Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1891-09-04

md buried itself in the deep water beneath
the balcony.
With cry that was neither scream nor
yroan, Rudolph lifted his hand and struck
his wife upon the bosom.
Clumsy COW Cirl!' he cried; course
peasant whom | found among the noun
tains Fool TINT was "a trust a jewel Of
such price in your hands! As great a fool
us was before that to ask YOU To- "harc my
life Gonc--gon gope-the wonder Of
the world has gone forever" and ne cast
himself down upon the floor and wcpt in
bitterness OF soul forthc loss OF his precious
diamond.
Meanwhile, Wilhelmena, brokel- hearted
and ia n wocrul bodily pain, crcpt out Of
his sight. That night she grew very i'll,
ind the dawn of day saw her lying dead
upon her pillow, and upon her bosom
little babe that had walled but ouce before
It followed her.
As he looked upon her all Rudolphs
grief for the loss of his diamond became rs
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 ret her.
From that day Rudolph WAS changed
man, moody and nist:Ubl-i man who
never smiled or spoke 20 any one when he
could avoid it--uHddcr than ever, men
said, for still he sought for jewels which
seemed TO disappear as fast as he became
their poeses>or.
lie was greedy fer patronage, and pleased
the great folk a. well ~ ever and charged
them more for his taste and Judgment aud
knowledge of jewels. But there were bog
gars who were better clad than hc Year
by year he lived this life, until his hair
grew whits and his skin shriyclcl and his
limbs lean, and in his eyes grew a great
horror, fer since his w!fe's death he him
self had seen the hiGcOuS 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 amused that
year; then prayed to God for pardon, and
took his lonely way home.
At last the return Of he 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
haI long desired to be its possessor his
mas ION and his great estate, all the adorn-
meut- Of his house, all the rich raiment
which he long before had ceased to wear,
and invested the proceeds In gems which
Lie placed n little bag in his bosom
For the last time before strangers should
possess it he went through his mansion,
bidding adcu to the rooms one by one, and
then in his laboratory to all the familiar
tools of his worehipcd art, thea out upon
the balcony for one moment. Here 1t was
That he had in his wrath hceped UP re-
morse for all his life-pcchaps for all eter-
nifty. lie 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,
aud IS he Cnxed upon her she lifted her
hand and held something toward him He
knew it on the instant. Ii was the diu-
noud that bad dropped from WtIhcl-
Mrn&'s hand long years before. 1t lay in
Iii, palm again aud the vision vaulahed
lie c.Utched the gem 80 strangely restored
- him in bis withcred hand, and lcauiu.;
on mis- stat tottered forth The road 20 the
Coils acre was snort, but his strength
barely sutced him to reach IT, Night had
fallen ere he did so, and the moon was
AiLu and the stars 5lJue in the sky, as,
hueeing beside WiA,laeua's grave. he
pur'tl oNe ny one Inc Jewels ne had
uio' +ht win hlm, and last of all the dia-
mona So strangely restored 20 him. Then,
"7 Ae replaced tue turf his tears poured
i'r'A-the hard and bitter tears of an Old
man.
My mnrdcrai VA lo!mcna,' he cried
LOUD at last, II hay" r0rl'd in thy grave
ri, th'.e Jewels wi.'A were thy rivals
whilst thou IF~i lat Etm which lost
For, We me-, mUrYIci au:"L forgive me ~
pray th Il heaven may. From this mo-