Sioux City register. [volume] (Sioux City, Iowa) 1858-1871, 1859-03-31

startled him.
II know it will but what are two hum
dred dollars for a diamond pin ?" Mrs
Blakely's voice was half contemptuous.-
"Mary Edga.'s diamonds cost over thou
sand dollars"
"Jus. one thousand dollars more than
her husband could afford to pay for them,"
said Mr.. Bakely.
"He's the best Judge of that presume"
retorted his wife.
"But that doesn't signify. You cannot,
Anna
"What do you do with your money
pray ?"
The young wife turned sharply upon
her husband, and her words and tone stung
him into rather hash reply. But this
only aroused her anger and made her
more unreasonaby persistent.
"Oh, very well,' said her too yielding
husband at last, 'go to Canfeld,s to NOR,
row and get the pin. Tell him to send
in the account on the first of January, and
it will be paid"
Mrs. Blakely was in earnest. There
was no, one of her fashionable ac-
quaintances but had q diamond ring or
hreastpin, and until she was the owner Of
one or both, she could no longer hold IN
her head in society. Her husband was
receiving teller in bank, at a salary of
fifteen hundred dollars per annum, when he
was married, which was a year before,
and he still occupied the same post and at
the same income. For young man Ia
his position he had not married wisely
The handsome face and captivating man
ners Of dashing belle bewildered his fan.
cy. He proposed in haste was promptly
accepted, and led to the altar, not true
woman, to be transformed into true
wife but weak, cap-icious, vain creature
incapable Of genuine love, and too selfish
and narrow minded to feel the influence
of honest principle.
An extravagant love for dress and orra-
ment characterized her from the beginning
and she would harten to none of her hus
bands gently offered remoustrances.-
Nearly half his income she spent the first
year ofher marriage in dsess and Jewell
ry.
The demand for a two hundred dollar
breast pin coming upon Blakely, as it did
at time when he had madean unplea SAINT
discovery OF defeit-in his income, when
compared with his expenses, of several
hundred dollars, sadly disheartened him.
Bat he was not brave enough to meet the
exigency, and therefore weakly yielded to
a demand that should have been met by
an unhinching refusal.
The first OF January found Blakely
short offunds by..a considerable more than
the prco to be pal! for the diamond
Caafield's bill came in and mast be- set
tied. 1t would net do for him to hold
back in the mater Of settlement, for the
jeweier was an acquaintance Of more than
one OF the directors Of the bank, and qaes.
tons might be asked and inferences drawn
preudicial to his standing. In an evil
hour under distress and strong temptation
the young man made false entry, which
enabled him to abs,rac, two hundred dol
lars from the funds OF the bank.
This was only a beginning Of a series Of
defalcatons, which ran through many
years before the exposure came which al
ways follows such a crime. l, was easier
now to supply the extravagant demands
of his wife, whose annual wardrobe, and
bills ofjewelry, for which she had that
passion which is characteristic Of weak
minds. almost reached the amount of his
salary.
But the end came at last. One morn
ing, seven years from the day of their
marriage, Mr.. and Mrs. Blakely were
about leaving for the opera, when the
bell was rung violently. Mr.. Blakely
started and turned pale with a sudden
presentiment of evil.
"What's the matter ?" asked his wife,
who saw the singular change in his coun.
tenance.
Mr.. Blakely did not answer, but stool
listening at the door. Mems voices we're
now heard, and the tread of heavy feet
along the passage. There was start and
hurried movement by Blakely then he
stood still, as riveted to the spot.
"Who are they? What is the mean
ing Of this ?"asked Mrs. Blakely in alarm.
At the same moment two men entered the
rooT.
:" You are arrested, said one of them,
ION charge of defalca ton
Mrs. B'akely shrieked, but her husband
stood still and statue like, his face of an
ashen hue.
George, George! this i FALSE exclaim
ed Mrs. Blakely, recovering herself. "You
could no, stoop to such crime y
1T arue,' he answered in asSow de-
spairing voice. Then laying one Of his
fingers on the diamond pin that gli,tered
on her bosom, he added speaking to her
alone.
"Iou gained that at the price Of your
husbands dishonorl You demanded it.
demonstrated, and said could not af.
ford so cost an ornament. You repeat.
ed your demand and |. waak fool that