a.
THE TIMES, NEW 11L00MFIEL1), PA. JUNE 8. 1880.
face was as great as uiy own, when I
told lilm who had traveled here. "They
couldn't have left the train here, at any
rate," he said ; and I knew that as well
as be did. . ' '
But you have guessed theend. During
those few minutes we stopped on 4he
line, the two thieves darkening the
lamp even after I had left them, and
using their own key had left the car
riage under cover of the darkness, man
aging their escape In their hlack dress
out into the blackness of the night as
cleverly as they had managed their theft
and subsequent concealment. But how
could they have depended on this unus
ual delay this exquisite opportunity
given them In the utter darkness, close
to the city yet at no Btatlon V When I
officially made my deposition, and ex
plained the cause of my stoppage, some
thing of the truth seemed to break upon
us all ; but It wasn't for a good while
that it settled Into a certainty. Then It
got clear to everybody that the old
scoundrel had duped us more Ingenious
ly than the younger ones. As the Inca
pable old lady (deaf as a stone, aud so
blind that she had to peer through her
glittering glasses, with eyes always half
closed, and so hungry that I had to stop
the train for a luncheon basket) he had
played upon us the neatest trick of all.
Where on earth were the thick Iron
gray hair and whiskers by which we
were to have identified himV But by
the time the police saw the whole thing
cleaily it was too late to follow up the
clue to hi ni.
The cab which had taken the eccen
tric old lady with her parcels and flow
rs from Euston was lost in the city,
and could not be tracked. A high
reward was oflered for information, but
jio one ever won it. My firm belief Is
that it was no llgltlmately licensed cab
at all, but one belonging to the gang,
and part of the finished fraud. I Verily
believe,too,that sometimes now though
perhaps on the other side of the channel
those three practiced knaves enjoy a
hearty laugh over that December Jour
ney by the Night Express.
Davis still assures me, with the most
c heerful confidence, that he shall yet
have the pleasure, some day, of trapping
three of the most expert and skilled
thieves in Britain. I wish I felt as sure
of It. !
NICELY SWINDLED.
EUGENE LAWRENCE, a young
American of enormous wealth, had
a moderate passion for gambling, and an
immoderate passion for diamonds. Con
sequently he lost considerable money at
play, and paid out a great deal more in
buying up precious stones. But for
these two passions of his this story
would never have been written.
It was at Paris that Lawrence first
met the Count de Rohan, and fell in
love with his diamond ring. It was at
Madame Duquesne's, and in this wise.
Madame was a female gambler of wealth
and position. Her villa was just out of
Paris, on the Cllchy road ; and here
assembled every evening quite a number
of choice spirits, ladies and gentlemen,
drawn together by a common love of
play. At Madame Duquesne's, indeed,
.gaming might be said to be carried on
ia its most moral and respectable, yet in
its most lecklesg, form. , Thousands of
francs changed hands there every night,
Eugene had driven out to the villa
one afternoon with a friend, and, just
pour passer le temps, a game of ecarte
was proposed. A stranger sat down
opposite madame, and on Eugene's
right, and was introduced as Count de
Rohan. He was a slender, well-dressed
man, polished and reserved, yet a gen
tit-man rather in the worldly than the
broad sense. There was something in
the dark face, the gleaming eyes, and
the sneer which, despite the heavy
.mustache, showed itself perpetually
upon the thin lips, that was fascinating
while it was repulsive a something
which seemed to mark the man " dan
gerous." As the oards were dealt, and
the count reached forward to take bis
hand, Eugene's attention was suddenly
drawn to the ring which he wore upon
the little finger of hi9 left hand, a
diamond of great size, and of wonderful
brilliancy and beauty. No man with
huch a ring could easily pass himself off
for a poor man. To one at all versed in
the matter of diamonds, the stone was
unquestionably genuine, and worth, at
the very least, fifty thousand francs,
The young American had, as has been
said, a passion for diamonds, and bad
bought many. Here was a etoue finer
than any he had ever seen outside the
crown Jewels. He could not keep his
eyes off it. He played so stupidly that
madame rallied him lepeatedly, and his
partner grew at last positively angry
all the while the ring occupied bis atten
tion to the. exclusion of all else. It
fascinated and bewitched him, Just as a
beautiful woman might have done. It
fceeuied to him that he would have sold
his very soul to possess It.
Other guests dropped in after a while,
and dinner was served. Eugene man
aged to place himself beside the count,
aud upon his left. The wonderful dia
mond was gaming power, over him
every moment. For a ring's sake, he
was polite to a fault to a man whom he
would otherwise have treated with
haughty ludlflerence. The stranger,
reserved though he was, thawed percep
tibly under this persistent attention. As
the evening advanced, the two became
apparently good friends ; and when, at
an unusually early hour, the company
broke up, Eugene's friend having al
ready departed, he offered the count a
seat in his carriage, and they drove back
to town together.
" Where shall I leave you " Eugene
asked, when they were at last fairly
within the city limits. "Or," be con
tinued, "if you are not too tired, what
do you say to a cigar and bottle of hock,
chez nioiV 1 ' 1
The count readily accepted Lawrence's
Invitation, aud they drove to the latter's
rooms at the Hotel d'Jj ,' And there,
when both were warmed to still greater
Intimacy and freedom, the American
ventured to speak of what Just then lay
nearest his heart.
"You have a beautiful diamond there,"
he said, at last, as De Rhoan put forth
his hand to take the glass which his
host bad Just refilled again.
The count seemed to freeze up at once
at mention of the ring. " Yes," was all
he answered, aud spoke of something
else. Presently, however', Eugene, not
to be defeated by a mere change of man
ner, broached the subject again.
" I beg your pardon," he said, pleas
antly, "but we Americans . are a priv
ileged people, you know, t am passion
ately fond of diamonds. Would you
please let me look at yours V"
The count hesitated a moment, then,
with evident reluctauce, drew the ring
from bis finger, aud gravely placed it on
the table. It waa a Golconda fetone, very
peculiarly set, being held In the fangs of
a golden snake, which was made to coil
Beveral times around the finger. Eugene
indulged in the most rapturous expres
sions of admiration and envy us he
examined it more closely; and the.
count's features finally relaxed a little
and he smiled frankly, saying :
" It Is for you to pardon me, my
friend. Perhaps I was rude not to show
you the ring at once, since it Beems to
give you so much pleasure; but it lias
been in my family a long while, and
there are many painful associations
connected with it. I do not like to have
it noticed ; it is rarely, indeed, that I
wear it."
But Eugene was hardly listening to
this. He was turning the stone back
and forth in bis hand, aud admiring
it.
" Excuse me once more," he said,
again. " I know I am Impertinent, but
may I ask at how much you value
this stone
" I am told it Is worth sixty thousand
francs. I would not sell it for a hun
dred thousand."
Eugene grew reckless. " I will give
you a hundred thousand for it 1" he said
boldly, looking the other straight in the
face.
In spite of himself, there came into
the count's dark eyes a gleam of satis
faction at these words. But he was his
cool self again on the instant.
" Monsieur Lawrence," he said, with
a grieved, half injured air, " you have
no right to tempt me thus. I am poorer
than you think. I have more than one
debt of honor that troubles me; and,
unless I win money this week, I must
raise it upon the ring. But, believe me,
I would almost as soon part with my
life. Only for my honor's sake would I
think of such a thing." .
"At least," Eugene cried, now full of
hope that the coveted stone might yet
become his, "promise me that you will
come to me first. I will give you more
than anybody else."
" I promise," replied the other,brlefly;
and then he again changed the subject.
Two days later Lawrence met the
count again. He had done nothing but
think of that marvelous stone ever since
his first sight of it, and he could not
forbear speaking of it at once.
"Count," he said, abruptly, "you
must let me have that ring. I believe
am going crazy over it."
The count stood still, considering
moment. Then he took the young man
gently by the arm, and walked along
with him.
' " I could not think of parting with It
for less than one hundred thousand
francs ; and it really is not worth"
I will gladly give that much!" in
terrupted the other, eagerly. ' '
" Do you fully understand," the count
persisted, " that thejetone is worth little
more than half that sum V
" Yes, yes 1 I understand, perfectly."
" Well, sir, here, take the ring. I do
not hesitate to trust you with it. Wear
it for two days take it to the best jew
ellers in town, and make sure that it Is
genuine. If, at the end of that time
you still desire to possess it, then-
Here the count's voice dropped, and his
face became gloomy "Then I will let
you have It though I believe my an-
cestors will turn over in their graves."
Eugene, overjoyed, received the ring,
and hastily taking leave of the count,
went with bis prize at once to the best
udge of diamonds in Paris. The stone
was pronounced genuine, without a
doubt.and one of the finest In the world,
worth at least sixty-five thousand francs.
The young man was delighted, and
went home to gloat over it by himself.
Alas I his joy was short-lived. De
Rhoan came in the next day with a
downcast look.
" Monsieur Lawrence," he said, de
ectedly, " I am come to disappoint you.
I know I promised to sell you the stone;
but I throw myself upon your mercy. It
is more to me than I thought I cannot
part with it. I beg you to give me back
my ring. I will raise the money some
other way."
There were actually tears In the dark
eyes as the foreigner uttered these words
and Eugene felt that it would be ungen
erous to urge him farther. Of course he
could not do otherwise than restore the
ring, though lie did so with a reluctance
scarcely less than that which the count
himself might have felt at parting with
it. It was only the next Saturday that
he was called to London, and then home
at once to America.
Eugene Lawrence had been home
from Europe nearly a year now, and yet
all that time he had never forgotten
Count de Hunan's diamond. He thought
of it often thought of It always, too,
with a sigh of regret, as one sometimes
thinks of a beautiful woman whom he
has failed to win. Probably he wanted
It all the more because he had been
unable to get it. It la human nature,
after all, to value a thing most when it
belongs to somebody else. But It seems
that be had not yet seen the last of the
Golconda stone.
By what could not hut strike him as
a remarkable fatality, Eugeue, being in
Boston one afternoon In August, intend
ing to return to New York by rail, at
the last moment met a friend who was
going on the same night by the Fall-
River steamboat, and who persuaded
him to go that way.
Just at dusk, as the vast steamer was
making its way down the east passage,
before reaching Newport, as the two
were sitting together on the after-deck,
Eugene found his cigar had gone out,
and was obliged to appeal to a stranger
beside him for a ligut. This stranger,
he had before noticed, was a stout, jolly.
looking individual, in a gray business
suit. He had been Bitting there smok
ing a long while, with his feet on the
rail. He took his own cigar from his
mouth, and politely knocked the ashes
from it before handing It to Lawrence.
As he did bo, the light of the cabin
lamps fell full upon his hand; and
there, right before our heroes eyes, flash,
ing and scintillating with a brilliancy
that could not be mistaken, was his old
sweatheart, the Oolconda stone. He
recognized it on the instant, positively,
and beyond a doubt. If be could have
been mistaken by the stone, there was
the gold enake in whose fangs it rested,
familiar to him as though he himself
had worn it all his life. So astonished
was he, and delighted, too, at this un
expected event, that his hand trembled
violently as he mechanically took the
offered cigar and lit hla own with it.
And presently when the Btout stranger
moved away, he followed and addressed
him.
It did not seem to Eugene at all neces
Bary to beat about the bush with this
person, whom he took to be some vulgar
American, made rich by the sale of
butter or lard or some other oily com
modity ; a representative of the later
aristocracy.
" Sir," he said, placing his band on
the Btout man's shoulder, " may I in
quire where you got that ring V"
The stranger looked around, surprised
and apparently startled.
" That ring I" he exclaimed, In a voice
of alarm. "WhyV Wasn't it his'n ?'
"Wasn't It whose?"
" Why, the man I bought It of the
count."
"So De Rhoan sold it, , after all, did
he V" Eugene said, in a - lower tone
half to himself and halt to the stout
man.
" Yes," responded the other, opening
his eyes, "How the deuce did you
know t Acquainted with the county"
"How much did you give him for
it V" demanded Lawrence, not heeding
the question.
" Wal, you see he was hard up. Been
playin' high, I guess. He let me have
it for fifty thousand francs ; that's nigh
onto ten thousand dollars, I reckon."
" I will give you twice that amount
for it a hundred thousand francs I"
. " Whew 1 You will V My friend, it's
yours, by gracious! dot the money
with youl"" . ,
The present owner of the stone was
not so slow at driving a bargain as the
count had been.
" 1 will get It for you to morrow
morning," Eugene answered. " Where
shall I meet your""
"To-morrow morning V" said the stout
man deliberately. "Afraid I can't see
ou then. I s'pose you mean busi
ness V"
" I do." And Eugene smiled, In spite
of himself, at the other's simplicity.
" Wal, I tell you what. You come
around to the office of the A Home
at half-past eight to-morrow night.
Bring the money with you, and the
ring Is yours."
" I will be there," Lawrence Bald,
briefly, and the conversation ended.
An hour before the appointed time
found Eugene impatiently pacing the
floor at the A House. It seemed to
him that that hour never would pass,
and he constantly tortured himself with
the fear that the stranger would repent
himself of his bargain, and fall to ap
pear. At half-past eight precisely, how
ever, the man he waited for entered,
looking provoklngly cool and uncon
cerned. ' You kind of looked as If you was set
on havln' that ring when you spoke up
lust night."
Then be drew it from his finger, and
placed it in Eugene's hand, receiving
the money In return. The diamond
sparkling in the gaslight, brilliant and
beautiful as of old. Eugene stood fond
ling it and feasting his eyes on it, while
the stranger stepped one side to count
the notes. Then the latter came back,
the two shook hands with expressions
of mutual good-will, and separated.
Lawrence went straight to bis room,
but could hardly sleep, so excited was
he at obtaining the stone at last. It
was not until he came once more to look
at It by daylight, that he fancied, some
how or other, that it was less brilliant
than it use to be, and less clear. The
more he looked at It the more he became
convinced of thla. What could It mean ?
A horrible suspicion seized him. He
went off directly after breakfast, and
asked an experienced jeweller hla opin
ion of the stone. The man looked at it
carefully a long while, and then handed
It back.
" It is the best imitation I ever saw,"
he said. .
Eugene stared at him angrily. "Do
you mean to tell me that it is paste V"
he gasped at last.
" Most certainly ; though if I were not
an expert, I should not dream of it. If
it were genuine, It would be worth eight
or ten thousand dollars. As it is so
good an imitation, and set ill gold, it
may be worth fifty or sixty dollars.
WheredidyougetitV"
But Eugene did not stop to tell the
jeweller where he got it. He went to
the police, and put them on the track
of a stout, jolly-looking personage in a
gray business suit. They never found
him, though, and the tweuty thousand
dollars was a dead loss, never to be made
good.
Our hero often wondered If the count
was a party to the fraud. The facts
were probably as follows : De Rhoan
was a real count, and also a real rascal.
The whole thing had been a cleverly
contrived and cunningly executed plot,
bo devised as to save the count's reputa
tion, and yet enable him to profit by
Eugene's passion for diamonds. He
had purposely thrown himself in Eu
gene's way, his reluctance to part with
the stone, and his final department from
his agreement, were mere pretence ; and
the stout man was no doubt a tool of
his, Bent to America for the express
purpose of tempting Lawrence with the
Oolconda stone a second time, - and
changing it for the paste one at the last
moment. The fraud would have been
perpetrated at an earlier period but for
Eugene's sudden departure from Paris.
The young American, as he finally
saw through the whole plot, could not
help admitting to himself that it was
extremely well done ; and, he did not
feel very much ashamed that he had
allowed himself to be so imposed upon.
Not one man in a thousand, probably,
could have helped himself under the
same circumstances. The thing he
regretted niont. after all, was that he was
as far as ever from possessing the Ool
conda btone.
Domestloated Seals.
A man living at Montreal obtained
two young seals, and after feeding them
about a year they became very tame,and
would go into the house and stay an
hour or two by the fire, and then go
out and take a swim in the St. Lawrence
returning again to the house and strik
ing their flippers against it to gain en
trance. Finally he decided to send
them off, and gave them to a steamboat
pilot to carry 40 or 50 miles down the
river, which was done, but the next
morning the seals made their appear
ance again as usual.
tW Sitting for a photograph is the
easiest thing in the world, but the chill
that crawls down a fellow's back just
at the critical moment, and the thought
that bis back hair is sticking up like
quills on a porcupine, is what makes
him laugh, and makes the photographer
pray that there will be no funs in the
world to come.
M
USSER & ALLEN
CENTRAL STORE
NEWPORT, PENN'A.
Now oiler the publics
A HAHB AND ELEGANT ASSORTMENT OF
DRESS GOODS
Consisting at 11 shades suitable tor the season
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AND ' ' '-
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A SPECIALITY.
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f". 4 -
AN ENDLESS SELECTION OF PRINTS'
We sell and do keep a good quality ot
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, And everything under the head ot
GROCERIES I
Machine needles and till for all makes of
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To be eonvlnced that our goods are
CHEAP AS THE CHEAPEST,
IS TO CALL AND EXAMINE STOCK.
V No trouble to show goods.
Don't forget the
CENTRAL STORE,
Newport, Perry County, Pa.
Tie Blood is tie Life.
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SELLERS & CO., Proprietors, Pittsburgh, Pa.
Bend tor circulars. 40 ly.
EVERY X.A.XfrY
WANTS TO BUY OUR 1
NEEDLES!
WE WANT
MALE AND FEMALE AGENTS
To Sell Our Needle rack age.
It contains; 6 papers, best large-eyed, cloth-stuck
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Stationery Package ! ,
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Address all orders to
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No. 048 Main St., bay brook. Conn.
Please say you saw the advertisement In this
paper. 17 8t
J. M. GiaviN.
J. H. Girvis
- J.M. GIRVIN & SON.,';
FLOUR, GRAIN, SEED & PRODUCE
. , Commission Merchants,
No. 64 South Gay, St., .
BALTIMORE, MD.
We will pay strict attention to the sale sf all
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promptly. . 451yr.
J. M. GIRVIN & BON.
ASSIGNEE'S NOTICE.
Notice Is hereby given that John A. Nesblt.of
Madison township, Perry county. Pa., executed a
deed of voluntary asslgnuieut lu trust tor the ben
etlt of creditors of all his estate real and person
al and mixed, to the undersigned, on the 29Ui day
ot March, A. D., WHO.
All persons knowing themselves Indebted to the
aid Assignor will make payment aud those hav
ing acoouuts will present them for aettlenieutto
ANDttEW ADAIK. Assignee.
March 29,1330. Chas. 11. Smiley, Att'y.