The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1883-01-20

but if it were properly cut it would be a
veritable black mountain of light It's
glory has been hidden through the GEN.
turtles, and may not even have been sus-
pected by some of its owners. / see
where an attempt has, at some time or
other, been made to polish the stone.
but it's hardness resisted the Instruments
then known; most of its native husk still
clings to it. The art of stone cutting was
very imperfectly practiced until the
| fifteenth century. In the hands Of our
modern artisans you will see what a
beauty this diamond will becomer'
OF am not thinking of having 1t cYt.
came to dispose of it. viii you buy
| it of me?"
Mr.. Seabright inspected his visitor
with considerable curiosity; he noted that
she was very pretty woman, and he was
connoisseur of female beauty-if he
did resemble a fossil himself-as well as
of rare gems. He did not at once answer
her question, but kept turning the ring
round and round on his finger.
Would you say the ring was very
old?',' she asked; then, thinking to en-
nance his interest, she gave him those
points in its history with which she was
herself acquainted, mentioning her faith
err name and that of the native who had
given it to him.
6 should say it was certainly middle
aged, from the setting aad a 81
may be very old. / alge Ne
greater part of my life in .e aie
nature and origin of ge silian
to the value of the stor yl' /,
some eighteen Thousand dag
itself, in the hands of 3ona pu etiats,
would assume almost an arbitrary yAiue
as curiO, an antique. L Ii tell Jon what
we can do l cannot promis, to-day,
Miss Van Wyck, to purchase tbs article
at its full value; we will take the matter
under consideration. Meantime, in your
interest, l would recommend you to do
still better, if opportunity Offers. Have
your ring exhibited. | will introduce
you myself, if you will allow me-" he
added, gushing with combined admira-
ton for the woman and the ring.
Before night the ring was mounted in
crimson velvet case in conspicuous
place in grand show window, with .
serene policeman standing guard over it.
Underneath il was q large, closely
written card, bearing the following in
scription, for which Miss Van Wyck was
not wholly responsible:
a. A Brahmin's ring of remote antiq-
uity. The stone is the largest black
diamond ever on exhibition in the United
States. This ring, with its Sanscrt de-
vices, is one of the most famous tails
mans of the Middle Ages. History first
meets it along with the 'Kohinoor, at
the conquest of Agra and defeat Of the
native Prince of Golconda. Later, it is
supposed to have been gift of Shah
Jehan, the Mogul Emperor, to his be-
loved Sultana, Moor Jehan, over whom,
it will be remembered, he erected the
wOrld-renowned mausoleum, the Tai
Mahal. tits believed that after her death,
in a transport of gratitude for his faith
full services to the deceased, he bestowed
this ring upon one of her eunuchs, and
henceforth, in soma mysterious way, it
came to be associated with the practice
Of virtue"
"Of course it had become impossible
now for Irene to return at once to Phila-
delphia She wrote to Elmer Paulson,
telling him of all she had done and still
hopel to do. His answer jarre istraugely
upon her mood. 1t had far-of tone
she had never noticed in words Of his
before. Was it that his epistolary style
was new to her? With regard to the
matter of the ring he said. with what
seemed to her chilling reticence, ''you
must continue to act as your judgment
Dictates" This surely was not dsap-
proval, but it was equally remote fro n
enthusiasm, and the unpleasant impress
sion ofdistance between them remained
with Irene. She was too much pre-
occupied to analyze it very closely, but
it was due to the fact that his letter was
addressed to her spiritual standpoint of
several days ago, aud her horizon had
changed. She had travelled too fast for
him.
Mr.. Seabright so thoroughly enjoyed
a genuine antiquarian problem that he
was more than willing to thicken the
atmosphere of mystery which already
hung around the ring One morning two
small black diamonds were by its side,
which no one remembered to have seen
there before.
I" Singular, is it not?'' remarked the
lapidary to gent!em IN of his &C Jutint-
ance, who was studying the phenom J.
non. There is legend to the effect
that a certain kind of diamond has the
property-supposed to pertain to living
things-alone of repro lucing species"
"A kind of crystalline building, you
might call it. Isee"' said the gentlem IN
addressed, gemm1ti0n. That must be
where the naturalists get the word.
Very clear, indeedr'
They both laughed at their own face
tiousness, AMI Me-. Wellin yton Gordon.
when he reache his. elegant hone near
the Park, toll his wife of the converse
ton he had had.
" Welly," said that lady, after reflect
ing moment, Il do believe this Irene
Van Wyck is my cousin
at occurred to me at the time, though
didn'ttell old Sen FRIGHT"
'''Poor, dear Cousin Harmsnus! He
used to say Irene was his favorite name.
1t means peace -
I" An excellent thing in womanm in
terrupted her husband.
g 1t must be his daughter. There are
not mGGy Van Wycks,'' she sighed. 1t
was tribute to the "long ago" the
secret sumner.half-hours in leafy paths.
stolen from his stu lies in Hin Instance.
" Go with him TO In liza ~ OE cn,irsa