Stella Rosevelt — page 225: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

FRUITLESS EFFORTS. 219 it sometime, but I meant her to understand that a girl in her dependent position had no business to refuse so simple a re- quest. The initials A. S., with two strawberry leaves, their stems crossed, are engraved on it, and I knew, when he de- scribed it to me, that it was ‘his iriend’——or rather himself, as it appears now—who had given it to her. I heartily wish now that I had let it alone. But just listen to this.” Miss Richards took. the pieces of the note, which she had held crumpled in her hand, and putting them together, read the following : ‘Oct. roth, 188-—. ‘Miss RICHARDS :—-Doubtless before you receive this you will have learned that Archibald Sherbrooke—whom I represented to you as my friend, for reasons which you cannot now fail to understand—and Lord Carrol are one and the same person. Under the former name, which was the only one which belonged to me at that time, I became acquainted with Miss Gladstone on shipboard, and was so pleased with her that, at parting, I exchanged souvenirs with her, giving her'a little cameo which I prized very highly. It is the same one which you have had made into a ring. When I met Miss Cladstone a short time since she remarked that she had ‘lost’ my gift; last night she told me Zow she had ‘lost’ it, and I would respectfully ask you to send it to the inclosed address, that I may retum it to the owner, should I be so happy as to find her. ‘¢ Very respectfully, ‘¢ ARCHIBALD SHERBROOKE, Bart., and Lord CARROL, of Carrolton.”’ ‘‘Why on earth can’t you let other folks’ things alone, Jose- phine?” cried Mrs. Richards, when her daughter had finished reading this formal note, and feeling almost faint from mortifi- cation upon learning of this disgraceful episode in her life. ‘‘I’m sure,” she added, reproachfully, ‘‘you have trinkets enough without taking the only thing a poor girl had.” ‘Isn't your commiseration somewhat ill-timed, mamma, for the ‘poor girl,’ now that she is not here to reap the benefit of it?’ sneered the dutiful young lady. ‘<I don’t care; it is an elegant trifle, anyhow, and I’ve half a mind to keep it, in \ GOMmichboo Si =)