St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-08-06
A DIAMOND RING.
How 1t brought Sorrow tn Two
Young Hearts.

coat with an air of conscious virtue; ne WAS
not given to losing his place, whatever the
others might be- Nov, Judas said TINS,
moi because he cared for the poor, but De-
cause he was a thief, and had the bag
he read ont in a shrill treble. ut was
an awful pity they let him keep the Dag,
them he added. by way of comment.
'.Naybe they'd no ken he was thlef'
suggested his neighbor, who was SANDY
chief friend and ally; land maybe you
wad have helped yourself bit now ana
again, Sandy, if you'd had as good
Speak for yourself, Sam knox," was
Sandy's lofty retort. Pm no thief, at any
rate"
..Bovs. attend to the lesson" interrupted
the teacher. and the debate had perforce 10
be postponed for the present.
Sandy marched home after school, swell
ing with indignant pride, utterly declining
Sans usual escort. Decidedly, Sam must
be made to understand that he was not to
disparage his superiors in public Win I'M
punity.
The GOODNESS lasted some days, and might
have lasted much longer but for startling
adventure that befell Sandy. Trudging
around the dock at the edge OF dusk one
evening his foot struck against something
something that glittered i'll the dim light.
"Just bit of glass;" he said to himself,
turning it over with the toe of his shoe; and
then he dropped his burden with crash
and swooped down upon his lind"
1t was a ring, dull and furnished with
mud. but neither crushed nor broken, and
the ''bit of glass" was the stone.
He rolled it up carefully with the private
store of half-pence that even his mother,
worthy woman, did not know of, shouldered
his package and delivered it at the tiny
booking office at the end OF the quay,
sturdily argued out the question OF an adj
ditional penny on account OF Its size WIN
the clerk, and got it, and then he took him
self to a solitary corner of the dock wall
and sat down behind sugar cask to con-
slider matters.
He had heard of rings being worth hun
dIeds of pounds. and if this was worth but
one, or to be safer still, fifty. The tide
rippIed in below his feet unheeded. the Icing
line of gas lamps twinkled like yellow stars
i'll the black. restless river.
For two whole days he carried the secret
alone then his responsibility became too
heavy and tacitly ignoring the difference
lie waited on the quay one dinner-hour for
Sam Knox.
lie showed him the ring and told him
how he became possessed OF 1t.
'How much do you think I'll get for it,
he asked, deierring 20 Sam's judgment for
once. He was much older, and might rea-
sonably be expected to have some little eX-
perience in valuables-other peoples, if not
his own.
- mind of hearing man say once that he
gave $50 for one not near as big as that.
but You'll not get as much. for who's going
IN believe Won didn't steal it,"
''Steal It'll" echoed Sandy, in angry
dismay.
"Ay, but you've got to make folks be-
lieve your story, and who are you going to
get 10 buy it ~
Il thought you might ken of some place,
faltered Sandy, rather crestfallen.
well, ken OF one or twa; I'll look out
and tell We ia the morn"
And then the conference broke up and
the tHo went bacl. 70 their parcels.
Sam pondered the matter over as he
lounged about The docks that day. Steady
work was not his strong point, and the dla-
mond had taken powerful hold of his
imagination. He did wish with all his
heart it had been his luck instead of Sandy's
TO have found it; he felt he could have
made far better use of it. IF there was
any hope Of his sharing it with fellow it
would be different, but he'll just keep every
penny to himself. Serve him right if he
went and lost it again."
Over and over that reflection crept up.
Sandy had already Strayed from the right
path for the sake OF the diamond. Sam was
the next to fall victim to its fascination.
He thought of it hour after hour, Till it
seemed as if he must have it, by fair means
or foul and he doubted fair means would
avail little with lad like Sandy.
Saturdays were busy days on the quays,
and the next day both Sam and Sandy were
hurrying backward and forward Till long
after dark. 1t was a stormy, gUsty night.
and as Sandy went down one of the gang
ways on his last journey the steamer gave
a sudden iurch that sent him and his pack
ages flying across the deck; worse still. out
iUiied the contents OF his pockets, anu be-
fore Sandy had recovered his feet and his
scattered senses the scrap of paper shroud-
ing the precious ring was lodged inside
Sans waistcoat. He happened to have
been standing just under the gangway, and
lost 40 time in awaiting himself OF the UNI
looked-fOr chance.
1t was all the work of minute Sandy
gathered up his properties and went back
to shore without observing his friend Sam
fairly glowing with satisfaction at the
beautiful way things had arranged them
selves, quietly retired to the dock wall to
congratulate himself at leisure. No more
heavy packages to drag up and down those
steep bridges, no more SupperleSS nights
and breakfastless mornings Sandy had built
nc tale: castle around that diamond than
lie was building now.
Sam, SAM broke in a pitiful voice.
i've been looking every where for you,
I've lost my diamond
You've Whit?; cried Sam, with an in
cTedulous stare that reelected credit on hi.
powers Of Discrimination
Lost tin that boat and she's away
now, and Ill never get it back. 1t,
hard"
Sandy put his head down on the iron raj
and groaned aloud in bitter disappoint
ment.
Sam looked on in silence; he was natur
ally not a haTd-hearted lad. and for a mo
ment the impulse was strong TO give the rins
back; the feel Of his empty pockets brought
back more prudential considerations.
After all, it's only what he did him.
sell" he argued" He found it and KEEP
it, and that's what I'm doing'
he made one or two ineffective attempt
to console poor, miserable Sandy. and 90
himself away as speedily as practicable int
back street, where dwelt a kind of money
lending and general exchange and barter es
tablishment for the benefit of sailors an,
emigrants. Saturday night was far add
vanced, and if he (Saml meant to reap am
immediate benefits from his possession
was necessary TO lose no time
lie slipped softly in and addressed him
self TO the proprietor.
Il picked up something in the dock to
day, and wad like to ken the worth of i
I cqrp1 N mart with