The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1891-04-24

next took her right haud, when hung
by her side, with his other hand. Hers
was u very pretty hand, and thc most |
pleasant thing about it, to the captain,
was the tinnicst suspicion of responsive |
touch.
What he had to say as he placed the
ring upon her finger was so interesting
that she did not interrupt him.
They returned to the hotel long after
breakfast time.
Before entering, tue captain said: "By
the way, darling, why did you look SO
surprised when placed the ring upohy-
your finger? should think that you
must have expected something of the
kind all along"
Miss Mcrrick had fors GOTTEN all about
the incident in the pleasurable excite
ment of the captains proposal. But
now she took the ring off her finger,
examined it carefully, and spoke: "Per-
cy, dear, don't be offended, but this has
always been my ring. lost it five years
ago in Newport, II. l., and | can tell it
to he the same ring by II tiny flaw in one
of the stones, aside from the initials"
And now comes the strangest, part Of
this narrative, to wit: The story Of the
wandcrings of Miss Merrick's ring 1t
took two years to ascertain all the facts
about it, but the captain insisted upon
establishing clear chain of evidence,
which would begin with Miss Merrick
aud end with himself, or rather with
| both.
The loss of the ring had Gr>t been no.
| Il Al i,,.l l,nr
from Il shopping tour in Newport, where
she was spending the summer. She
would hardly have suspected that the
elegantly dressed man who had assisted
J her into her carriage had dcftly slipped
the ring oil her finger while doing so. 1t
was Handy Bill, probably the most eN-
pert pickpockct and sneak thief in Amer
lea. Mr.. Twygg, the celebrated deteo-
| tive, happened To see the THEFT because
he had b"cn Watching the man. unfor-
iuna,ciy, Mr. Twygg'S business i'll New
port was Of so delicate II character that
he could not allow his presence to be-
come generally known by arrcstinS
Handy Bill, and therefore did not molcst
him for the present. Some two weeks
latter TN opportunity offered for con-
tldeutial chat with the thief, the outcome
whereof was that he delivered the stolen
| ring To the detective and left town the
morning following.
Mr.. Twygg carclcssly put the trinket
into his pocket and--rcturncd to New
York.
One day not long after Russian de.
tective called at the office of his Ameri-
"an conlerrec. Paul SergilofI's mission
| 70, In I t,I IN. tn laIt
tain documents to the Russian Minister
aud to gather information concerning q
NihiiiSt agitotor sojourning in Canada.
1t so happened that his first point in
prospect was Newport, where the Rus
sian envoy was spending part of the sum-
mer.
As Mr.. Twygg searched for "A match in
his pocket with which TO help the Rus
sian to fire for has cigarette, he felt Miss
Mcrrick's ring. What could he more
natural than that he should ask his visitor
70 deliver it mp to its fair owner, or that
Scrsiloif should com:cously assent?
But Miss Mcrrick had left Newport,
and in the excitement incident upon the
receipt of a ciper telegram recalling him
-l1,t- -lsuSSia Vt once. the -RuSsian forgot to
.....--r rne fug 10 wysyg;- .ritr 'tnr71t,.i rO
with him to St. Petersburg.
One morning they found him there,
lead, in II narrow alley.
A bullet wound in his temple showed
the manner Of his death, and the cause
for il was evidenced 10y the circumstance
that the entire front Of his vest had been
partly cut and partly torn away.
The deed was done by Nihiiists anX-
i"'ir 10 secure certain papers that Sergil-
al was supposed to carry in his inner
vest pocket.
, \ few months later the murderer and
some brother Nihi!sts were arrested and
underwent the farce of Russian trial
for political offences. The murderer was
hanged and his comrades went to ST.
IBERIA. TO one of them he had given
the ring before being executed.
What fearful days and weeks and
months of weary travel those were for
the unfortunates destined for the lead
| mines!
The exile who had the ring concealed
IN his boat managed to escape between
two stations.
No pen can describe the adventures
and hardships of the fugitive journey
through 3 country in which the natives
hunt escaped cXiles rs they would wolves :;
no word" can do justice to his sufferings
as he travelled alone through the vast
solitulcs.
On the edge of the Khirgiz- -Steppc lie
joined one Of the large caravans of es-
capped convicts that conticually travel
| eastward.
1t is easy for an exile to obtain assist
ince in Samarkand, or, for that matter,
most anywhere in Central Asia, although
1t is, or rather was extremely difficult for
traders to enter the territory.
Ia Samarkand the ring left the hands,
or rather the boot, of the owner, and
| was traded for an outfit that would dis.
guisc its wcarcr into dcrvis.
The new posScsSor of the circlct was a
P"s~ss>.s ....sHi,s..At- -tr.uaiinu To Usrat
| Everybody from kbiya and Ruckh,ro