Juliet signal. [volume] (Juliet [i.e. Joliet], Ill.) 1844-1???, 1863-07-14
The Diamond BreastpIn,
By T; S. ARTHUR!


1t will cost two hundred dollars, Aunaj !
said George Blakely to his young proud ,
and extravaganza wife. The tone in Sb;chS /,
be said THE showed that her reouest IA
startled him. know it well; bot What
are two hundred dollars for q diatS6ad
pinf Mrs Blakely's voice, was half con.
temptuous. Mary Edgar's diamonds cost
over thousand dollars? ~ 9s-
just one thousand more than her huss 2
1 9aod could afford to pay for them, said MfT
Hes the best judge Of that, / presumsSs y
retorted his wife: 80 - - !,
Bat that does not sighify-you cannot,
prayT 50 -, "J' :
The young wife turned sharply upotfl
her husband, and her words and tone Tefs
harsh. But this only aroused her anger
ana maze her more unreasonably persist !,
emit -.r
oh, very well.' said her too yieJdipv
husband 20 to Canfeld's tomorrow and,
get the pin. Tell him to send 10 the ao-
count ON the first of January, and il viii b.
paid. -, :.
Mrs. Blakeiy was In earnest. Rhefs
was no one Of her fashiobabIs aSa6fbl
tances, bat had a diamond breast-pin or
ring; and until she was the owner of one
or both, she could no longer hold up her
head IN society. Her husband was the
receiving teller in bank, at salary CT
htteen hundred dollars Ief snnum WREN
ne married. which was year before, and
he occunied the same post at the same in
come. For Young man in his position.
be had not married wisely. The hands
some face, and captiEationg manner of d
dashihg belle, bewiltered his fancy. He
proposed in haste, was promptly accepted !,
and led to the marriage altar, not tfu6
woman, to be tranformed into q true wife.
but weak, capricious, vain creature, ini
capable of genuine love, and too selfish,
and too vain, and Dsrrow.minded to feel
the influence Of honorable principle. a. go.
An extravsgant love for dress and ornas
ment characterized her. from the beRiLI.
ming; she would hesrkep to none of her
husbands gently offered remoustrances IL
Nearly half of his income abe spent, dur.
ing the first year of their marriage; II.
dress and jewe1ry.
The demand for two hundred dollar
breast-pin, coming upon young Blakely al
II didI at time when he had just made
the unpleasant discovery Of q deficit in his
ANNS1N1 "hSo pdiCN win 6ApGUU6Bf
sadly disheartened him. But be Was not
brave enough to meet the exigsncy, and
therefore weakly yielded to demand that
should have been met by an unfinching
refusal.
The fret day of January found Blakely
short of funds by considerably more thah,
the price to be paid for the diamond DIN.
Caofeld's bill came in and must be settled.
1t would not do for him 20 hold back in
the matter of payment, for the jeweler was
an acquaintance Of mGre than one of the
Directors OF the bank, as Ques tione might
be aeked and differences drawn preiudicisf
to his standing. In an evil hour. under
dist ess of mind aud strong tehnpfatfon. the
young man made false entry which en-.
sbled him to abstract two hundred dollarr
from the funds Of the bank.
This was only the bsRinniue Of I. dSs
falcation, which ran through mnpv VesrS
before the exposure came which always
follows such a crime. It was easier now
to supply the ex;ravagant demands Of his
wife whose annual wardrobe, and bills for
! jewelry, for which she had that passion
which is characteristic Of weak minds
almost reached the full amount OF his sal:
/ airy. .s
But the end bad come at last. One
morning, seven years from the day Offheif
marriage, they were about leaving for the
opera. when the bell was rung violently
MIR. Blskely started, and TUNED pale, with
q sudden presentiment Of evil. '
What is the matterP asked bis wits
who saw the singular change in his oo6IS
| tensuce.
Mr. BIakely did not answer, but stood
listening towards the door. Mems voice.
were now heard and the tread Of heavy
feet along the passage. There was q start
and hurried movement by Blakely; then
be stock still, as if riveted to the spot.
who are they'll what is the meaningok
this asked Mrs Blakely in alarm. At the
same moment two men entered the room. :
You are arrested said one Of them 'ou
q charge of defaIcation.
Mrs. Blakely shrieked, but her husband
stood still, as il riveted to the spot.
George! George this is false, exclaimed
Mrs Blakely, recovering herself. You
could not stOOp 10 crime
Il. is true, he answered, in a how de-
spairing voice. Then laying one Of his
fingers upon the diamond pin that elIttered
on her Bosom, be added, speaking to hsf
alone -
You gained that at the price Of yout
husbands dishonor. You demanded IL, I
demonstrated, and said could not afford
50 costly an ornament. You repeated YOUR
demand, and | weak fool that was. pera
mitted the contraction of dehs tASt could
only be cancelled by Dishonest means.
thought when married you, that had
obtained wife whose viatues might help
me up to heaven. but you have proved only
q tempting 6eu6, dragging me daily, near
er and nearer the brink Of destruetioH,
over which now fell to HOPELESS ruin.
Then tuning to the officers be said in 3
calm voice
J am at fodf Service.
The words of her husband had stunned
Mrs, Blakely. She never saw him afte..
wards. That night be passed to his &C.
count before higher tribunal thar, nag
earthly one, and she was left in poverty
and disgrace.
The story is one Of eve day life
George Biakely is the Representatives of q
class. Not all Of them Seb banks or de-
fraud their employers. But all Of them
support idln and extFaVsgant wiyes-spend
more than their earnings, and fail IN the
end to pay their just obligations.
PORTING THE QUEsTIoN.-One evening.
ais was sitting by Hetty and had worked
myself to the sticking pint, sez I fHetty, If
teller should ask you TO marry him, what
wud you sayP 1'si
Then she laughed and seq she, that Wo'd
depend on who asked me- fl.esls.l
Then SEE j, suppose Ned Willis?' 49,
Sex che, I'D tell Ned Willie, but not