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

THAT FATAL DIAMOND.
The Wall Of q Careless and IN.
fortunate Burglar.
l am the most unhappy man that
ever occupied a prison cell. / say this
advisedly. knowing that hundreds are
at this moment bewailing their fate,
which in many cases may harder
than mine; but it is not if they still re-
tain the self-respect which I have lost.
That's what fortunes me; my prestige is
gone; / am degraded in my own eyes;
l despise myself as heartily as the most
virtuous man in the world could. That
], to whom half the thieves in the city
have looked for guidance. should my
self have laid a plot for myself and
walked into it! 1t is too humiliating!
To fall a victim to a too powerful COM
binafion of adverse circumstances is no
disgrace; to be outwitted by the supe-
rior finesse of the police is hard, but en-
durable; but to fall into q snare which
should not have misled a boy who had
new stolen so much as a handkerchief
in his 1ife-this, this is O shame!
1t was that diamond ring that did
1t. / really think some special ill-luck
must have attached to the trinket, for it
brought no good to its previous possess
or. 1t was hardly in the regular way of
h.rcs That e s-k1 -.- o~1,
Just as it has escaped from them in q
most unbusiness like fashion. That
young man must have been in great
straits before he united himself to me in
the business of stealing his uncle's cash
box in order to obtain funds to pay his
gambling debts. It was a very easy
drops of an opiate 1 gave him with his
ing and leave the hall door open; / had
only to walk in and take up the booty he
had collected and placed ready for me.
1t was a very fair collection of plate that
awaited me as well as the coveted cash.
box; but | am fond of jewelry, and the
house was SC beautifully asleep that I
could not resist creeping up to the mas
ter's bedroom to see if there was not in
il a friie worth picking up. There wa
the diamond ring and q rather good
set of studs. / took them and slipped out
of the roo sc quietly that 1 should not
have disturbed their owner, even if my
young friend had not, by way of max
ing sure, doubled the prescribed'dose of
opiate. and thereby plunged his uncle
into, not sleep. but death. Poor young
fellow. the knowledge that he had killed
arelative who had always treated him
with kindness, if also with severity, was
too much for his mind, which, doubtless,
was eve strong. Those debts of hon
or were eve paid. he never came to
claim his share of that nights spoil,
and have heard that the distant cousin,
who, failing him, inherited the old
mans property, grumbles greatly at
having to pay for his being kept in a
lunatic asylum.
This is cowardice on my part. / have
condemned myself, as the fitting pun
ishment of my folly, to set down in
black and white the way in which I en-
trapped myself, and I am postponing
the task to maunder over an irrelevant
incident.
The ring had not been long in my
possession when I paid the unlucky
visit to Paris which began my misfor-
tunes. The London police were very
active just then, and the business was
in consequence dull and risky; SO, being
in funds, l thought I might take a holt
day and enjoy a fortnight in the city of
pleasure. l was pretty well known at
home, but / had not. so far as 1 knew,
q single enemy in France, and 1 did not
intend to make any. For a fortnight 1
would be a mere innocent pleasure
seeker, taking the days amusements as
they came, and making no effort after
either my own gain or others loss.
Such was my intention; but, alas! what
intention, especially if it be a good one,
can Withstand the force of the habits of
a lifetimeP Mine gave way, and speed
lily.
One evening, a pleasant April even
ing, / formed one of the crowd that
surrounded the platform at an open air
concert By my side was standing a
stout and elderly man, whom, from a
score of tiny indications, I guessed to be
n British holiday-maker.
There's from fifteen to twenty
pounds in his coat pocket, I'll be
bound" thought L. "He is far too
cautious to leave his money at his hotel,
where Frenchmen, whom he regards as
all thieves, may lay hands on it, so he
carries it about with him. thinking that
on his person it can not fail to be safe.'
The idea of undeceiving him in this
particular was too tempting; l found
myself smiling in anticipation of the be.
wildered and horror-stricken expression
his face would wear when he discovered
his loss. 1t was the humor of the thing
that touched me.
That fatal gift of humor, which ha:
ruined so many honest men, led me to
my destruction. Deep in my soul, be
meath the outer garb of the man of the
world I was wearing, dwelt the in
stincts of the professional pick-pocket
Almost unconsciously / inserted my lef
hand 1--WE are all ambidexter in our pro
f~ession) in his pocket and gently drew
out a pooketbook-the very sort O
pocket-book 1 knew he would carry.
edged away from my victim as DON a!
the little operation was over, and Olsen
tangling myself from the interested
auditors who were listening to a gayly
dressed damsel shrieking with the re
mains of a once powerful voice, l sooI
found myself walking along the brightly
lighted boulevard. I had not gone ia
before / noticed that the diamond rim.
which l constantly wore on the thir'
finger of my left hand was missing
1t was a little too large for me; bu
! had not thought it advisable II
have the size altered just yet
and the result was that it slipped from
my finger. knew that I it whel
/ left my hotel, but l could not recol
lect noticing its presence at any subse
Guent time; SO l went to every place
had visited since / came out, the CAT
where 1 had dined, the shop where
lad boughtsor,s cigars, the streets ha'
trarersed, looking everywhere TOR som
ksss q my less jewel md iaaaiztAI