New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1889-07-17
The Death Ring.

Z + II 49,
Yes, that is peculiar ring in the
case, sir. 1t dates back to the six.
| teenth century Those two lions
claws Joined together is an old Ital-
ian idea, believe. Any story con
nected with it? Well, yes, sir; very
| peculiar one.
You see that old house upon the
! hillside? Its's the Hapgood mansion.
tie was once a WidoWer with a son Of
thirty. No one ever thought he
would marry again, but he did, and
had three children-boys-by his sec
ond wife before he died.
Lawrence Hapgood was the owner
OF this ring. A morose, surly sort OF
a fellow, who never could conceal the
anger he felt toward the family who
had deprived him Of his inheritance.
Well, do you know, sir, shortly al
ter the fathers death that family be-
gan to die off in the most mysterious
manner. 1t was all from blood pois-
oning. They would take a walk OF
an evening and be stung by spider
Or some insect and dieinside of TWEEN
ty-iour hours. At last there was only
James left, and felt that he was
lated to go like the rest. One even
! ing | was passing the house and
saw him.
He was reading now, his elbow on
the Sill, and outside the window, fiat
against the wall, creeping along inch
by inch, was Lawrence Hapgood. He
came close to the window where the
boy sat, and saw him slyly stretch
out his hand. 1t might have been q
mere joke, such as people often play
on children, but | saw The expression
on the, mans face, and it Mortified
! NE. cleared the fence at one iunD
and flew up the path. Lawrence was
gone, but little James sat looking at
his finger.
Something bit me-" he said, in his
plalntivevoice. 'lshall die like NAM
ma and brothers,
| But picked him I'D in nv arms
and ran with him to my shop, which,
as you see. is near by.
There was a wound almost on the
nail of the little finger of that little
| hand and a red line was travelling
down the finger.
consulted with no one. I put the
child under the influence of chloro-
form and my assistant and ampu
tated the tiny finger.
The child was faint and i'll, but I
had stopped the spread of the poison,
and put him to bed in my own room
and left him, two hours after. quite
safe to get over,it. Then | took nv
big revolver and walked over to Hap
good House.
Lawrence was at the door, with his
hopocritical smile.
I'm looking for poor little James,
Mr.. Jahr,'' he said. s'I'm anxious
about him. Such u fatality attends
my poor stepmother's family. Their
blood is bad, doubtless. [ wish I
| could find the child.''
Il left him reading at the window"
said the housekeeper from the stairs
behind. "And it's odd for him to-
go out late atnight."
"He's in bed at my house." [ said,
I'm sorry to say he's been bitten by
something -
The housekeeper shrieked.
Lawrence Hapgood called on the
name of the Lord. I took nv re-
volver out ofmy bosom.
"Take off that ringr' Isaidcover-
ing him.
'I-I-don't know what YOU
mean," he said.
"You do" | answered. ssTake off
that ring, and throw it on the road,
"Well," he said, Struggling his
shoulders eff one has to deal with a
maniac, one must submit to absurd
ities."
He drew off the ring, tossed it as
far as he could, and [ still with nv
revolver pointed toward him, picked
1t up with my handkerchief.
| took care not to touch it. and
had it in my shop before many min
utes. 1t was the sort of RING that i
in the sixteenth century was called a
s'death ring A horrible poison is
hidden in those claws. When persons
at the court of Italy grew trouble
some, those whowore the ring shook
hands with them and pressed the
ring into, their palm. The poison
entered their veins. Before dawn
they were dead.
Lawrence Hapgood had brought
the ring from Italy in order to rid
himself of his stepmother and
brothers; but [ saved the life of little
James He is master of the estate
yonder to-day.