TEMPTED.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume VI, Issue 23, 7 June 1890, Page 6

TEMPTED.

—\HE kvede-c :nrg- rma,-inaMe . I-aw them az <.kdd and Jet"- jewelry rtare ghiis afzem«?*?a- -and I have th*>ught •>f t^or.. ever -rn.ee. •.*nlA think. ■> NelL a sec of real rabies : *>f coarse they are alnreeu iznastainiahle to the pe.pde no-c fortunate enough to be milHeuaires. Bat. only fancy the magnineent jewel bE:*)d red ,an«i wrarkEr g Eke ti re : neck Lace- bracet_et-—» ea r - ~*t r . a —car z r me nair —

the entire parwe. 1 "um.e*l them over an*L ■■•ver. an-< retwned them t»- their c-a-ket with s. dgii *?f reluet&nre. I asewe y .'O. NeE. it w.?ul-i ' e happfne» ■ possess -uch beautiful Eiing-. And vc-o_ with y-ur bermerce -zyle. '.* l»k Tttst t** lively in rubies. And Mre Mason.“s bail to ->•<!»*)< t*>-m».'rrc-w night- of the baLL what are Nettie Dnniap paused z< take breath. Helen E>anf<-rch - splen'fid '..Lark eyes were fuE of eaxer interest, and a fide-rm-re ‘■d eovMir cret't into her v cheek. ■ I -miE wear the -ires? that my annt ?en.t me from Eng Lan* 1 for a we*.biing gift. It is black Lace—real. v?u know. Nettie, ami. very beautiful. Rather s*?mbre. I "kne-w. and I ■•£&£ want a new iress for this particular o.seisiea.-—-vriethrng Egnt. yc-a know—but Mr Etaf -rth - El not feel juszfhei tn in-rurring the expense. ’ Nettie Dunlap's blue eyes were studying the sweet fare of her fries.’L who. aMe*«gh n»x much her rent'r-r. hai been Harry Dtoforth's wife for nearly a year now. * The ec'Stume wLI be perfe*.‘t." she cried. * If oedy you fad s;<nething with which to Lighten the •iea«i-hlaek lare. Xell 1 XeE those rabies w.jdd le the very thing : The dress is real lace, and with rubies . Em.-hgfnam?u. <ran n? further. Oh. Ned. can't yon manage it s».‘meh-:-w r’ rjk. . t *uerse*i —■ •. t r w»n * ■* sa_rz.’rt?e. * T> borrow nh<*-e rubies to wear to Mrs AEascn’s baE. ■ ».*h- it is n'?t such an awful deed as y:*u seem to think : The iaet is. Nell Danfc-rth. yea are to»> leautifnl a to be 'iresseii Eke a dow iy. Y-xi '/-ughc to be the belle c>-f <>ur ret : and you w<-xild .e. co*?, if v< u had net a p»»r man Eke Harry and tie! y ?arreif down to a mStc-p> Helen Daffitorth wa- -n her reet. pale an\i stem, her eyes ■ You pretend to be my friend. Nettie T>anlap.' she sai*L in a low. elear. '■rutting t«:»ne : * if you wish to remain -re. do n» t dare t»> make •sueE remarks •M>n*rerning mv husband. He l- .■•■**. am. unsetn>n. I married mm. knowing that he w k- ■ dy a s.hLiriei ?lerk. -and -inre Harry and I are sizisceif * F'jrgive me. NeE. Please —please : .•’give me : I sp*?ke up*>n the impulse . f the moHment. and I do- not deserve y<’Ur f?rgivenes>. but I shall be forever unhappy if yo-u do" net grant it. But it ••.-res seem so em-y f«*r you’pre-cure those ru 'de- for -?ne night’- wear, and n- • o»ne need be the wiser. Mrs Mason - home i- twenrv miles distant, and n*> one eLre from oar town bat ■ >wn Ettle t-arty has been invited to jo and v< -u kno-w that az the Mk-oc.* mam-ion we wEI meet only the very best people. And roar husband is eoafid®!tial clerk tn ♦ r-.-iO an't -let -. and Lt w .aid be e:asv for hfm to take the rubies • f<?r ■ ne night »?nly.' .a- rhe pLly-bilL- say. N .• harm c»xild happen c. them, .and he w..01’. ; rerum them the next mo>rnmu. and no questions asked. I know that he ma.- a key to- "he -safe where the rabies are kept with other valuables, and he ‘Mxild easily rec them. Nell. I I weald ask him E I were y- u. The fact i-. papa .o- refused to Let me wear niani nua'-".iLam* >nds —yoa kzu>w my ■ am rr.->. •Ee*i wnen I w.-a.- a child—for he s-avs chat a v> ang •xid •Might no*t to wear >ueh tninre- At base, after evaxing and teasing him for h* or-—actually rear-. Nell—he has e»xi--enzel on cr-ii’firiet!. thac -erne of the ocher la lies o-f -■zr party wear valuable jewel? al-«x N w. y<?a kn*?w ihaz MrHon t an«i V'-urrelf vre the only rem.-uninx ladies of the party, an-i Mr- Hunt dev lares chat her dress is perfect with- • at jewels—all EEes .and xreen Leaves—n«x an o-ctanettt: it really i? exquisite. . Nell. I -appeal to y- a as a T .a-t h’Ke ' I •» n»K care to g»> at all if I »ear r<m? wear the diamou’-isi My dress l> peari dlke*>vered with white Lace. With tne diar:_.»ad* it will he just t« * •■ !*><ely for anything ’ Ned - f;ure was white and her eyes full of tame. The very tl»aght ■ -f su<.‘a a thing was envogh to frigfirteu her. •fan. afr-ud e»c. dear, die answered, .met’v: is simrlv

• •_%. wetl. if y*.xi are wildng do- a -maL favour f--r a friend. matter. • -m«-.ening. Mrs Dtoafaevh-* Ano. Nettie—.|®iek-tempered. impuldve Nettie—pinned ->a her hat and wa* omST in a p«a-ei*.a_ The tear* dew iut.. Helen ’"eaumfal eyes. Nettie was hier dearest frfe&i. and *fee wc-ald noc wHhagly •mt her Bat there was b»> researee Left bat to await Nettie’- reeoveev fr» m the -wfft -nary -co-rm. ■ < anger, and then *ae wool, t tack al! satile- and tear* of peuitesee—a real April day. left ak.-ue in he* pretty -ictinm-nx-Gm Helett -eased herself l<ef*>re the cheery real hre to think ita matter ’ -ver. •*f ct-arse it w oat >f zheuaesci»-c.—thi* ri«Eea.lo>as pro<*>d.m-u -< Nettie I>anlap—bat -he thought o< the leantifm rubceuntil her head ached, aad her heart. :•>.*. wish ’.• ■mnnm s*> p»jssess them- F->r if there was --ae wadi »x her Efe which .•an_o-unte*i to covetousne-s,. is was the desire to pcesest- a -ec . f :t’* •■?- -uch as N eccie had desert be* L Helen cared fe r ■Eam- 'U-i-. bat aE her Ere -he ha»i admired the deep- zo■■ wr? j taa®nr--f rabies—real rabees. But t-> her—the wife of a p*:* r clerk—they were as unaztainxble as she Ko-h-i-aoer. Her head -nnk nr*-c. the eoshroeiel of the ?eft armchair. .md the great duskv eyes nded with zear* •-f retzre-z. •?h. if it were "uly r*jssioie ’ Was it img-ossible “ Helen started as th’?arh a viper had -com her : ? met him; eane inc.' her mind about vice—that m« nszer c-f such hateful mien wh*' -eem- to* -ft—a*.-w did it 20 ’ Xh, ve> * Fanimar- witfe its face, wc ±rec eo*inre. men pity, thea embraee." Everyth frig -eemed to grow misty bef*?ce her eyes: die felt -crjumely westk an L weary. W.-.k- it impossible t Why '.EI that hateful puestioHE keep -dhasing tar around. Yet af -he O'cly ha*t the safe-key—hew easy ft wooM be to rem*>ve "he rabies f- r •ne night : she reaM return them all safe in the morning—early. And ita jewelry store of Gold and -Jet was in the same '••ofl’iing with her modest he-use. f->r the Danf'jirthfS ■»?capiei a suite o-f re».-ms in the szo-ry. while the estabEshm«Et rfdoiistad bel-jw. And beeau-e Harry Danforth was a tra-zei an«l honoured employe they had never liesitaze*-! t*? trust in his keep-in- - the keys to the safe and the lack entrance t*> the store. If she had the keys h*>w easy to jain "•jssessic-a ■ ■ " "he coveted jewels, wear Hrer. ■ and return them in the early m-sruinr . Was ft impossible : What wc>al<'_ Harry sayl Why. -T coarse, he wo>ald n- -t permit such a thing. Ani stop— Whaz is that z A rap at the d- *?r : f the pretty sitting-ro.'-m : a telegrant for Harry Danforth. Es t . News :. Harry is called away from the city up»:-n imp*>rtant business, and w.?old not return fo-r thice•f&vs. Helen taard the -jt-.-ry fm-m tar husband's ’? wn Ejpts a Ettle Later, then '-.*ame hnrrief preparaE-.-n-. and after that he was • .•if tf ■-•ateh the evening tram. As he was kissing Helen •.zeod-b-ve. he added, tender l ! t * ■ Now. NeLEe -larEm:- do- not mope. I want to see yc-a I-eokfn-r weE when I return, for I expect t»- bcimr y:>a news. N : I wfE n«-.-t tell you now—not a word. Be sure and g«? to Mrs Ma-on's ball with Mrs Hunt and Nettie Dunlap. Yes. yes : I insist up*xi it. Ah. I must be <-?u—--g*>jd-bye 7 *.*ne m«?re kiss and he was —gone, and Helen left to her '-"wn creturns. How the passed an-i_ the next •taygEdei by Helen Danf.; -tia -.m?ul 1 never telL Nigh" found her -tan’Eng with a Tfgh.nea lamp in her Lana c-erere the safe hi the fewelrv stere bel’jw. If she tcok them at all -he must make hasze. for Mr- Hunt and Nettie—lsm; -ince recovered fr»?m her -?atburs" :-f .-tnger —wfH call for her in an taur : and "b.ev are t<» travel by train to them deszinazi*?a s-me twenty mEetaway. H'.'“v’ eaazifuL the razees L • k _ying up*?u "heir wb Ee vdver bed . She suatetas them up. and. "urufng ••.ufekly. ••iashes'?ut "jf zne Lonely reci. up the back stairs. •>lily pshushm t« -* I<-*rk the door beh-red her. After that everything see me! dim and misty to Helen. She remembered zcazing through the nxigy <-fance with vari’jns partners, and nearing exclamaEotis ->f tar tare her beaariifal jewels, -eefng ssrongety sigufE.*an" glance-. . .re**zed to-waris them .also, while scene ■•■n.e mg rat are? something in regari to a ‘ p*z<-r clerk dezkimr his wife tn rabies. ’ Helen's heart was fuIL She hxd never been so rm happy ■ Take me heme L' she erie*L wiivfly. and then she was eoa-seioa- of a tad f -rm in blue uniform and a heavy hand laid upoci her shoulder, while a voice pr’xlaimet her a thief. an’i string hands prepared tc- drag her away. She shriekef. maiEy. faHinp; back with fob force against a ■i-iintv bun’ cabinet. It fed to the E»r with a crash. She fetr lereelf falling down—down : She c»-pened her eyes. * ireas heavens ’ what *Ed ft ad mean ? The are wa? barninn cheerily within the grate : the canary wa- singing away f-?r dear dfe fn his gilded eare overhead : she was -eazei tn her big arm chair before the are just as when -he had .sat down all al«?ne to think '-ver Nettie’s imsme pr’>p*.-»dri’.-m But she was no loturer al-’-ue-for Harry, her husband, was snandiror taside her. fn rd*hard an open casket, and upoa a white velvet tad a ta.--niiZ’.*ent parure -?f blood-red rabies. • NeE 2 Ned 1 wake up. dear Why. y>a mu-u have been dreaming a terrible dream. y?a screamei s->. Dari in .-.»■• Ettle wife, here is a -gift for yoa—the rabies whi<:h Nettie Dunlap was Aimirir-g so enthusiastically belong "•:• y?a. my dearest. They were sent to y_.a as a long-delayed wc*i-Eng-gift fr»:>m my uncle, a very wealthv old man in Europe. NeE. he ha.c*:*me t»> visit as. and he uas parehased. a tame ferns subject to year Lerisi- c.—a cetsy cottage at Syrer itn: - a Joveiv pihce. with dower garden, f contain, everything to make it delightful. AA hy. NeE darting, what is the matter 1' If she taoke down and ssceumtai to a dt of hysterics, what woman could blame her Z Bat it was a penitent EttLe wife who told the story of her temp cation, and the -trange 'Eeam than had eocae in rinse "•> prevent her f<E