Middletown transcript., 1874-09-05
Srlrtt Storp.
THE DIAMOND BREAST PIN.

1t will cost two hundred dollars
Anna " said George Blakely to his young,
proud and eXtrayagant wife. The tone
in which he said this, showed that her re
quest had startled him
:" know it will, but what are tvs hun
dred dollars Tor diamond pin r" Mrs
Blakelys remark was half contemptuous
" Mrs. Harry Edgars diamonds cost
over one thousand dollars"
:" just one thousand more than her
husband could afford to pay for them" /"
said Mr.. Blakely.
:" He's the best judge of that, | pre-
sumo" retorted his wife.
:" But what does that 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 harsh reply. But this
only aroused her anger and made her
more unreasonable and persistent.
40 very well, said her too yielding
husband at last, " go to Canfeld's to-mor-
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 not one of her fashionable acquaint-
ances but had diamond ring or breast
pin, and until the owner of one or both,
she could not hold up her head in society.
Her husband was receiving teller in a
bank, at salary of fifteen hundred dollars
per annum, when he married, which was
about year before, and he still occupied
the same post at the same salary For a
young man in his position he had not
married wisely. The handsome face and
captivating manners of dashing belle be-
wildered his fancy He proposed in haste,
was promptly accepted, and led to the
marriage altar, not true wife but weak
capricious creature, incapable of genuine
love, and too lish and narrow minded
to feel the influence OF honorable princ-
pie,
An extravagant love for dress and or
nament characterized her from the begin
ming. and she would hearken to none Of
her husbands gently offered remonsiran-
ces
The demand for a two hundred dollar
breast pin, coming upon young Blakely,
as it did, at a time when he had just made
the unpleasant discovery of deficit in his
income. when compared with his expen-
ses, of several hundred dollars, sadly dis
heartened him. But he was not brave
enough to meet the exigency, and, there
fore, weakly yielded to a demand that
should have been met with an unf1nching
refusal
The first of January found Blakely
short of funds by considerable more than
the price to be paid for the diamond pin
Canield's bill came in and must be set
tied 1t would not do for him to back in
the matter of payment, for the jeweer was
an acquaintance of more than one of the
directors of the bank and questions might
be asked, and differences drawn prejudcial
to his standing,
In an evil hour, under distress of mind
and strong temptation, the young man
made false entry which enabled him to
abstract two hundred dollars from the
funds of the bank.
This was only the beginning of series
of defalcations, which ran through many
years before the exposure came which is
sure to follow such crime 1t was easier
now to supply the extravagant demands of
his wife, whose annual wardrobe and Jew
elry, for which she had the passion which
is characteristic of weak mind, almost