Rocky Ford enterprise., 1894-02-22

religious convictions. She wished to
cast off the chain, though not wholly
able to do so. There can be no doubt
that her mental worriment over its pos
session induced state of nervousness
which eventually reduced her to the con-
dition of an invalid.
Thus matters stood when DIR. Maid
hoff, her family physician, learned the
whole truth. He was man of strong
mind and had no patience with bigotry
and superstition. This led him to use
his utmost influence to persuade her to
disregard all the absurd injunctions she
had received with the heirloom.
'tIt has been curse to every one that
had anything to do with it," he said.
Sell it for the comfortable fortune it will
bring and get rid of the pest"
But, doctor, you know the penalty"
she said, with a smile in which there
was no mirth.
"Faugh! You do not believe any such
rubbish"
"No-that is, l try not to believe it
and do not. Yet when contemplate
the step shrink with dread that l
suppose is mostly due to my poor health"
Undoubtedly, and why, therefore,
pay any heed to it?'
81 wish it had never been left to me.
If could will it to you or any one else,
would do So"
81 don't want it, but want you to get
well, which you will never do as long as
you remain morbid over that. shall
give you no rest until the thing is SOLD
and off your mind"
A third injunction, coming down from
former generations, was that the owner
of the rajah's ruby. must never give it
away or will it to another until such an
act was among the last of his or her life
that is to say, while Miss Livermore
was at liberty to designate by will tho
next owner of the gem, that owner could
not receive it until the formers death.
Thus, as long as the injunction was
needed, Miss Livermore must remain
tied to it, for such virtually was her situ-
alton.
While the good lady was in this state
of incertitude and distress, DR.. Maid
hoff received.two valuable allies in the
persons of the niece, Miss Glider, and
her betrothed, Arthur Fairchild. They
ridiculed her weakness with such sue.
cess that she was forced to the deciding
point.
81 will sell it and take the chances.
Heaven will not permit any harm to
come to me for such an innocent deed"
It was ut this juncture, while Miss
Glider was absent among her friends
and Fairchild was in another section on
business, that the alarming letter arrived
from India, written by person unknown
to them, but who Miss Livermore in
stinctively felt was friend. She sent
for DR.. Maidhoff and gave him the let
ter. He read it through and was SO an
gered that he tore the missive in two and
flung one portion in the crate. Then,
feeling that he had been too hasty, he
picked up the larger part, replaced it in
the envelope and showed it into his
pocket.
His first impression was that this was
an attempt to terrify his patient into
parting with the ruby, and he was i'll.
dignant to observe that its reception had
thrown her into deplorable state. But,
reasoning more clearly, he decided be-
fore the close of the day that it would bo
criminal on his part to disregi ird the
of the East Indians, if they came at all,
for some days or weeks, and, despite the
fact that they did reach Ellenville by a
strange coincidence almost at the same
hour as the letter, he was unaware of it.
He had allowed Detectives Manson
and Simpson to believe that he knew
this, and therefore was guilty of care
lessness which laid him open to sus-
picion, but he was called out in the coun-
try that evening and had no knowledge
of what occurred until the following
morning, when Martha, the servant,
came in great haste for him.
He found Miss Livermore in a sad con-
dition and in danger of death. Tho
burglar had appeared Mt her bedside
just as was stated and compelled her to
give the combination which opened the
safe. The criminal departed with the
false instead of the true gem.
The effect of this midnight visit upon
the doctor was more unaccountablo
than upon the woman. 1t convinced
him of the utter unscrupulousness Of
the men that had come across the sea to
secure the rajah's ruby. He was sure
that, although they had been deceived
by the colored glass, they would soon re-
turn to recover it and probably revenge
themselves upon the woman that had de-
ceived them.
Cases are not lacking where the bravest
men have broken down, become rat
tled," as the expression goes, and figur>
atively gone to pieces under long con-
tinued nervous and mental strain. Major
Chorpenning, who made the wonderful
ride alone from Salt Lake City to Sacra-
mento with the United States mail, more
than 80 years ago, has related to us
similar experience. He passed the dead
bodies of the five men of the previous
train, all of whom had been massacred
by Indians, and coolly gathering the
mutilated remains gave them the best
burial possible. He did this without a
tremor of the nerves, though he knew he
had reached the most dangerous portion
of the route and saw at that time tho
smoke from the signal fires of the red
men who were waiting short distance
ahead to ambush and kill him.
The brave fellow rode straight on
with his two mules, on the alert for dan
ger. He passed safely through, but late
that night, when alone in the desolate
solitude, broke down and wept like o