"Jack Parton, for pity"s sake, sit up! and you too, Katherine; I cannot allow my guests to sit on their spines."
"But it is so much more comfortable," protested lazy Jack, slowly s.c.r.e.w.i.n.g himself into a more erect position, while Katherine straightened up with a blush.
"There seems to be something wrong with the spines of this generation, and the first thing you know it will react on their mental and moral natures.
People without backbone are odious," Miss Betty continued.
"I wish you children could have seen Miss Patricia Gilpin as I saw her once when I was a little child, more than thirty years ago. She was straight as an arrow and pretty as a picture. Such old ladies have gone out of fashion. I remember hearing her describe the backboard and spiked collar she wore for several hours each day when she was a child."
"What was the spiked collar for?" Rosalind asked.
"To keep her head in the correct position."
"I am glad I didn"t live then," said Belle.
At this point Miss Betty"s sermon was interrupted by the appearance of a small, brown boy in a white ap.r.o.n, who announced supper.
CHAPTER NINTH.
THE LOST RING.
"Wear this for me."
The old mahogany table had never reflected a circle of brighter faces than gathered about it that evening to do justice to Sophy"s good things served on Miss Hetty"s pretty china.
Rosalind at the left hand of her hostess looked around the company with frank enjoyment of the novelty of the occasion. These young people were very entertaining, particularly Belle; and more amusing than anything was the small waiter, at whom Miss Betty glanced so sternly when he showed a disposition to laugh at the jokes.
It was when Miss Betty began to serve the strawberries that some one remarked on the old cream-pitcher of colonial gla.s.s, and thus started her on her favorite topic of the cream-jug and sugar-dish that exactly matched her teapot and should have been hers.
This was the first time Rosalind had heard mention of old Mr. Gilpin and the will.
"My grandmother and Cousin Thomas"s mother were sisters," Miss Betty explained, "and when their father and mother died the family silver was divided between them. In this way the teapot came down to me, and some of the other pieces to Cousin Anne, who was, you know, Cousin Thomas"s sister."
"Was old Mr. Gilpin related to me, Cousin Betty?" asked Rosalind.
"Why, certainly, my dear; it is time you were learning about your relations. He was your grandfathers own cousin. Your great-grandmother was Mary Gilpin before she married Mr. Whittredge."
"Rosalind looks puzzled," said Belle, laughing.
Rosalind laughed too. "I never knew about relations before. Does father know all this?"
"I should hope so; this is not much to know."
"Miss Betty, you promised to tell us about the ring, sometime; Rosalind would like to hear it, I am sure. Wouldn"t you, Rosalind?" asked Belle.
Rosalind wished very much to hear it, and Miss Betty, with a glance around the table, remarked, "I shall be glad to tell what I know if you care to have me, and Jack will sit up."
"Send for a pillow, Miss Betty; that is what mother does," Belle suggested, to the delight of the small waiter, who was compelled to retire suddenly to the hall, where he was heard giggling.
"As some of you know," Miss Betty began, "the ring belonged to Miss Patricia Gilpin, who was an aunt of Cousin Thomas"s, and your great-great-aunt, Rosalind. If it is still in existence, it is not far from eighty years old. You might suppose from the way in which they are spoken of now, that in the early part of the century all young women were beauties and belles; but if there is any truth in her miniature, Patricia Gilpin was a really beautiful woman."
"Wasn"t she married? I thought it was an engagement ring," said Charlotte.
"It was, but she never married. The young naval officer to whom she was engaged was killed in the War of 1812. They had known each other only a short time; it was love at first sight, I suppose. He had the ring made for her, and I always heard that she received it and the news of his death at nearly the same time. The last message she had from him was, "Wear this for me," which he had written on a card and enclosed with the ring; and she always wore it. She was a girl of eighteen at the time, and greatly admired; but she never forgot her lover."
"Did she live in Friendship?" Rosalind asked.
"During her father"s lifetime this was her home. She was born in the old Gilpin house, which was new then; and perhaps you know that the rustic summer-house at the top of the hill on the left is called Patricia"s arbor. For some years after her lover"s death she lived in seclusion, seeing no one; and always when the weather permitted she would sit in the arbor, looking out upon the river.
"It was said that this was the scene of their courtship, but it may be only a story.
"After her father"s death she lived in Washington, but she often visited Cousin Anne in the old place. As I have said, I remember seeing her and hearing her talk, when I was a child of six or seven. She was a stately and beautiful old lady, and as I recall it now, her face showed she had borne her share of trouble and disappointment bravely; and you can"t say more than that for anybody."
"That is what Cousin Louis says," remarked Rosalind, smiling at Maurice.
"But you haven"t told us what the ring was like," put in Charlotte.
"I never could tell a straight story," replied Miss Betty, laughing.
"Well, it was a broad band of open lace-work of a most delicate and beautiful pattern, and made of pure gold. The stone was an oval sapphire of great depth and purity of color, in a setting of tiny stars, made of little points of gold. When Miss Patricia died she left the ring to Cousin Anne, her niece, along with many other valuable things. Cousin Anne never wore it, but she used to show it to me sometimes as a great treat, and I have tried it on more than once. Cousin Anne ought to have made a will; but at best she was an undecided person, and she had a long illness. It was generally supposed she would leave it to your aunt Genevieve, Rosalind, or else to Patricia Marshall. Indeed, there were half a dozen of them who would have given their heads for it. Cousin Anne knew it, and she hated to disappoint anybody, so she ended by disappointing everybody."
"Why didn"t she leave it to you. Miss Betty?" asked Jack.
"Miss Patricia was not related to me. She was aunt to Cousin Thomas and Cousin Anne on their father"s side, and I am connected through the Barnwells, his mother"s family, just as Rosalind"s grandmother is," she explained; adding, "As Cousin Anne left no will, everything she owned went to her brother; and you have all heard about his will. Most of his money was to go to the endowment of a hospital, all the other property to be sold and the proceeds divided among his first cousins or their children, except the ring and an old spinet that came to him through his wife. The first he left to Allan Whittredge, the other to Celia Fair."
"To Uncle Allan?" asked Rosalind, greatly interested.
"Yes, and everybody wonders why. However, when they came to take an inventory, the ring was not to be found."
"And they haven"t the least idea what became of it," remarked Maurice.
"I think it was stolen," said Miss Betty, "although I acknowledge there is something mysterious about it. Cousin Thomas was subject to attacks of heart failure, and was found one evening unconscious in his arm-chair before the open door of the safe, where he kept his valuables. Morgan had left him an hour before, apparently as well as usual. He was discovered in this condition by old Milly, who is honest as the day, and she sent at once for Dr. Fair, next door, but it was some time before he could be found, and in the excitement it seems quite possible the ring might have been stolen. After Dr. Fair had partially revived the old man, he noticed the open safe and closed it. Cousin Thomas never regained consciousness entirely, and died the next day. It must have been a week before the ring was missed. The strange thing is that there were jewels of greater value in the safe, which were not disturbed."
"Don"t you wish your uncle would give it to you if it is found?" Charlotte asked Rosalind.
"In his will Mr. Gilpin said he left the ring to Allan, who was aware of his wishes in regard to it. I have no idea what those wishes were, but I hardly think he had Rosalind in mind," Miss Betty said, smiling.
"Uncle Allan must know what he meant. How strange!"
"Like a story, isn"t it?" said Belle.
"Have they looked everywhere for it?" continued Rosalind.
"Yes; the most, thorough search has been made, to no effect."
The rest of the evening was spent in games, and from the laughing that went on, Miss Betty"s guests must have enjoyed themselves. When Martin came for her and Rosalind said good night to her new friends, she did not feel like the same girl who had had to go to the magician to be cheered a few days ago. The face she lifted to the stars as she walked home was very bright indeed.