Mexico weekly ledger., 1877-02-22
A BRILLIANT ADVENTURE.

menu In the early train 10 HlySeIi.
My destination was Paris, my errand
to convey from my father Ca London
jeweler and siluersmith) to his agent
in the city a very valuable brilliant
ring. S'The diamonds in it are worth
$500 if they are worth a penny"
my father had said to me; $50 /
hope you will take special care of the
ring, Ned; neither lose it on the way
nor allow yourself to be robbed of it.
1 smiled a little superciliously as my
father spoke. AS if it were at all
likely that 1 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 l were still a boy.
l had got the ring safe in an inner
pocket of my waistcoat, as / took
care to assure myself from time time.
| had not seen it since my father put
it into q little velyet-lined box, in
which it was still shut up. When l
had finished my first cigar and had
got through with the morning news
the thought struck me that | might
as we'll have another look ut the ring.
There could be no harm in that, you
know, / took the box out of its hiding
place and opened it. My eyes were
dazzeled as | looked. There laid the
darling in its nest of purple velvet.
| Who could have resisted the pleasure
of taking it out and trying it on:
Certainly not L. First on n finger
and then ON another / tried it. Had
it been made for the third finger Of
my right hand, it could not have fit
ted me better. 1t looked simply ex-
quisite.
Now l came TO think of it, was
there or could there be a safer hiding
place for the ring than on my finger?
[ had only to keep my glove on, and
not a soul would know anything about
it. 1t was far safer than in my pocket.
In such a cast TO hesitate was folly. [
placed the ring on my finger, and put
the empty box back into my pocket.
AS was alone, there was no oc-
casion to put my glove on just then;
SO | unused and smoked, and watched
the m~any-colored rays of light that
flashed from the brilliants, and on
dered what great swell's finger it was
destined to decorate. How wish
ed that l 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
L took care to pull on my glove and
button it before alighting from the
train. a quarter Of an hour later we
were steaming 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 a stout, middle
aged person, who was eating and
drinking nearly the whole way across
evidently an old salt. The other
was-well, simply the most charming
person | had ever set eyes on. In
point of fact, l could not keep my
eyes off her. L passed her and re-
passed her, as | passed the deck
from end to end, and every time that
| passed her l looked at her. What
lovely gray eyes! What superb vel
low hair! But as for her complex
ion, it would need q poet to describe
its wild-rOse tinas. Once or twice
her eyes met mine just for a moment,
and it struck me that they were full
of a wistful sadness. So far as /
could judge, she was entirely alone.
We were about half say across when,
as ! passed her for the iiftieth time,
she spoke. "Would Monster have
the goodness to ask the Steward to
bring me a little cognac?"' She
spoke in French. AS the song says,
''Her voice was low and sweet" I
was too futtered to snswer her. L
could bow grin, and make a bolt to
the Stewards den. Of course I took