The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1877-03-24
Adventures Of a Ring.

The following story will recall the
wonderful travels of the famous Moon
stone" of Wilkie Collins:
Among other interesting stories of
lost rings the following is related of an
officer who bought valuable diamond
just after the Indian munity. The Off
Ger had it set in ring, and wore it for
several years quite safely but one day,
CHANGING to be in London, he went into
a shop to buy pair of gloves, and,
looking at the ring on his little finger,
he observed that the setting was empty,
the diamond gone. He examined the
glove, his pockets, the floor of the shop;
no trace of the stone was to be seen,
and so he gave it mp as lost. However,
he mentioned the matter at the club,
and told the Clubmaster to post up a
notice offering ten pounds reward to any
one who should find the diamond A
day or two afterward the stone was
brought to him. 1t had been found by
one of the housemaids in the darkish
passage that led to the billiard-room.
The reward was gladly paid, and the
diamond taken to the jewelers. to be
once more firmly replaced in the ring.
Again some years passed. The officer
had been back to India and was
home on furlough, and had gone to
Scotland to shoot with friends who had
taken a moor in the Highlands. One
hot August day he had been out for sew
eral hours, tramping over miles and
miles of close heather, use-shootinS.
He was still walking, when covey of
birds rose little way off. He raised his
gun to take aim, when his eyes CHANGED
to fall on his ring, and he saw that the
setting was once more empty Stop
ping to look at it, the birds got away;
and he laid down his gun on the heather
beside him, and carefully examined the
place where he stood, with very feeble
hope of finding the glittering stone. He
stopped for his gun, and the thought
flashed into his mind: I'm turn out
the charge-the thing is just possible!"
He did so; drew the wad, and then
shook out the contents of the barrel,
shot, powder, and-the diamond. 1t
had slipped unnoticed into the muzzle
when he was loading; and but for the
lucky chance that had caused him to re-
mark its absence from The ring, it would
have been fired away the next moment.
Another visit to the jeweler, and the
ring resumed its place on the finger of its
owner, and three or four years passed
away The officer had again returned
to India, and was with his regiment,
which was encamped near large
station, portions of some other regi-
ments being close to them. He was
acting as adiutant to the General in
command, and was writing at small
table placed close to the door of his
tent. As his hand passed rapidly over
the paper his troublesome diamond
once more dropped from the setting,
and fell on the table beside him. Being
in a hurry he merely uttered an angry
exclamation, pushing the stone close to
the ink-stand, and went on with his
writing. Presently a messenger came
to say that the General wished to see
him Immediately He forgot all about
the stone, threw on his uniform, buckled
on his sword, and started at once for
the quarters of the commanding officer.
He was detained some little time, and
when he returned to his own tent he
looked directly for the diamond, which
he had meanwhile recollected, but it
was gone. A thief had been there
during his absence, had seen and APP
propriated the stone, and he never saw
or heard of it again, though he offered a
liberal reward for its restoration.