The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1886-04-17
.sntre-a very ourI0ua and yaluAbla

centres very curious and valuable
jewell"
Eyes, that's it," l replied curly, won.
dering why he should not give me bacl
my property without 80 many words.
Then | may safely assume that thistI
the ring in question:" He brought oui
my ring from his pocket and showed ii
To me
at Is" l said, stretching out my hand
but he did not restore the jewel, only
stood there, holding 1t and smiling more
than ever. l supposed he wanted TO see
some sign OF the reward he expected to
receive before parting with the trinket.
/ took out my purse, and, opening 1t,
made some remark about showing my
appreciation, II possible, more broadly
than bstOre.
"Do you not wish to know, monsieur,
how your ring was fouudP" he asked,
with q leer which thought was disagree
able.
tartly,
My policeman drew himself up to de-
liver his great efforts;
"Monsleur, your ring was found in an
other mans p0cketW
stared at him In bewilderment, min
gled with an indefinite fear, while he con-
tinued his narrative in a less courteous and
more confidential tone than he had hither-
to assumed;
"Ahl mon ami, one may be too clever;
ones dextsrity may lead n astray If it
be not balanced by discretion, You had
not long left the office when another Eng.
lishmRn came in complaining that he had
lost a poCkstbook containing all his money.
HE had put his hand III his pocket to
bring 1t out, meaning to pay for some
thing, but found 1t gone, aud in its place
q diamond ring-your ring, For my part
| do not doubt your honesty-even your
generosity. You believed, doubtless, that
exchange isnot robbery, and that in leaV-
ing your ring in exchange for his port
monnais you would at once obtain a me-
mento OF q COmpatriot and do him q
practical benefit, That is the inter.
probation Ishould like to put upon the
affair; but the owner OF the pockst.book
will not see it in that light-he lacks i'm.
agination, as so many English do. OF
course your coming to ask us to try 10 re-
cover 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 re-.
manned in his pocket, and with a lack Of
sympathy for q COuntryman, which !
to recount, he demands that you
should bearrested, a duty which l am re-
luCtantly compelled to fulfill"
| was absolutely dumb with surprise and
Had | had my wits about me |
might-though circumstances wereagainst
me-have brought some Counter.charge Of
theft against my RCCuser, but l was so
stupeaed by the strange turn events had
that l submitted meekly 10 be
searched, to have the iateful pocketbook
taken from me and to be led away to
Somehow, too, | was unable to
possession OF the ring that was
the cause Of my undoing, and | have not
seen it since my arrest,
30 hero | sit in my cell, depressed and
weary, a victim to the biLterest self re-
preach. l could almost wish to be con.
demned to lifelong imprisonment, for
what Is freedom worth TO me? After
such o. piece Of suicidal folly as !
have been guilty OF shall never dare 10
lift my head among my professional
brethren, and lido fear that nothing will
be left iorm me but to take to honesty when
my term expires.