Rensselaer Republican, Volume 27, Number 50, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 August 1895 — TWO OPAL RINGS. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

TWO OPAL RINGS.

CHARLIE CLIFTON, of the Fangal Cavalry, had bought.two opal rings of a wandering peddler. 'What ffid ho care about thn superstltion regarding the stones? His fellowofficer, Allonby, was only laughed at for warning him against the purchase. Clifton rode off With the rings, while his friend strolled over to where the peddler was tying up his pack. “See here,” he said, “here’s a rupee for yon. Now tell me about those rings. The sahib has bought them, and you can tell me the truth now.” “Master promise not to toll the other •ahib, and I will tell him,” replied the old man. Allonby gave the required promise. “Those jewels very unlucky jewels,” began the ancient vender. “They making very bad luck to different peoples. First sahib who bought them was Maharajah of Karospoor. The sahib knows what happened to him. Then Fortescue, sahib at Rotibad, bought them. That poor gentleman killed out riding very next day. After Rotibad merchant buying those jewels,, and fils.

house burnt down next week. Then all the people saying: ‘These very bad Jewels,’ and all very much afraid to to buy them. That merchant wanting to sell them to me; but I too 'anch afraid to buy. Then another man told me—those jewels only bad for three people. You buy and then sell them, and next purchaser will have good luck. That’s all, sahib. I tell sahib whole truth. The sahib who has bought those Jewels will have good luck, if God wills.” The old man took his departure and AUonby continued to muse over his queer story. After all, hedjiought, it may simply have been a coincidence that those three people should have come to grief. Anyhow, I hope old Clifton won’t have bad luck. Meanwhile the subject of Allouby’s thoughts had reined In in front of a pretty little bungalow half way up the Kliarpur Hill, where most of the residents of the station had their bungalows, and where what breeze there was in the place could be enjoyed by the jaded plain dwellers. At the sound of his horse’s hoofs a youug girl who had been reclining at ease on a deck chair in the reranda hastily rose. Nettie Vernon was a pretty sight that afternoon, with her golden hair and the English roses ■till in her cheeks. So thought Clifton, and he thought, too, what a lucky fellow he was to have won her. “Why, Sir Officer,” said the young lady, with the light of laughter in her eyes and its dimples in her cheeks, “what brings you here so early this afternoon? Have you been promoted? Are you ordered to the frontier to fight the Russians, or what? Do tell he, and don’t—oh! don’t look so serious.” The young officer looked down at the bewitching upturned face, and then ! “Bid you come all this way to do that?” asked Miss Vernon with mock reproach. “Oh, how foolish and hotheaded the young men of the present day are. Now, when fewas young—oh!” The sentence was not finished, “Look here, Nettie,” said her lover, “what do you tliiuk of this ring? That’s what brought me here. Isn’t it a beautiful opal? And the most beautiful girl In Tangal shall wear it if she likes.” “Oh, Charlie, what a dear you are!” cried the young lady, in delight, “but arep’t opals dreadfully unlucky?” “There you go,” said the discomforted lover, “yon are as bad as Allouby, who has been croaking ou the subject tOec Edgar Allen Poe’s ‘Raven.’ ” “I didn't say they were unlucky,” pleaded Miss Vernon; “I only asked if they weren’t. - I am sure, Charlie dear, nothing will be unlucky that you give me,” she added sweetly., In another moment the ring was on, and the two loren, comparing their Jewels, thought them quite the nicest in Kbarpur. A few days later Charlie Clifton was driving to the Kbarpur station. It was the day of the Sawarbad races. Sawarbad was some forty miles from Kbarpnr, and a large party was going over. The railway station was a couple of miles from Clifton's bungalow. He had driven about half way when he discov-

ered his famous opal ring was not 04 his finger. “Confound it!” he exclaim, ed. “I must have taken it off when T washed my hands. I must hare it 1 promised Nettie never to take it off} j besides, it might be stolen. I shall have to go back.” He turned his horse’s bead and drove rapidly home. He found the ring; and he found also when ha got to the railway station that thetraln had gone without him. Poor fellow, how sick he felt as he walked out of the station. Nettle must have gone without him; and he had been looking forward so much to the outing. A dreadful feeling of desolation took possession of him. It seemed to hint that lie was separated forever from his beloved. He cursed the opal ring which had been the cause of his misfortune. Was it really going to bring him ill luck after all, he wondered? A souhd of wheels approaching made him look up. Was It possible? He knew the cart He knew the driver. Miss Vernon drove up looking the prettiest of pictures in a new straw hat and a most becoming frock. After all, there is not always such a great gulf fixed between Paradise and the other place! “Wo must be quick, Charlie,” cried the young lady, as she threw down the reins. “I have run it very fine; I know.” “Don't hurry, darling,” was her lov* tt’s reply, given in a calm and leisurely manner—he could afford to be calm and leisurely now—"the train has gone without us.” “Oh, what a pity!” cried Nettie, claspher hands, “but never mind, dear, we have got ekeh other,” and she looked at the young man in a way that more than consoled him for all his disappointment' “And now,” said the young lady, “I daresay you’d like to know how it is lam so late. Do you know, sir, It is really all your fault? Yes, it was. It’s no good denying it It was that opal ring of yours that fell off—you know It was rather large for me. Well, I spent no end of time looking for it I thought I should never find it; but I did, and here lt~la. Biit what ea-ear-tfa-makea. you stare so? Don’t do It, dear; you look so ugly, and you are really not such a bad-looking boy in your normal state.’’ Poor Qlifton explained the cause of his own delay, which he had been trying to do for some time, but his fair lady had not given him a chance. “Now, dearest,” he concluded, —doesn’t it strike you as very curious that we should both of us have been delayed on account of our opal rings? I wonder what it means?” “Yes, I wonder, too,” said Nettie, nodding her golden head reflectively. But they both of them knew an hour or two later, when the terrible news of the breaking down of the Patharpar bridge under the train they would have gone by reached the station. And in the days of grief and desolation that followed for Kharpur they found time to wonder why they two should have been saved. Charlie and Nettie are older now, bat they still wear their opal rings—those rings which, instead of bringing them ill luck, saved them from an awful and sudden death. At least, they so regard the matter. And so do I also, for I, too, am superstitious, and not ashamed to own it.—Great Divide.