The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1868-11-27
THE LOST RING.
BY A RETIRED ATTORNEY


"Mr Docket?'' "a.
"Yes, madam"
1t was an elderly woman upon whose
brow care had furrowed many wrinkle.
She was dressed in homely garments, and
| the struggle between penury and neatness
! which they evinced would have beeh an in
terestiDg study for philosopher. Her eyes
were red as though she had been weeping !;
pent up current OF her grief burst forth
afresh.
what is the matter, my good woman ?
marked in the most encouraging tone
could command.
Il am, sir. They say the Lord is near to
them that are suffering, and | am sure he
ought to be near me-.
Il dare say he is ma am. But you know
that Affections are sent to us for our own
good, and we ought never repine at the dis
| cipline of life, however severe it may some
times seem to US.
had heard an excellent sermon the day
before, for it was Monday, on Tribuation,
and was just in the frame of mind for CIV
ing others most excellent advice, which,
perhaps, l should have been very unwilling
to follow if the dark waves of trouble had
rolled over me-
Il try to bear it as we'll as can, she
replied, wiping away her tears with the
corLer of her apron.
Il don't know as I am acquainted with
you, ma am" | suggested, for the purpose
of changing the topic and bringing her to
business.
81 don't know as you are," she replied ;
and she proceeded to give long and very
succinct account of her previous history,
beginning back some forty years, when she
was born among the White mountains of
New Hampshire.
l tried to check her, but it was no use
| was as patient as the case would admit,
and mindful of the duty We owe to the
weak, the inirm and the ignorant; but my
patience was sorely tried. | will net pun
ish the reader With the long, fine spun
story she told me, for few lines will suf-
flee to inform him of the material facts.
She was a widow, her name was March.
She had an only son, Philip, who was EN-
ployed In an insurance Office, and received
three dollars week for his services. He
was good boy and loved his mother, as a
son should. Upon their united earnings
they lived very comfortably In an Obscure
street, where they hired two rooms. Mrs.
March's catalogue of her sons virtues was
certainly very edifying He never spent a
cent upon himself, never went out nights
and attended church forenoon and after
noon.
An evil day had come. On the Saturday
three weeks preceding, Mr.. Carmen, the
| President of the insurance company, as he
declared, had sent Philip with valuable
diamond ring to the jewelers. to have the
stone reset. On inquiry, the ring was
found not to have reached its destination.
The jeweler had never seen it. 10 make
the case more complicated, the boy denied
had never sent him on any such errand.
| The boy had been arrested on charge OF
stealing the ring, and was now confined in
Jail. Mr. Carmen was ready to swear he
delivered the valuable article into the hands
of the boy, with explicit directions as to
where be should carry it and what should
be done with it.
1t looked like bad case. The poor wo-
man was in deep distress. She was sure
that her darling boy was innocent. She
knew he wouldn't steal. pitied her and
promised to do what | could for her son.
When she had gone l called upon Mr..
Carmen. | found he was one OF those still
dogmatic old fellows, who are never in the
wrong, who find it impossible to err, ever,
even by design or to make mistake. |
tried to argue the point with him, but he
would not say much. He told me the
story was sure he sent the ring by the boy
and nobody else.
l ventured to suggest that he might be
mistaken, that he had sent the ring by
some other person.
DO you take me for simpleton sir
Do you think [ don't know what am
about p he exclaimed, bestowing upon NE
a look of whitening contempt. Il sent the
ring by the boy, sir. The boy has stolen
it, Nothing more need be said, sir. "
And he turned to the newspaper he had
been reading
] was not much pleased with the inter.
view. | was vexed at the naughty, over
bearing manner of the fellow and | con-
fess that my pique rendered my endeavors
to clear my youthful client.
visited Philip at the Jail. He was very
sad on his mothers account; on his own
he seemed not 20 care. A more frank open
hearted boy l never saw. He told his
story; and though | questioned him pref
ty severely, he was consistent to the last.
made the case my own, and worked
increasingly, as it seemed to me then for
the overthrow of the naughty President Of
the insurance company, as much as for the
salvation of the widow and her interesting
son. | visited more than dozen jewelers.
shops that afternoon and the next morning;
with what result the reader shall learn in
the details of the trial, which came on the
next day.
Philip was duly arraigned. and his poor
mother sat by my side, weeping and Sob
bing like child as the trial proceeded.
| Mr.. Carmen, with majestic dignity,
stepped upon the stand. He told the story
l have before detailed, and was turned over
to me for cross-examination. could see
he was nettled, for he certainly could see
no mercy in my face.