The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1888-05-30

had belonged to the lady, and, to put it
very mildly, l was amazed. he saw my
astonished. doubtful look and said, i do
not wonder you are surprised. / met the
woman who once wore that ring about
ten months after her marriage. We
happened 10 be thrown together a
great deal, and soon became so fond
of each other that life was a burden
to US both. She was good
woman, and al last she told me that we
must meet no more. 1t was one morning
when We had been walking in the garden;
we were standing by a little shaded pool,
and she talked to me as | never heard q
woman talk before or since. She took the
ring just gave you from her finger and
declaring, with heartfelt bitterness, that
she hated ii, she threw it from her into
the pool. Then, touching her marriage
ring, she said that it should be sacred to
her as long as she lived, and then left me,
and l have never seen her since. ! re-
covered the ring, and while l lived moth
ing could separate me from it, The years
l have carried it have been crowded with
distress, but through hunger and cold and
utter destitution did not part with it.
"He lived but few hours. / disposed
of the ring as he directed, and did all for
the poor fellow that a living man could do
for one who had passed beyond LIES
wants. The stolen opal was never recov-
cred. The couple who exchanged opal
engagement rings are well-knOwn people
and are living on the south side, prosper.
GUS and happy. OF course they never
knew what l have told you. So much for
those two opals.
Upon another occasion a Young man
ordered the most beautiful set OF opals I
ever saw for his bride. The set included
necklace, and the opals were magnif-
cent, and each one Of them was set about
with diamonds Financial misfortune
and marital infelicity were the lot of this
couple also. At last there came a divorce
suit, and the owner OF the magnificent
opal set went to work IN an office not six
blocks frem this very spot. At last the
pressure OF poverty was such that she
brought her jewels to me and asked me to
dispose Of them for her When she made
the request she wept like a child. There
Is one thing about opals; they seem always.
to have had, time out OF mind, a peculiar
fascination for those to whom they
belong Pliny, believe it Is, relates that
the Roman Senator NOvirus was pro-
scribed by Marc Antony on account Of
an opal about the size of a hazel-nut,
which was valued at 100000. Novirus
made his escape from Rome with his gem,
preferring exile with his opal 10 living Ia
Rome without it.
"Well, no sooner had the lady disposed
of her opals than her fortune changed.
Within SIX months she married d gentle
man of wealth, and don't know happier
woman in Chicago than she is at the pres
ent time.
"Of course" continued the gentleman,
cit is absurd to attribute any power either
for good or iii to & piece of iridescent stone.
have no foolish scruples about them. II
| do not wear them, l sell them; but, he
continued, as he turned TO serve a Gus
toner, ''one OF the largest jewelry houses
in Chicago does not handle opals at all.
They have never had one IN the house,
and do not even order them for custom
ers"
Further inquiry confirmed the fact as
stated; one Of the leading jewelry firms of
Chicago will have nothing whatever TO do
with opais. And this is practical age, an
age of material accomplishment; an age
OF reason and superstition is a thing OF the
past