My Diamond Ring.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 9289, 15 January 1892, Page 4

My Diamond Ring.

{Continued from yetitrday.') my flow of volubility till all was ready, and I hospitably invited Donovan to ''draw up." and make himself comfortable. He hesitated and looked quite sheepish. I do not believe the man, -had a particlo of conscience, but he had a certain odd instinct of politeness, and be felt that wo were rather an incongruous pair to thus sit down together, "After you, ma'am," he said awkwardly, but I -laughed arid answered : ■ " Nonsense, sit down while tho meal is nice and hot." Never" shall I forget that moal ! Bach mouthful seemed as if it would choke me ; and every now and again I caught thp man's evil, coveto"us glance at the ring on my left •h.jmcli My one hope Was in gaining time', and even then how 'could I ba sure of help?' If Sally returned alono ' ( what Would ,two helpless women ,be against "a strong determined man 1 t With what longing. 'did I' think of 'the muscular, biawny blacksmith.- Oh, if he would only -coma 1. Surely, .surely ' he • would , nqbi Ipt Sally walk across the dreary fields alone ! .Supposing that, seeing the light from ( th<i kitchen ancl guessing that I was there,"ho should leave his sweetheart at the entrance of the yard 1 Pray Heavcn-that he might remember that I had ever a kindly feeling towards Covers, and so would dare to brijig Sally to the very threshold.'-' • " v "" * ■ l Mat all-tho time niy thoughts were run: nirig I was "talking'gailyio' Donovan. Wha^;he thought- of rqy unwonted aSai biliby I shall never know, but J am convinced that he- never suspected iioy \raal motive. AVhen at last he announced that he could eat no more, my heart sank, for nearly half-ah-hour must elapse ere' f'dared hope for Sally and for, " Basil the blacksmith." Ah, surely, surely my woman's ■wit could keep him %at bay for! ono* little half-hour longer. Ho had risen from the table, and stood looking at me. . He was just about to speak, whe'ri I said easily : '" Aftersupper a drink, Donovan: "Ag'lass of whisky will not come amiss, will it I" and I laughed merrily, though I could have screamed with terror 'and apprehension. ' [ I knew- that in offering whisky I wai doing a desperate thing, as I could no* tell how it would affect him. I kne.v that drink made some men like raging maniacs, and that others it quickly stupo fied. I might in this case hope for the latter, but I had £o risk the former. And I must go iuto tho solitary dining room to get to tho gidoboard where the liquois wore kept. What if he should follow .m<i, and there in darkness deal me a deadl) blow-? But Donovan evidently .thought that I was thoroughly in his power, and „that, that u.Uttlo time mattered nothing. S,o I went on my errand and returned safely, and when I gave the glass into his hand- he thanked me and drank my health with a considerable degree of gallantry. I sa) down by the side of the fire, and my heart began to beat in great suffocating; throbs. ' For I .saw the man began to caat stealthy, furtive glancos around, and ' once ho looked at mo with an expression that made mv bl(w! run cold. "Tne master won't be nome atore tomorrow, ma'am, will he? 1 ' he said suddenly. "No," I answered, for of what uao to deny that which I had once admitted) He sat in silence for fully a minute, and then, with a change of tone, said wheedlingly : " That's a pretty ring ye have on, miss." " Yes," I answered, and as I uttered the one word I tried to brace myself up strongly, for I knew tho moment I dreaded was - como. " Did your father buy it for you V he went on.- "No," I answered briefly.- 7" ,Youi sweetheart may be V -queried .Donovan 1 with a cunning chuckle. " Yes, my sweetheart," I replied, and with the word came a vivid recollection of Tom's tender .eyes and stalwart figure, and I longed'- Wildly for the reassuring clasp, of his strong hand. " He must be powerful fond of you, miss, to buy a thing like that," pursued Donovan. "It would cost a sight of money." "Did you ever have a sweetheart, Dono.van V I asked with a gay laugh. "Tell me about her." Oh, for time— for time ! I thought despairingly. What could I pay or do to keep the man at bay for a few moVe minutes 1 Surely Sally would not be long. Surely Basil would come with her. " Sweetheart !" repeated Donovan with' a hoarse chucklo. '-No, miss, I never had no sweetheart. I never was fond of no young woman like as your young^roan is fond of you. He'd do^ anything for" you, 1 expect. I'm sure," weut on Mr. Donovan with odious gallantry, ".that if I was a gentleman, and you was ray daughter I would do anything for you. My cheeks burned- hotly at : his tone, but I dared not 'Show any resentment, and Donovan, dently under tho impression that he.^was making himself highly agreeable, won't on speaking. " Yes, I'd do anything for you if them was tho circumstances, au' no doubt y v our young man feels the same. If you was to lose that ring, he'd be glad siiough to buy 3*oll auother, I'll bobound. ? ' 'But no other ring could ever be the 4ame as this," I answered, smiliug. " This ring was put on when I first promised to be his wife, and it has never been ofl since." In spite of tho gravity of the situation a faint sense of the humorous struck' me as I said the words, I had never been a girl who discussed her love affairs, always holdJug that such matters should be kept 3Acrefl between tho two chiofly concerned, and it seemed so strange to be speaking on such a topic to an ignorant labouroi, my father's servant. But all thoughts, Have of tho present, woro quickly dispnllad as the man rose to his feet and cama towards me. "It has got to come off now, miss, if it has never been off afore," ho said. " I've had my eye on that ring ever sinco I iir.^t see you, and now the time has come for you to pass it over to me." lie put his hand towards mo, and I grasped it frantically. Apart from tho actual value of the ring I bad another reason for my reluctance to part with it. Let niß confess that I am nob a little superstitious, and that Tom had said to mo : *' Whilo this ring remains on your finger nothing can come between u c ». Never take it off, my darling, until it has givon placo to your wedding circlet." I had always frilt — foolishly enough, as the sensible re-ctu'er will no doubt remark — that if ever tho diamonds left ray finger some misfortune would come either to my lovor or to-myfiolf, something that would prevent the " wedding circlet" from ever boing worn. • "Oh, do not take it from mo, Donovan !" I cried wildly. " I would part with anything rather than that !" " Now, miss,'' said Donovan, bia deliberate manner contracting strongly with my excitement, " you're a good-louking young \7oman, an' I uhould be very sorry to hurt you in any way. Butl,m a-goin' to have that rii)jr, an' if you don't givo it me quiet-like I shall have, to make you, that's. alL" " Wait till my father comes home," I said desperately ;" ho will givo you some moudy instead." "No doubt," answered Donovan with a sarcastic laugh. (< He'd give me something han'sorne, and be pleased to do it. What a pity you didn't mention it aforo ho went, miss. Como! 1 ' with , a sudden thi'eatening change of tone, " haild it over here while it's well with you !" , Did my ears deceive me, or did lically hear tbo faint muvmur of voices in the 'yard ? I sat for a moment absolutely still, evoiy norve atraiued to li»ten. Oh, if [to be continued.]

Wolf e'B Schnapps stands alone witloat arrival elixir in the catalogue ol: ma - di •nt.tonio.