The record-union., 1892-12-03

check"
The possibility of doing this had al
ready occurred to Mr.. Cudlip, but he
knew it was a dangerous and unpleasant
game to play, ana he said nothing. Only
he got the diamond into his hand for the
/ second time, and turned it this way and
! that to let the light fash from its facets.
4 1t was splendid object.
You'd better buy it if this gentleman
will sell" said Barker aloud.
"Oh, | don't know. Pm no way anx-
ious TO SELL said the Yankee: but if I
have it at cost price,
Cudlip, who was of a generous DISPOSE
ton, really desired to make his wife
/ handsome present, and entertained a
project Of saving up for the next half
year to pay of the G45 which the ring
must cost him. Captain Barker foresaw
/ That II the diamond were presented to
Mrs. Cudlip it would be an easy matter
Tor her husband to extract from her few
/ poundS-enough to deiray his, Captain
Barker's hotel bill, and pay his fare to
some other halting-place. He therefore
urged on the American to sell and Mir.
| Cudip TO buy, invoking at the same time
the aid OF the hotel manager, who, having
already satisfied himself by inquiries as
to the solvency of the Cudlip family was
/ perfectly ready to cash Mr.. Cudlip's
check for 945.
The result was that Mr.. Cudlip bought
the ring subject to the opinion of an eX-
! pert as to its value. AS it CHANGED, Herr
| Mosbach, the chief ieweler of the town,
was in the hotel at the time. The mana
/ ger obllgingly asked him togive his opin-
/ ION OF the ring, and his judgment was un-
! equivOcal. He declared the diamond to
| be u genuine stone Of excellent quality,
and he estimated its value to purchaser
I buying over the counter at 1900 francs or
4l20. On hearing this Mr.. Cudlip rang
| Immediately for writing material, while
the ieweler returned the ring to the
American gentleman and left the room.
The check was soon signed, stamped
and checked, and Mr.. Cudlip went up
stairs, Il generous glow Suttuslng his
bosom with the ring in his trousers
pockets.
'Wretchl How dare you come into
my presence?" were the words which
greeted him as he entered his wite's
room. He sank into a chair, too much
amazed to make any reply.
"Have you nothing to say for your
self" continued the lady, with a look Of
whitening Indignation. Gone for a
stroll, indeed. Base deception! 1 know
where you Went sir. You went to that
den of lmpurity and wasted my money
the money l had intrusted to you for
very different purposes"
'Maria, | assure you--''
Don't deny it, sir! Mrs. Vernon
Brown was there and saw you! You
were there, you and your precious friend,
Captain Barker, the whole afternoon. OF
course you lost all your money. But
that is nothing. How am l to condemn
the practice OF gam mbling before others,
when my own husband 1t is too
muchr'
"Maria," said CudIip, with unwonted
spirit, ''aren't you making rather fuss
about nothing?"
Nothing, sir, nothing? Do YOU call it
nothing to deceive your own wife? Is it
nothing to indulge in the vice of gamb-
ling? Surely if you had one spark of
consideration for me-if your selfish
pleasures allowed you to think of me"
Il do sometimes think of you, Maria,"
broke in her husband. 81 was thinking
of you this afternoon. l saw ring |
thought you might like-and-I got it Tor
you"
With these words Mr.. Cudlip took the
little ring-boX from his pocket, opened
it and placed it on the table.
Mrs. Cudlip gave Il cry of astonish-
ment, and then remained silent. She
hardly knew what TO think, still less
to say. At length, hardly glancing at the
ring, she threw her arms around her
husbands neck.
"Oh, Alfredp' she cried. Have you
really got that for me? How kind of
you! l thought you were losing your
lIOIiSy III LiIoL AlOAIlt pLesGG anu you were
thinking OF me all the time! But, Alfred,
l hope you did not buy it out of your
winnings? 1t is lovely, but l couldn't
wear it with that stain on it.''
mo, certainly not. 1 bought it out of
my-my own money, my dear" said Mr..
Cudlip inwardly vowing that the saving
up process must be begun at once, so as
to justify this statement.
And don't you think, Alfred, we had
better leave this place tomorrow"
with all my heart" replied the STRAIT
egist.
Mrs. Cudlip disbursed a sum of money
for future expenses, which, with a little
management, was made to suffice for
Captain Barkers present needs as well,
and next morning the Cudlips left HON.
burg, the Vernon Browns, as it happened,
travelling by the same train.
That evening, after dinner, Mr.. Cudlip
was alarmed by his wife's maid coming
up to him as he sat in the veranda Of the
hotel
My mistress is very i'll, SIR" she said
in severe tone, land l thought you
ought to know"
Cudlip threw away his cigar and hur-
ried up stairs to his wife's sitting-room.
There lay his Maria on a sofa, in fit of
violent Mysteries, while Mrs. Vernon
Brown supported her head, and Mr.. Ner-
non Brown "stood around" looking
rather foolish.
"What is the matter?" cried Mr.. Cud-
lip.
For answer his wife screamed, and Mrs
Vernon Brown gave him a contemptuous
look, tossed her head and turned her
gaze upon the ceiling.
Cudlip turned to Mr.. Vernon Brown
for an explanation, but that individual
merely muttered something about a sud-
den seizure, and with a look at his wife
left the room.
AT last, when the doctor had been sum-
moned and the sufferer had been put to
bed, Mr. Cudhp learned the cause of her
illness.
Mrs. Vernon Brown had declared that
the large diamond which Mr. Cudlip had
given her the day before was-paste
ITS hep' shouted Mr.. Cudlip, beside
himself, with rage. Hang that woman!
I'll strangle hertz
And Mr.. Vernon Brown, who was
jeweler, you know, says too that-it's-
PASTE" continued Mrs. Cudlip with
burst of tears,
Cudlip was thunderstruck.
'Oh, Alfred, it's not the-the loss of the
diamond" sobbed his wife; Its the loss
of my faith In you. ( knew you had de-
ceived me before, and | had overlooked
it, but to give me jewel like that as 4
pledge of your love, and have it turn out
-falsel The-the meanness OF iti''
Maria" said Mr.. Cudlip solemnly,
that stone is a genuine diamond
pledge you my word it was submitted to
a tirst-rate jeweler before | bought it, ana
he said it was diamond of good quality.
l don't believe Vernon Brown knows
what he is talking of. All l ask is this
when we get to Paris take the ring your
self to one of the best shops and ask what
the value of it is"
The tone in which this was said reas-
surod Mrs. Cudlip to some extent, but