LITERATURE.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 1973, 21 June 1880, Page 3

LITERATURE.

SHINING IN BORROWED JEWELS. ' Oh, Ailda. dear, do lend them to me,' sighed Mrs Rose. Though she was Mrs Hose she was only eighteen, and she stood staring at a splendid set of diamonds — bracelets, ear-rings, necklace, pin, and finger-ring—that lay in a blue velvet case before her. ' I know it ia the most impudent thing—" cheeky," Tom would call it ; but we are own cousins, and you'll have them always, and I only want to wear them at Miss Follingsby's wedding. I've a black silk, with a train and nice lace, but only my corals; and they dress like queens, this Follingsby lot. l)o, dear.' ' Well, I'm sure I'd do anything to please yon, Lotty,' said the other woman. * You know they are all the fortune I have. I shall sell them. We oan buy a little home, and something 'eft over, if I get the price Sparkle & Shine promised me for the stones. Here, put them on. Well, you do sparkle, to be sure.' ' Oh, thank you, Hilda,' exclaimed little Mrs Ro3e, dancing before the glass. * Not one woman in a thousand would be so good. I'll never, never forget them for one instant.' Away she went, wrapped in her great cloak, which hid the diamonds from the eyes of her waiting husband. They hurried on, for the Follingsby's were only a few blocks off, and carriages were expensive things—too expensive for a poor cierk and his wife. The wedding ceremony was soon over. The supper followed. • Who is that girl in the diamond-neck-lace?' asked one elderly lady of another. ' That ? Why that is young Mrs Rose,' replied the other. *Mr Roee is in the bank. He is a poor young man, of course; but Mr Follingsby thinks so much of him. He is so reliable —so good.' 4 He must have married a rich wife,' replied the other old lady. 1 Oh, I think not,' replied Mrs Follingsby. ■ She was a governess, I think.' The old lady shook her head. Her husband was an officer in the bank of which Mr Follingsby was president. She saw him at the other end of the room and approached him. 'A word In your ear,'said she. 'Have yon ever discovered the secret of those mysterious robberies at the bank ? I thought not. You know young Rose, don't ycu ? There, that is his wife.' ' Pretty girl,' said the old gentleman. ' Pretty ! That is all you think ef, Mr De Champ!' cried the old lady. ' She wears the finest diamonds in the room.'

'thine as well as any/ laughed Mr De Cham. ' Glass and brass. Ha —ha !'

'I shall go distracted,' said Mrs Do Champ. ' Why, I can detect French paste at a glance. Now, De Champ, if your clerk gives his wife—who was a poor governess — such diamonds, something is wrong.* ' Yes, ye3 —if —but then,' began the old gentleman. But away went Mrs De Champ. In five minutes she had obtained an introduction to Mrs Rose, and had carried her away into the conservator? to show her a rare flower. Little Mrs Rose, flattered by the attention, was in high spirits ; and when, after some chat, Mrs De Champ said, with a smile :

' It's really quite rude, I know, but I can't help spsaking of your beautiful diamonds. Are they heir-looms ? ' Temptation overcame her. She did not know enough to understand that diamonds which were proper heir-looms would have been things to be prouder of than recent purchases. Her whole mind was in the present. She really had worked herself into a sort of belief that the diamonds were her own—that she wab rich and fashionable.

•Oh dear, no,' she said with a careless air. 'My husband's birthday gift. He promises ir.e a watch, set to match them, next Christmas.'

' Indeed ! ' said the old lady. 'He is generous. May I show the bracelet to a friend ? It is quite unique. Wait here for me.' She sped away through the rooms, with the bracelet folded in her handkerchief. ' Mr Follingsby,' she said in a whisper. ' come with me where we can be_ alone ' And the bank president followed his guest into his little study. Then she laid the bracelet upon the table. ' What are these stones, Mr Follingsby?' said she. • The finest diamonds I ever saw, replied the bank president, who had begun life as « jeweller. ' The only sensible person yet,' cried JMrs De Champ. ' Now, sir, your clerk, Mr Rose gave these to his wife for her birthday present, and promises her a watch Eet to match them, for a Christmas gift. Do you understand! Have you discovered the mysterioas robber yet V Mr Follingsby sank into a chair and said : ' I trusted Roße though he had been my son.' A few minutes after, young Rose said to his wife:

' I suppose every one knowß yon are rigged out in dollar jewellery. I feel ashamed of it.'

• Oh, no matter, dear. They are very good imitations,' said little Mrs Roße. Sh» preferred not to mention to her husband that she had borrowed such splendid jewels—especially as the old lady was long in returning. . In fact, she returned no more. Vainly did Mrs Rose search for her. She had given the diamond bracelet to one whose name she did not even know, for she had not caught it in the introduction. She returned home in despair, and at breakfast time professed herself too sleepy to rise. Poor Rose ate his meal a'one, and went down to the Bank with a feeling that something was wrong. It deepened as he obeyed a summons to enter the president's private office, and found him standing with a grave face before the bright grate fire. 'Rose,' began Mr Follingaby, ' I knew your fathor and loved him. I have loved you. I trusted you. You have betrayed that trust. Even now, I cannot have the heart to prmish you as you deserve. Return your spoils, and a dismissal will be your only penalty—that and the wounds which your conscience mutt give you.' ' Sir !' cried yonng Jtiose. 'I d not comprehend —I—dishonest —I—' ' You should not have allowed your wife to appear in those diamonds,' said Mr follingsby. Roue actually laughed. •Is that it!' said ho. ' Poor Lotty, her glass jewels were good imitations, then ?' •You forget, sir,' s«d Mr Folhngsby, ' I have the bracelet. I never saw finer diamonds ; and since you intend to give her a watch, sot with the same jewels, for a Ohriamas gift—' , •Mr Follingaby, am I mad, or are yon f cried young Rose.

' Yon, I fear,' said Mr Follingsby. * Come, Rose, confession will better avail yon than denial; God knows, I pity you. Doubtless you were tempted. Bat I must Bee to the interests of the bank, while I stretch a point to save yon from the worst- Here Is a bracelet ' and be drew it from his breast. 'I am unable to comprehend.' gasped Rose; but at that moment the door burst open, and in rnshed Mm Lontrel.

' I have found you both together, Mr Follingsby and Mr Rose/ said she. * They tried to keep me cut, but I would come im. One of your guests stole my bracelet from Mrs Rose, Mr Follingsby. I have no husband in the bank. I'm r.ot afraid of yon. I will have her name. An old lady, with white puffs of hair and ruby ornaments—a fat old lady. Ob, what a fool I was to lend that silly Lotty my whole little fottune to glitter and shino in for a night! Left me by poor grandma, Mr Follingsby ; and we are going to sell them and huy a house. And. your wife told you they were glass, Mr Rose. Oh, she is such a silly t"hing ; always was. Can't I have the old lady arrested, Mr Follingsby. Give me her name do, please.' ' Madame,' said Mr Follingßby, * your bracelet will be returned, if it is yonrs. Can you prove property ?' ' Grandma's will, and the lawyers, and Ben, and the rest of the set, and everything,' cried Mrs Lontrel. *Of coarse I cmi. Is there any hope of getting it back?'

For answer, Mr Follingsby dropped the bracelet into her hand.

'Go home and comfort your poor, silly liitle friend,' said he, * and you, Rose, forgive me. I should have lost my trust ia human nature, if what I thoughtjof yon had proved true.'

* What did you think ?' asked Mrs Lontrel. ' Nothing wrong, I hope. Cousin. Lotty never even told him she had borrowed the jewels, and I'm Bare I beg pardon for my excitement, and all that, and I'll run to Lotty right away.' Mr Follingsby opened the do">r with a bowand the two men were leit together. It ia not often that a bank present apologizes to his clerk, but it happened this time, at least.

At home that night, Tom Rose found a penitent little wife with swollen eyes, whom he kissed into smiles again. All had ended well, but Lotty had a lesson. She would never again desire to shine in borrowed jewels.