Evening journal., 1891-02-25

Wanderlngs OF Miss Merrickis ring. II
took two years to ascertain all the facts
about it. but the captain insisted upon es-
tablishing clear chain OF evidence which
would begin with Miss MerrclS and end
with himself, or rather with both.
The loss Of the ring had first been noticed
by the young lady on her return from a
shopping tour in Newport, where she was
spending the summer. She would hardly
have suspected TINT the elegantly dressed
man who had assisted her into her carriage
had deftly slipped the ring off her finger
while doing so. II was Handy Bill, prob
ably the most expert pickpocket and sneak
thief in America. Mr.. Twygg, the cele-
brated detective, happened to see the theft
because he had been watching the man.
Unfortunately, Mr.. Twygg's business in
Newport was of so delicate character that
he could not allow his presence to become
generally known by arrestng Handy Bill,
and therefore he did not molest him for
the present. Some two weeks later an OBJ
portunity offered for a confidential chat
with the thief, the outcome whereof was
that he delivered the stolen ring TO the de-
tectiye and left town the morning follow.
ing
Mr. Twygg carelessly put the trinket
into his pocket and-returned TO New
York.
One day not long after Russian detect.
i've called at the Office of his American
confrere. Paul SerglloG's mission TO the
United States was to deliver certain docu-
ments to the Russian minister and to
gather information concerning d Nihilist
agitator soiourning in Canada.
1t so happened that his first point in
prospect was Newport where the Russian
envoy was spending part Of the summer
As Mr.. Twygg searched for match in
his pocket with which TO help the Russian
to fire for his cigarette he felt Miss Mer-
rick's ring. What could be more natural
than that he should ask his visitor to de-
liver it up to its fair owner, or that Sergi-
loft should courteously assent?
But Miss Merricl1 had left Newport, and
in the excitement incident upon the re-
ceipt of cipher telegram recalling him to
Russia ut once, the Russian forgot to re
turn the ring to Twygg, and carried it
with him to st. Petersburg
One morning they found him there, dead,
in narrow alley.
A bullet wound in his temple showed the
manner Of his death, and the cause for it
was evidenced by the circumstance that the
entire front of his vest had been partly cut
and partly torn away
The decd was done by Nihilists anxious
to secure certain papers that Sergiloff was
supposed to carry in his inner vest pocket.
A few months later the murderer and
some brother Nihilists were arrested, and
underwent the farce of a Russian trial for
political Offences
If there is any country on the face Of the
globe where murder is excusable under cir
cumstances, then it is in the dominion Of
the car, provided the circumstances be
that the victim belongs tosthe class OF hired
perinrers, thieves and cutthroats which,
as a grim joke, are enrolled in the secret
political police of Russia.
However this may be, the murderer was
hanged and his comrades went to Siberia.
To one of them he had given the ring be-
fore being executed.
What fearful days and weeks and months
OF weary travel those were for the unfort
unates destined for the lead mines
The exile, who had the ring concealed in
his boot, managed to escape between two
stations.
No pen can describe the adventures and
hardships Of the fugitive journeying
through country in which the natives
hunt escaped exiles as they would wolves;
no words can do justice to his sufferings as
he travelled alone through the vast soil
tudes.
On the edge Of the Khrgiz-Steppe he
joined one Of the large caravans Of escaped
convicts that continually travel eastward
II is easy for an exile to obtain assistance
in Samarkand, or, for that matter, most
anywhere in Central Asia, although it is,
or rather was, extremely difficult for
traders TO enter the territory.
In Samarkand the ring left the hands, or
rather the boot, Of the owner, and was
traded for an outfit that would disguise its
wearer into a dervis
The new possessor Of the oirclet was a
Persian merchant travelling to Herat
Everybody from Khiva and Buckhera
and Samarkand and Tashkend and even
Teheran goes to Herat, and that is why
there is always such a thieving rabble
there in spite of a strong British garrison.
And one fine morning somebody snatched
the Pcrsian's leather pouch. The merchant
set up a great hue and cry, and the thief
was captured after long chase by young
mule driver from Jelallabad.
Overcome with JOY at the return of his
valuabes the Persian presented the young
fellow with the ring
Would it be possible for a good looking
mule driver TO wear a diamond ring with
out exciting comment sometimesg
Mrs Dudley was the first European lady
who saw it, and told young Ambrington
about it. Two days later the pretty widow
were it.
Old Indians viii remember the scene
up Simla way that terminated the engage
ment Of the two.
Ambrington received his letters and
presents back They made nearly a car
load. He reciprocated by packing her ten
der missives, etc, into an envelope. Am.
brington always was a fool, and within
three years after coming into his estate he
had acquired the reputation OF being the
most gullible spendthrift in the service.
But he had had a most sincere admiration
for Mrs. Dudley, who was really a charm
ing woman. Her actions in public were,
however, such, occasionally, as to give rise
to unpleasant remarks But she was sim
ply thoughtless.
One day Capt. Dempster made remark
TO Ambrington to the effect that the latter
was neglecting a sweet girl in England for
the sake Of q woman who could not begin
TO compare with her.
Ambrington was nearly drunk at the
time, and he made a scene Next morning
his friend received his deputies, and they
met early on the following day, pistol in
hand. There they stood facing each other,
each ready TO kill the other. One, two,
three-frel
Two shots rang out almost simultane-
ously, and Ambrington reeled and fell
They thought at first that he had been
mortally wounded, but he wasn't. The
bullet had squarely hit a ring in his watch
nOpket and had driven IL into his chest