The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1877-02-01
A BRILLIANT .ADVEN-
TURE.

The time was about fortnight before
Christmas. There were not many tray
eIers, and had compartment in the
early tidal train to myself My destina-
tion was Paris, my errand to convey
from my father "a London jeweler and
siIversmjth) to his agent in that city a
very valuable brilliant ring. "The dia-
monds in it are worth five hundred
pounds If they are worth penny" my
father had said to me, $50 hope you
will take special care of the ring, Ned,
and neither lose it on the way nor allow
yourself to be robbed of it," | smiled a
little superciliousIy as my father spoke.
As if it were at all likely that should
either lose it or allow it to be stolen
from me, was just turned one
and-twenty, and my father had no
right to speak to me as If were boy.
[ had got the ring safe in an inner
pocket of my waistcOat, as took care to
assure myself from time to time. | had
not seen i since my father put it into
the little velvet-lined box, in which it
was still shut up. When had finished
my first cigar and had got through 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. / took the box out of
it's hiding place and opened it. My eyes
were daz1led as I looked. There lay the
darling in its nest of purple velvet.
Who could have resisted the pleasure of
taking it out and trying it on? Ger
tainlv not I. First on one finger and
then on another l tried it. Had it been
made for the third finger of my right
hand, it could not have fitted me better
1t looked simply exquisite.
Now | came to think of it, was there
Or could there be q safer hiding-place for
the ring than mySS finger? had only to
keep my glove on, and not soul would
know anything about it. 1t was far
safer there than in my pocket. In such
Il case to hesitate was folly. l 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 lust then; so I unused and
smoked, and watched the many colored
rays Of light that flashed from the bril-
liants, and wondered what great swellS
finger the ring was destined to deco
rate. 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 railway official But | took
care to pull on my glove and button it
before alighting from the train. A quar-
ter OF an hour later we were steamng
swiftly out Of Dover harbOr.
There we're 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
wav across-evidently an old salt. The
other was-well, simply the most charm
ing creature | had ever set eyes on. In
point Of fact, I could not keep my eyes
of her. passed her and repassed her as
[ 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 for her com
plexion, it would need poet to describe
its wild-rose tints. Once or twice her
eyes met mine just for moment, and it
struck me that they were full of " visit
full sadness. So far as could judge she
was entirely alone, We were about half