Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1877-01-24
From Harper's Weekly.
4 BRILLIANT ADVENTURE,

The time was about a fortnight be-
fore Christmas. There were not many
travellers, and I had compartment in
the early train to myself. My destina-
tion was Paris, my errand to convey
from my father "a London ieweler and
silversmith) to his agent in the city a
very valuable brilliant ring. ''rhe
diamonds in it are worth $500 if they
are worth penny my father had said
to me; $50 I hope you will take special
care of the ring, Ned; neither lose it on
the way nor allow yourself to be robbed
of it." Ismiled a little superciliously
as my father spoke. AS if it were at all
likely that I should either lose it or
allow it to be stolen from me! I was
j ust turned one-and-twenty, and my
father had no right to speak to me as if
[ were still boy.
had got the ring safe in an inner
pocket of nay waistcoat, as took care
to assure myself from time to time. I
had not seen it since my father put it
into little velvet-lined box, in which it
was still shut up. When I had finished
my first cigar and had got through with
the morning news the thought struck
me that [ might as well have another
look at the ring. There could be no
harm in that, you know, I took the
box out of its hiding-place and opened
t. My eyes were dazzled as [ looked.
There laid the darling in its nest of
purple velvet. Who could have resist
ed the pleasure of taking it out and try
ing it on? Certainly not I. First on
one finger and then on another [ tried
it. Had it been made for the third
finger of my right hand, it could not
have fitted me better. It looked simply
exquisite.
Now came to think Of it, was there
or could there be safer hiding place
for the ring than on my finger? [ had
only to keep my glove on, and not
soul would know anything about it. It
was far safer than in my pocket. In
such case to hesitate was folly. I
placed the ring on my finger, and put
the empty box back into my pocket.
As was alone, there was no occasion
to put my glove on just then; so [
unused and smoked, and watched the
many-colored rays of light that flashed
from the brilliants, and wondered what
great swell's finger it was destined to
decorate. How [ wished that [ could
call it mine.
There was no harm in dazzling the
eyes of the ticket collector with it. He
was only a railroad official. But I took
care to pull on my glove and button it
before alighting from the train. A
quarter of an hour later we were steam
ing swiftly out of Dover harbor.
There were not more than a dozen
passengers on deck. The day was
cold and clear, with just enough sea on
to make the voyage unpleasant for bad
sailors. Only two ladies were visible
One was stout, middle-aged person,
who was eating and drinking nearly the
whole way evidently an old
salt. The other was-well, siraply the
most charming person I had ever set
eyes on. In point of fact, I could not
keep my eyes off her. I passed her and
repassed her, as I paced the deck from
end to end, and every time that I passed
her | looked at her. What lovely gray
eyes What superb yellow hair But
as Tor her complexion, it would need a
poet to describe it's wild rose tints.
once or twice her eyes met mine just
Tor moment, and it struck me that
they were fuil OF a wistful sadness. So
lar as L could judge, she was entirely
alone. we were about halfway across
when, as passed her for the
hftleth time, she spoke. "Would
Monster have the goodness to
ask the Steward to bring me q little
cognac2" She spoke in French. As
he song says, Her voice was low and
weet." was too futtered to answer