The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1889-09-06
LAKE CHARLES CALCAEU PARISH LOUISIANA FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 1885,
ROMANCE oE A PuzzLg RINe.
A Telegraph Operator ReelRims GIFT
AFTER Twenty-Five Years.

a
After Twenty-Five Years.
At the outbreak Of tho war John I.
Norris was an expert telegraph operator.
having been discharged from one Of the
telegraph lines for receiving o message
by sound He was sent south as gov
ernment spy to steal kilograms off of
wires which would let Union soldiers
through the Confederate lines, While
the army was lying in front Of Peters
burg Norris was stationed there, and one
day obtained from a Confederate soldier
a puzzle ring, made Of eight small rings,
SO woven that when the puzzle was set
up it made handsome, heavy piece Of
iewelry, and when knocked down made
a confused mass Of eight small gold
rings. He learned the secret of putting
the rings together.
Just on the edge of Petersburg there
was living In commodious, old fash
ioned Virginia mansion wealthy
family named De Hart One of the
daughters, Miss Ella De Hart, a winsoma
young Virginia beauty, SO exercised her
charms upon the susceptible mind Of
young Norris that, although he had a
fanee north of Mason and Dixons line,
he became quite attentive to her One
evening, while calling upon Miss De
Hart, he showed her the puzzle ring he
had just procured, and so bantered her
upon her inability to set up the puzzle
that she gave him an Old seal ring which
had been an heirloom for oveTsa century
and said when he brought ii back she
vKyn1II ka va tho 10 anIgaA
The next day Norris was arrested as q
spy, sent to Richmond tried and SEN
fenced to death He was in prison there
when Richmond fell and was liberated.
Coming north he took up his old pur-
| suits, was won back by his old love,
finally married and for years conducted
his very successful detective agency at
Springfield.
About two years ago Norris was em-
ployed by the Champion machine works
to capture defaulter by the name of
| Jones, Jones was followed to Richmond
and the business took Norris back to
Petersburg. While walking around with
the chief of police in Petersburg he re-
| lated the story of the rings and inquired
after the DE Harts One Of the De Hart
boys, now grown to manhood, CHANGED
TO be passing and an introduction to
Norris followed The story was related
| 10 De Hart, who, with his father and
| brothers. had been in the Confederate
army, and he Eaughingly exclaimed; $50
you are the man with the ring, are your
| | want you to come and see my old
mother, She has saved that ring for you
for twenty five years
MI De Hart said that his sister had
| died several years before, and they had
often taxed their imagination as to what
had become Of the young secret agent
| who had betr0thed himself to ELLA only
TO be ruthiessly torn away.
Norris went out to the old homestead
and met the old lady, upon whom the
twenty-five years had left the enfeebling
marks of the last third OF long life.
She remembered him perfectly, and
brought out an old spool box, from which
she took the puzzle ring II was still
undnne, and Norris taking it, put the
rings together perfectly within fifteen
minutes after his arrival The old lady
asked about the seal ring her daughter
had jestingly placed on Norris finger,
and Norris teiegraphed to Ohio for his
wife to forward the ring, few days
later the heirloom was restored to the
De Hart lineage, and the puzzle ring,
around whose tender coils is woven this
romantic story, now adorRs the hands Of
the detective, Atlanta Constitution,