The Grand Haven news. [volume] (Grand Haven, Mich.) 1858-18??, 1859-04-06
THE DIAMOND BREAsTPIN.

at viii cost two hundred dollars,
Anna !" said George Biakely TO his young,
proud and extravagant wife. The tone
in which he said this, showed how her re-
quest had startled him. Il know it will.
But what are two hundred dollars for
diamond pint" Mrs. Blakely's voice was
half contemptuous. Mary Edgar's
diamonds cost over thousand dollars"
"Just thousand dollars more than her
husband could afford to pay for them,"
said Mr.. Blakely.
"He's the best Judge of that, pre-
sume," retorted his wife.
But that doesn't signify. cannot
Anna"
"What do you do with your money,
prayp
The young wife turned sharply upon
her husband, and her words and tone
stung him into harsh reply. But this
only reused her anger aud made her more
unrcnsonnbly persistent.
"0h, very we'll" said her too yielding
husband at last ego to Camfelds to-
morrow and get the pin. Tell him 10
send in the account on the first OF Janu-
AIRY and it will be paid"
Mrs. Blakely was in earnest. There
was not one Of her fashionable acquaint-
ances but had diamond ring or breast
pin, and until she was the owner of one
or both she could not hold up her heal
in society. Her husband was receiving
teller in bank at salary Of fifteen hun
dred dollars II annum, when he was mar
ried, which was year before; and he
still occupied the post and at the same
income. For young man in his posi-
tion, he had not married wisely. The
handsome face and captivating manners
of dashing belle bewildered his fancy.
He proposed in haste, was promptly ac-
cepted, and led TO the marriage altar, not
true woman, TO be transformed into a
true wife, but weak, capricious, vain
creature, incapable Of genuae love, and
too selfish aud narrow-minded to feel the
influence of honorable principle.
An extrayagant love for dress and or
nament characterized her from the begin
ming, and she would hearken to none of
her husbands gentle offered remonstran-
ces. Nearly half his income she spent
during the first year Of their marriage, in
dress and jewelry.
The demand for n two hundred dollar
breast-pin, coming on young Blakely as it
did at time when he had Just made the
unpleasant discovery of n deficit in his in
come, when compared with his expenses,
of several hundred dollars, sadly disheart-
ened him. But he was not brave CROUCH
to meet the exigency, and, therefore,
weakly yielded TO demand that should
have been met By an unhinching refusal.
The first Of January found Blakely
short Of funds by considerable more than
the price for the diamond pin.
Camfeld's bill came in, and must be
settled. 1t would not do for him 10 hold
back in the matter Of payment, for the
jeweler was an acquaintance Of more than
one of the directors Of the bank, and
questions might be asked, and inferences
drawn prejudicial to his standing. In an
evil hour, under distress Of mind and
strong temptation, the young man made
false entry which enabled him TO alb
stract two hundred dollars from the funds
Of the bank.
This was only the beginning Of Sc
ries of deialcations, which ran through
many years, before the exposure came
which always follows such crime. 1t
was easeir now TO supply the extravagant
demands Of his wife, whose annual ward
robe, bills for jewelry 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 eve