loo Into- he was lost In the multitude forever. |
