Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1890-10-07
THE UNLUCKY STONE


such look ~ pain and asUny would
com. over the dear features At the men.
ton ~ Robert gadciiff The only jew
.lry IA. ever wOrv consisted q two
rings. q plain gold wedding ring and a
beautiful opal set In heavy hand of
gold Through Asia. EurUfr. America,
anil even a. Africa ani Australia, we
hal made our way. And whenever In a
cruwd or convcrsing with stranger ]
would notice my mother looking q, her
opal ring. which she wor on the third
dngrr q the night hanl.
Onc summer We hal wandered through
Russia. hal sIrnt sOias time 0n the
Rhine. AMI finally brought NJ In little
town among tho mountain. ~ switfcr.
land. Her, my mother was taken III
with q gvBcrAl decline q the heart. A.
the village doctor callel ". was very
much frightened AMI wantcl % 'cle-
graph for "a cclebraici tnan from raris.
bat shs sail. mo. Carl. do nothing
wha,so-v.r Ny time has come, anil ]
mus, have you to myself for tho few
hOurs left me"
I would not believe ~. II did not
s..m Io-~ibls that Col could take her
trum me.
"Mo,her. I ,aid. controlling my emo
ton. for fear - making her vor--,
''yOu imagine that you arr much worre
than You Ar, You are looking brtisr
than I have zen You for some time.
Your checks are bright rel.
All, what fool was' D'aih's very
.ign took a. H. ,h. hur u returning
health.
carl. have no time o. vast. In use-
le-- words. ,hc tAid. Com" anil 40 by
INV sitlo anil learn why your moihsrs
AL face has dArk,nci your young hfs
No, 10 not interrupt. my hoy. l know
how much You think % your mother
Ati-.n years hgu. when yuu wrrr a
child - Z. w liyc,i ia beautiful ooun'
try homo In the north q Ircland. Your
father va, - that country. you know.
iid not know. for shs had never iold
mc anything AhOu, him. bat ! dbl No,
Interrupt. AMI she ccniinno'l; Wei.
Que night lwai,ri AMI WAITED for hob"r;
10 r,uru. lie hal gone "a the nei,hlur'
,ng village to buy new carriagr horses
m. wini blow a gale. anil The rain fcll
m torr-nis walked the huOr in an
,suny ~ fear tili !: o'clock. then called
, faithful oil s'ryant AMI told him a.
iArn-s- AMI O. 80 with tue "a Look fur
Al. master. lIe thought iBc craEy. but
aii a. T. toll him. ~, another pillow
unsler my lead. Carl There. now can
br.sthe caiivr.
"Ws f0unl him. my sOn. found him
all bloody anil beaten 90 death. foully
murierrl."
Her face was ghAs;ly. anil although
shaking In every limb ! manag~l 10 give
her .0ine drUp- the doctor hal left ~
that shc was ablc to continue. II can
no, tell yuu moTr ~ that dreadful time
except that thcre never was the slight-
-, cicw O. th. ASSASSIN. We newer knew
,ha, he hal an enemy n the world. u
was not robbery. Tor his watch AMI a
large amount ofm money were not touchcd.
You will hni IaIsrs telling you all II
that Ny part !. what ! wish 20 tel
You now. hyci with you alone IN
the old home for ono yoar. One night J
fell aslccp In chair by tho hearth, and
hal the sirangrci % drrams. idrcain'
q voice sAil "a me;
".Takc thy child ani tho opal nng
and travel the world over. aud when
,hoa dost find thy OPAL tnrnest blo"i
ri then thou whilst L. In the prc-cnce
of thine enemy and thine husbands
murlcrr.
"when awoke pondcr,i on 10 for q
while, bot cnme 60 the conclusion that u
was the result q feyer-i brain. Ths
next night I hal the same drcam. and
again the next. then took u n my
mission In life 10 find tho man who had
foully killed my Robert. iawoke froir
my apathy. sold the place. and iakins
You with me siarici on my pilgrimagc
You know the result. Never has my
ring changed color. Now, Carl. an
DYING. sni into your hands oonsigi
thi. ring. AMI ask you by the msmor,
of your murdered father % ind Oh. per
son and bring hi- crime home to him.
Saying thi. she placed the opal. will
its fine ri lines, u.on my finger. ant
then lay hack esbaystel.
II prUmisc. mother. never 10 give uI
the search while therc Is breath In m,
body" I sail. intending 10 hni the ss
sAssin by molern means instead OF super
sti,ious. but ! would not pain her b,
doubting her dream.
Thrrs days she fingered. daring which
time she told me % her financial stand
ing. aud tha, the did hot know ~ . rela
tiy. in the world. The third night an
passed away. leaving inc alone In th'
world with . terrible void Ia my ~hf
and an unutterable gri.f ! saw he
buried in the littls Swiss burial ground
and thsn r,tIrnel to the inn and locke
nv future In the face. had fjo.wl
mo- friends and a vcT.ial,lo vendetta 4
week later I started for Paris. stated m.
troul.-, and hac the bsrt Detectives q
work w hoI-leSs ca-. In London
did tho zane. ari thea crossed the os'csl
and followed i!ie same ccune Ia Ses
Yorl. Tie opal nm; ] wore. but seldom
icokel a. II. rss'e scyernl pl,asan
travelling aoqusiutanccs. and hal mum
Ter Of invitations 90 visit In Washing
lon, Baltimore and other cities In thu
States. refused them all. and wen'
west 10 San Francisco. staying there un
| Ill Jan. I, when returned 10 Washing
Ton. where ] ran across one OF my trav
cling friends. Ray Darlington.
Irrfused all ovcrturcs 10 go into ~
ciety or 10 visit Darlington. but when
wss taken III and threatened with pneu
mouia my friend had me 'smovrl
against my wishes. 20 his hofns. wher
. tail. stately lady smiled grscicu.i
upon me, and where ] had all the car
and devotion possible during . seriou
IllneA. This lady. who WA Ray
mother, was IN angel Of mercy 10 rns.
homeless wsndevr. One day ] wa y
ins On ths sofa delugei With shawh
wraps. ETC.. resding my corrspondenc
nom the foreign polics othcss. Nothin
had rvally been done. although . ma
had bsrn sent 70 Ireland 30 man
ysan had passsd thsy coald bold out u
tis hops 10 me-
4 rap q Tie door. sad "Nsy ! 60
ihr hpu a~S