Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-07-28
niencc, on Saturday; then our arrange
ments will ft in"
Afew leaves from my diary f:

A few leaves from my diary:
"Friday, Nav 30th.-M. wrote 20 the
i walcots; marvellously civil. Signed deeds
| Lunch with Marion. Walcots CHEEKY nj din.
ner; evidently pleased with prospect OF
visit, especially as NJ. had not forgotten to
1 invite Venus
SATURDAY.. S1st.-Down by 10 express.
| Wonder Of wondcrsl Nj. at station with the
piebald ponies: but she takes marvcllously
TO Mrs Walcot Two days rain. There'l
| be good water tomorrow, of course, when
we mayn't fish.
Sunday, June ist.--Livcly as usual, but
take the Walcots up the glen in the eve
ming TO nv favorite spot. Mr.. Walcot ~
enraptured with the place.
Monday, 2d.-Of early in the driZzle 10
fish. Really good day, thirty-four brace
of trout. Walcot not half . bad hand.
Have 10 leave the womankind at home I;
hope they won't get into mischief.
Tuesday, 3d.-A really good day, fifty
three brace and three sea fish. NJ. drives
Mrs. Walcot over the hill to see the mines.
Wednesday, 4th.-Sessions. NJ. drives
the WalcotS 10 Ulleswater. AT dinner telc-
gram for Walcot. Says they, or at least he,
must go early tomorrow. Nj. wants him
10 leave Madame till Saturday. She con-
sents. keeping Venus. The dogs useless
as a guard heard the beast snutiing in the
corridor during the night.
- 1lnrSuaN. oin.---N ' tUu0 fhl1Dilur bEdlu :
heard her when stable clock struck ?. Wal
cot goes. Stroll in woods all morning :;
teach Mrs WalcOt to fiy-fsh IN afternoon.
Friday. Gth.-Much as yesterday, but
fish with Mrs. Walcot in morning. Drive
after lunch.
Saturday. 7th.-See Mrs Walcot off at
II. Dreadfully dull day. Hope Marion
anyhow won't disappoint me: he's sure to
come as | asked him, now the Walcots have
gone.
Sunday, sth-As per usual; yet l sur
vive.
Monday 9th.-Here's strange matter:
Walcot writes that after all she did take
nv mothers diamonds; luckily he found
il out immediately on her arrival, and has
sent them heavily insured by train from
bennington 10 Penrith to wait there. not
wanting 10 attract attention at Earnshaw
by a registered packet Of that size coming
by post. Drive 10 Penrith, find parcel,
mighty thankful to get diamonds, quietly
replace in the cabinet. BY greatest luck
NJ. had never discovered their absence.
BY the way. how did Mrs. Wal
cot know about the diamondsl WalcOt
would not tell her, of course. Suppose she
and the mater got talking, and they must
have been exhibited one Of those days we
were fishing. Can't ask NJ; must wait, |
suppose. Perhaps the poor thing felt the
beginning of the craving, and concealed
her knowledge from her husband: or Just
possibly didn't see them till he had gone.
However, ALPS well that ends well.
".
Had all ended well? The night after
Marion came he made MANY inquiries over
our pipes about the WalcOts, and still
seemed to have an unaccountable prelu-
dice against them. II was no good TO show
how much my mother also thought Of him,
and how taking yet simple his wife was
till at last | grew quite warm in defence of
my new friends, and for proof positive told
Marion in what a straightforward way
Walcot had informed me of his wife's fail
inc, and how quickly he had taken pains
10 remedy what had happened. Marion
listened very quietly to my arguments with
his sphinx-like face. which, only as | con-
cluded, relaxed into q grim smile almost
more aggrayating than his former impene-
trability.
What on earth makes you look like
that?" said |, trife holly.
Dear boy" said Marion drylv, "if |
told you YOU would only be more angry
than you are now, so what's the good? 2"
NAY, out with it. know Pm inclined
to champion my friends but / should not,
YOU may be sure, if | had not the fullest
confidence in them"
THAT is plain for all men to see and
YOU will be annoyed if l speak out, but I'll
risk that. for your wrath will soon blow
over. My thoughts come to this; am not
sure there is not something wrong about
those diamonds"
Wrong? How could there possibly
be?"
Il haven't analysed the thing clearly
yet. Have you examined the stones care
fully since you got them back"
oil ha / oh Of
only Just opened the case and laid them in
the cabinet as quickly and quietly as posi-
BILE But what could have happened TO
them? Mrs. WalcOt only left here on Sat
urday and the diamonds were back on Mon
day. What could have gone wrong in that
time?"
Nothing in that time, certainly,
But what?"
"Don't he hasty. was thinking BY
the way. have those stones been seen by
an expert jeweller lately?"
Yes, not two months ago. Some fasten-
ing had come loose when we were up in
London and my mother took them to ROs-
kell's. was with her and remember what
the man said of them
"Tll ask one thing OF You, then. Let us
have those diamonds examined. If there is
anything wrong 1t is full time you should
know. If they are all right You Will have
legitimate crow over me, and you may crow
as loud as ever YOU like
| still felt provoked with Marion, but
here was a chance, indeed certainty, of
proving his suspicious unfounded and
showing that even the astute Marion was
not nfalhble. 80 | assented more readily
than | should otherwise have done.
All right: but how are we to get them
away TO be looked at without my mother
knowing?"
Bring a man over from Penrth or Car
Isle when Mrs. Eaton Is out, and Ostensibly
for some other purpose
And this is what was done. The man for
whom | sent had more knowledge. as |
knew, than most local jewellers. and was
safe. lie came the next afternoon. and
while my mother was paying "a call. eX-
amined the parure with Marion and my
self. 70 my unutteAble confusion and
horror, he pronounced the stones no stones
at all. but paste, and not very good paste,
either.