Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1891-08-24
THE JEWELLERS WIFE.

There dwelt years and years ago, in
quaint old city on the banks Of the Rhine
handsome young jeweler who loved hi
gems so well that he thought them brighter
than any woman's eyes, and was impervi
Gus to the smiles Of the loveliest girls wht
came to his shop to firt with the propri
etor rather than for the sake of the broker
earrings and bracelets which made theii
excuse for doing 50.
IL was known everywhere at last that
Max Rudolph did not intend to marry
that his heart was given TO his art-for he
was rather an artist in gems and gold than
a mere workman-and as he was not only
handsome but charming, and reputed
rich, this WAS very provoking fact in.
deed 70 the young ladies who had cherished
hopes Of winning his favor.
However the Turks are right when they
say that no man can escape his fate. One
day, going into the country for the sake Of
the fresh air, and TO enjoy himself with
rural dainties at a little wayside tavern
there happened TO be detailed to wait upon
him a beautiful young country girl NO
sparkingly beautiful that he said to him
self: "She has diamond eyes and ruby lips
and teeth Of pearls. She is made Of Jewels. /"
Then there came into his mind the
thought that she was a jewel herself well
worth the winning and wearing. Still,
she was but a poor girl who earned hel
bread as handmade az an inn, and he went
his way without doing more than to look
her. But he came again, and this time
/ threw her a kiss, and again, and this time
the kiss was on her lips; and the third
| time he said TO himself that at last he had
| found the woman he desired, and he wooed
aud married her, and took her home with
him dressed in splendid garments, with
silken shoes upon her feet that had so often
| followed the kline in wooden sabots.
1 For a little while the jewelers. love ruled
his soul. He forgot his most precious
| Jewels for his fair Nina sake, and happier
pair Of married lovers never wandered to
gether in the moonlight or vowed eterna
constancy by the winter fireside. II wa,
not long, however In year the jewelei
had gone back to his old habits. He spen
hours in his workroom watching the pol
ishing OF some rare stone. He would leav,
his Nina for weeks together while b,
sought some gem OF which he had heard
He would sit and gloat over a great dia
mOnd, turning II this way and that that TIN
light might the better fall upon it, Will
she sat UNDECIDED
Nina never reproached him with thi
change; but she grew sad, and often wep
when no one observed her
The husband never noticed il; his love q
jewels had grown 20 be monomania wit
him. He had not the usual desire Of crafts
men for fame or for wealth He had b
come a miser, who boarded gems instead o
gold He refused TO sell one OF them a
any price. Men said that he was mad, an
that Satan ia person had been seen stand
ing behind him whispering in his ear.
Still, he seemed to love his wife at times
and to show it would bring jewels and la
them in her lap and tell her how to kno,
their value.
The simple woman admired them, bu
she could not comprehend the power the
had over her husbands heart. And ono
or twice she also thought that she saw
figure, hideous, though shadowy, at he
husbands side, and cried out 10 terror.
She was now about to become a mother
and was full Of strange fancies, as wome
are, and the dark figure may have bee
merely born OF her Imagination. But
seemed to her to have the shape Of Satan q
. he is represented in the pictures that pea
! ants see.
! There was at this time talk OF a grea
9 jewel, a ruby Of wonderful size aud bril-
fancy such as no one had seen before.
None but king could be its owner, me
said, and there was great contest for 1
!. The handsome young ieweler with Ii
9 cleaning eyes and eager gestures VIII
e gloated on its splendOr-Max Rudolf
from Rhineland-was thought to be out ,
his mind when he declared it should be hi
But his il actually became.
% Where he got all the money no one coul
/ guess, and there were those who said Thu
r they saw strange black figure sittir
with him at his inn one night and hear
the ehink Of gold, and that Satan help,
him.
10 But the jewel was his, and he return,
home to his Nina wild with JOY. She S
ge upon little balcony that overhung Ii
le river watching for him, and be embrac,
Of and kissed her and clasped her to his heal
h "Now, hold your hand, said he. ''T
" jewel shall lie in its palm. See how love
~ it isl And thou-thou art the lovelie
b jewel Of a woman; there is none like tn
Is anywherer'
to And Nina, happy in his praises, look
th up at him rather than at the gem--look
IS and saw over his shoulder the hideous IA
be of the iend, and forgetting all about I
-