The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1892-02-10
HER DIAMOND

The two Westerveldts could hardly
be said to get together; fought on
together is more correct word woord. She
had all the money, and he didn't even
give her Quid pro gao in love- She
was past her premiere jeatr1eSSe, well in
to her second, in fact, when he pro-
posed to her (and to her 6eGuG qeatr).
She was widow, and she gave both
love and money-till he spent the lat
ter and half killed the former.
was stopping down at Twivel, one
summer, and the house was pretty full.
There was no one particularly fancied
among the guests, so kept my atten-
ton to my hostess, whom l could see
was suffering a good deal of mental
worry. besides really think that the
cash had begun to run short. She said
to me once-awfully bitterly: ''Give
a man short measure Fred-do you
know what l meanP-always give him
light weight'-if he bestows fourteen
ounces avoirdupois of love on you.
give him only twelve ounces. it will
keep him hanging on for the other
two. guessed at what she meant
and she regretted not having acted on
that principle herself"
They were giving a big dinner on
the 10Th. and about three-quarters of
an hour before any one had turned
up Mr.. and Mrs. Westerveldt came in
to the drawing-room where we were
all chatting.
Mrs. Westerveldt said, in an awfully
agitated way:
do you know that all my diamonds
have been stolenP" And Mr.. Wester-
veldt broke in significantly with, We'll
not call them stolen till we've found
out more about the case"
She had been pale enough to begin.
but she went livid at the implied in
suit Ladies' diamonds he went on,
with a sneer, "get lost in most extra
ordinary ways sometimes, and are
found, too in remarkable fashions as
well, when the husbands make a fuss
over it,
1t was Internally mean of him, con-
sidering he hadn't bought his wife's
Jewels, and as the loss was all hers. 1t
was a shame to behave like hound to
her before all her guests.
Mrs. Westerveldt's neck looked bare,
and rather unlovely that night; she
had intended wearing her diamonds,
and nothing would induce her to wear
substitute. Next day down came a
detective, and there was an awful
shindy. All the servants boxes rout-
ed out, all the maids wearing an air of
innocence an inch deep on their faces,
and tossing their hands at the sacri-
Iege; and the butler getting drunk
over it, to celebrate the event, and Mr..
Westerveldt scowling till he looked
like an ugly chimpanzee, and Mrs. W.
aging twenty years through it all, and
| miserable into the bargain.
One day Mrs. Westerveldt, came
to me with a telegraph form in he1
hand.
Erred, I want you to do something
for me. l would have asked my hus
band if he weren't away in town.
don't believe that the detective we We
got at present is any good, do youi
He wears whiskers, and his hairs such
a horrid color, isn't it? l want you tc
take this yourself to the postofice.
don't think that Mr.. Westerveldt car
have stated the gravity. of the case
when he telegraphed for the first man
and so Pm sending off to Scotland
Yard for another, in the hopes that h
will be more successful. There's 81
!
quavered a bit-''my husband think
that know something about the dia
monds," she went on in a whisper
Its SO hard, so hard" and she bea
her hand on the table in frenzie,
said. though 1 could hardly hear, he
voice had all gone.
So off l went.
Mr.. Westerveldt was away two o
three days. And in the meantime
new man came down. Nothin
"whitey-brown" about him, can tel
you. and his hair was the right color
too. The only thing l didn't lik
about him was his way of poppin
around corners and into rooms.
used to change all sorts of colors, an
!, 1 bet you anything you like he rattle
shifted full-blown burglar in me.
believe he would have driven me int
it if it had gone on much longer.
Then he too, passed away-an
peace reigned in his stead.
One day 1 fell asleep in the library
J and when l awoke it was pitch darl
except for the fire smouldering ava
in the CRATE and what woke me w;
, the entrance of MIR. and Mrs. Westel
f veldt. He had just come back frol
| town, and she was hanging about hi
and he seemed a shade kinder to he
You should have seen her; she SCENE
to expand under it and look tw ent
shades handsomer and younger. Pre-
emily she said:
"Oh! Henry, dear, do you know
was not satisfied with that first detec
I i've you sent for, and so [ wrote dow
for another, and he came here tv
days ago, and l told him every"
! He sprang up with a sudden yell.
You sent for a detective from SEQ
: land Yard?'
/. ''Why, yes-what's wrong?"
!. ''And you gave him all particular
ton you knewP" and he let his har
down with clap on her shoulder
made her jump. She nodded b
head.