Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-09-26


and buried itself in the deep water beneath
the balcony.
With a cry that was neither scream mol
groan, Rudolph lifted his hand and struck
his wife upon the bosom.
Clumsy COW girlr' he cried; coarse
peasant whom l found among the noun
tainsl Fool that was to trust a jewel of
such price in your handsl AS great fool
as 1 was before that to ask you to share my
lifel Gone-gone-gone-the wonder of
the world has gone forever!'' and he cast
himself down upon the floor and wept in
bitterness of soul forthe loss of his precious
diamond
Meanwhile, Wilhelmena, broken hearted
and in woeful bodily pain, crept out of
his sight. That night she grew very i'll,
and the dawn of day saw her lying dead
upon her pillow, and upon her bosom a
little babe that had walled but once before
it followed her.
AS he looked upon her all Rudolph's
grief for the loss of his diamond became as
though it had never been. His grief was
all for Wilhelmena now. His remorse
was terrible He knew himself TO be the
murderer of the wife who had loved him
and whom he now once more loved as in
the days when first he met her
From that day Rudolph was changed
man, moody and miserable-a nah who
never smiled or spoke to any one when he
could avoid it-madder than ever, men
said, for still he sought for Jewels which
seemed TO disappear as fast as he became
their possessor.
He was greedy for patronage, and pleased
the great folk as well as ever and charged
them more for his taste and judgment and
knowledge of jewels. But there were beg
gars who were better clad than he Year
by year he lived this life, until his hair
grew white and his skin shriveled and his
limbs lean, and in his eyes grew a great
horror, for since his wife's death he him
self had seen the hideous demon at his
shoulder and guessed what name he bore
But as for the jewels he purchased robbers
might have sought for them in vain, for at
every anniversary of Wilhelmena's death
he sought her grave at midnight, and
there, with means and tears, buried above
her coffin the jewels he had amassed that
year; then prayed to God for pardon, and
took his lonely way home.
AT last the return of the sad anniversary
found Rudolph very old. He felt that
death was near, and all his plans were
laid. That morning he sold to one who
had long desired to be its possessor his
mansion and his great estate, all the adorn-
ments of his house, all the rich raimenJ
which he long before had ceased to wear,
and invested the proceeds in gems which
be placed in a little bag in his bosom.
For the las5 time before strangers sbou!d
possess it he went through his mansion.
bidding adieu to the rooms one by one, and
then in his laboratory to all the familiar
tools of his worshiped art, then out upon
the balcony for one moment Here it was
that he had in his wrath heaped up re-
morse for all lis life-perhaps for all eter-
nifty. He looked down into the blue water
in helpless misery until suddenly he saw a
sight that made his heart stand still-the
figure OF a water spirit, white and trans
parent as pearl, arising from the waves,
and as he gazed upon her she lifted her
hand and held something toward him. He
knew it on the instant. 1t was the dia-
mond that had dropped from Wilhel-
mena's hand long years before. 1t lay in
his palm again and the vision vanished.
He clutched the gem so strangely restored
10 him IN his withered hand. and leaning
on his staff tottered forth. The road to the
Gods acre was short, butt his strength
barely sufiicel him to reach it, Night had
fallen ere he did so, and the moon was
high and the stars shone in the sky, as
kneeling beside Wilhelmena's grave, he
buried one by one the Jewels he had
brought Win MIN, ana last oil all the QIa-
mond so strangely restored to him. Then,
as ne replaced the turf, his tears poured
forth-the hard and bitter tears of an old
man.
My murdered Wilhelmens," he cried
aloud at last Il have buried in thy grave
all those jewels which were thy rivals
whilst thou lived. That gem which lost
me my soul and thee lies also on thy coffin
Forgive me, martyred angel, forgive me as
| pray that heaven may! From this mo-
ment, homeless and beggar, ! will wander
about the world till death releases me.
What expiration l could, have made Oh,
for a sign that there, where thou dwellest,
thou has known it!''
As he ceased a great awe fell upon him.
for from the grave beside which he knelt
arose a strange light, pure and clear as that
which CLOVIS at the heart of a diamond. the
rays spread in all directions, making a
great halo above the sod, and in its midst
he saw Wilheimena standing with her babe
in her arms. About her limbs fell a
strang ely beautiful drapery of what seemed
silver mist, and upon her brow was a coro-
nal of gems, in the midst of which shone a
great diamond like Il star.
'Wilhelmena!" he cried. "Wilhelmena!"
Then she bent toward him and took his
weary head upon her bosom and pressed "A
kiss upon his brow-the heavenly kiss of
forgiveness.
At dawn some peasants found Rudolph
Elsenheim at the foot of his wife's grave
He lay there dead. But on his face was a
look of peace that they had never seen
there in his life.-Mary Kyle Dallas in Fire
side Companion.
New Zealand's Mutton Trade.
Up to 1881 the sheep masters did not