FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128  
129   >>  
ade a goodly array, all the birthday and holiday gifts of many years, several of them quite costly. She hesitated a little over a beautiful watch and chain, but finally laid them with the others--a fair offering at the shrine of love, retaining only a plain gold pin and the rings her husband gave her. When baby took her afternoon nap, Faith gathered up her rings, and pins, and ear-rings, and bracelets, and chains, and all the other "tinkling ornaments," made them into a package, and went with a resolute look in her eyes to Mr. Seymour's--one of the largest jewellery stores in the city. Mr. Seymour was a member of the same church, and took a fatherly interest in the young couple. Faith, with much inward trepidation, unfolded her plans to him. After careful examination he named a price for each article that made her heart bound with joy. "As a matter of course," he explained, "we never give full value for goods bought in this way; but when a woman sacrifices her ornaments for such an object I want to bid her God-speed, and I shall give you what I think I can dispose of them for." He counted out the fresh bills to Faith; she could have hugged him, but she only said, in low excited tones: "Mr. Seymour, I cannot tell you how much I thank you." She almost flew home, and then dismissing the nurse, acted in a most extraordinary manner. She danced about the room with baby, nearly squeezing the breath out of her, and laughed and cried by turns; then she did some tender serious thinking How had the clouds of the morning turned into sunshine! She recognized the hand of the dear Lord in it all; these suggestions and plans were given by him. His loving kindness was over her; she would never doubt it more. When her husband returned at evening she tried to banish from her tell-tale face all traces of exultation. This was her secret; he could not know it yet. So poorly did she succeed that he was happily surprised by finding her cheerful, instead of sad; and yet, inconsistent mortal, he began to feel slightly annoyed that she seemed to be taking the prospective separation so coolly. "How soon can you be ready to go?" he asked in the course of the evening. That roll of bills in Faith's pocket made her eyes dance with glee, as she answered: "Oh, in about a fortnight; but let us not talk about that to-night, let me read you this exquisite little bit I found to-day." "Women are queer," soliloquized Frank. "I don't believe
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128  
129   >>  



Top keywords:

Seymour

 
husband
 

ornaments

 

evening

 

returned

 

banish

 
suggestions
 
kindness
 

loving

 

breath


squeezing

 

laughed

 

extraordinary

 

manner

 

danced

 
tender
 

recognized

 
sunshine
 

turned

 

morning


thinking

 

clouds

 

cheerful

 
answered
 

fortnight

 

pocket

 

soliloquized

 

exquisite

 
succeed
 

poorly


happily

 

surprised

 
finding
 

traces

 

exultation

 

secret

 
prospective
 
taking
 

separation

 

coolly


annoyed
 

mortal

 

inconsistent

 

slightly

 

chains

 

tinkling

 

package

 
bracelets
 

afternoon

 
gathered