The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1886-04-22

of every n to whom I had previously
spoken if they had seen anything of it.
l felt a dreary conviction that my treas
ured ornament was gone forever, when,
as a last resource, l went to a bureau
de police and gave a description OF the
lost ring to the officer there. The
officer was polite, but gave me small
hope OF ever seeing my diamond again.
l gave it up as gone forever.
l was sitting in my hotel dull and de-
pressed, angry at my own carelessness,
and inclined to give up any further holt
day and forget my annoyance by a
speedy return to my professional du-
ties in London, when my friend of the
police-office entered.
81 am happy he said, bowling politely
and smiling with, as 1 thought, antici-
patton of a handsome reward; 81 am
happy to inform monsieur that we hope
Don to place his ring in his hands. One
answering to the description you gave
was brought to our Office by the finder,
a countryman of your own. The ring
being rather an uncommon one, 1 felt
assured that it could be no other than
the one you had lost You described it,
l think, as consisting of five diamonds
set in the shape of a violet. with q
smaller brilliant in the center-a very
curious and valuable jewel"
Eyes, that's it," l replied CURLY, won
dering why he could not give me back
my property without so many words.
"Then I may safely assume that this
is the ring in question:" He brought
out my ring from his pocket and showed
it to me.
at is" | said stretching out my hand;
but he did not restore the jewel, only
stood there holding it and smiling more
than ever l supposed that he wanted
to see some sign of the reward he ex-
pected to receive before parting with the
trinket. l took out my purse, and
opening it, made some remark about
showing my appreciation of his honesty;
but he shook his head, smiling, if
possible, more broadly than before.
"Do you not wish to know, monsieur,
how your ring was foundp" he asked,
with a leer which I thought was disa-
greeable.
well, how was it fouudp" I said,
tartly.
My policeman drew himself up to de-
liver his great effect. Monsieur, your
ring was found in another mans
pocketi". l stared at him in bewilder-
ment, mingled with an indefinite fear,
while he continued his narrative in a
less courteous and more confidential
tone than he had hitherto assumed.
"Ah, mon ami, may be too clever;
ones dexterity may lead one astray
if it be rot balanced by discre-
ton. You had not long left the
Office when another Englishman came
in complaining that he had lost a pock-
et-book containing all his money. He
had put his hand in his pocket to
bring it out, meaning to pay for some
thing, but found it gone, and in its
place a diamond ring-your ring. For
my W part, 1 do not doubt your hon
esty-even your generosity. You be-
lieved, doubtless. that exchange is not
robbery, and, that in leaving your ring
in exchange for his portemonnaie, you
would at once obtain a memento OF a
compatriot and do him a practical bene-
fit. That is the Interpretation / should
wish to put on the affair; but the owner
of the pocket-book will not see it in that
light-he lacks imagination, as so many
English do. OF course, your coming to
ask US to try to your lost ring
tends to give color to his version of the
matter, which is, that while you were
robbing him of his money the ring
slipped from your hand and remained
in his pocket; and, with a lack of SYM
pathy for a countryman which : grieve
to recount, he demands that you should
be arrested duty which I am re-
luctantly compelled to fulfill"
1 was absolutely dumb with surprise
and anger. Had 1 had my wits about
me I might-though circumstances
were against me-have brought some
counter charges of theft against my ac-
cuser; but 1 was so stupefed by tho
strange turn events had taken, that ]
submitted meekly to be searched, to
have the fateful pocket-book taken
from me and to be led away tt prison
Somehow, too, I was unable to securo
possession of the ring that was the cause
of my undoing, and 1 have not seen il
since my arrest.
So here 1 sit in my cell, depressed
and weary, a victim to the bitteresi
self-reproach. I could almost wish to
be condemned to lifelong Imprisonment.
for what is freedom to mep After such
a piece Of suicidal folly as I have been
guilty of, 1 shall never dare to lift up
my head among my professional breth-
rem, and l fear that nothing will be lef,
for me but to take to honesty when my
term expires.-M Y. Daily Ma0s.