Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-11-02
UNCLE JOHN AND THE RUB|ES.
BY ANTHONY HOPE.
Author of 1.-The Prisoner of Zenda," THE
Dolly Dialogues" &c
Copyright, 1895, by A. H. Hawkins.)

Copyright, 1895, by A. H. Hawkns)
There may still be some very old men
about town who remember the duel be-
tween Sir George Marston and Col. Merri-
dew; there may still be venerable lawyer
or two who recollect the celebrated case of
Merridew against Marston. With these eX-
ceptons the story probably survives only
In the two families interested in the mat
ter and in the neighbohood where both the
gentlemen concerned lived. and where their
successors flourish to this day. The whole
affair. of which the duel was the first stage
and the lawsuit the second, arose out of
the disappearance of the Maharajah's ru-
bes. Sir George and the colonel had both
spent many years in India, Sir George &C.
cupying various important positions in the
companys service, the colonel seeking for
tune on his own account. Chance had
brought them together at the court of the
Maharajah of Nugsetabad, and they had
struck up a friendship. tempered by jeal-
ousy. The Maharajah favored both; we
Merridews maintained that Uncle John was
first fayorite, but the MarstonS declared
that Sir George beat him; and I am bound
to admit that they had plausible ground
for their contention, since, when both gem
tlemen were returning to England. the
Maharajah presented to Sir George the six
magnificent stones which became famous
the Maharajah's rubies, while Uncle
John had to content himself with couple
of fine diamonds. The Maharajah couid
not have expressed his preference more
significantly; both his friends were passion
ate lovers of jewels, and understood very
well the value of their respective presents.
Uncle John faced the situation boldly. and
declared that he had refused the rubies;
we. his family. dutifuly accepted his YER
sion, and were in the habit of laying grea,
stress on his conscientiousnesS. The Mar
stons treated this tradition of ours with
open incredulity Whatever the truth was,
the Maharajah's action produced no imme-
dlate breach between the colonel and Sir
George. They left court together, arrived
together a the port of Calcutta, and came
home together round the cape. The trou-
BILE began only when Sir George discovered,
at the moment when he was leaving the
ship. that he had lost the rubies. BY this
time Uncle John. who had disembarked
few hours earlier, was already at home dis
playing his dia monds to the relatives VINO
had assembled to greet him.
Into the midst of this family gathering
there burst the next day the angry>form of
Sir George Marston. He had driven post
haste to his own house, which lay some
ten miles from the coloners, and had now
ridden over at a gallop: and there before
the whole company he charged Uncle John
with having stolen the Maharajah'S rubles
The colonel, he said, was the only man
on board who knew that he had the rubies
or where the rubieS WERE and the only man
who had enjoyed constant and unre-
stricted access to the cabin In which they
were hidden. Moreover, so Sir George de-
clared, the colonel loved jewels more than
honor, honesty, or salvation. The coloners
answer was a cut with his riding whip.
challenge followed from Sir George. The
duel was fought, and Sir George got ball
in his arm. AS soon as he was well my
uncle who had been the challenged party
in the first encounter. saw his seconds to
ARRANGE another meeting. The cut with
the whip was disposed Of; the accusation
remained. But Sir George refused to go
out. declaring that the dock, and not the
field of honor, was the proper place for
Col. M.rridew Uncle John, being denied
the remedy of a gentleman, carried the
case into the courts, although not into the
court which Sir George had indicated.
An action of Islander was entered and
tried Uncle John filed town and country
with his complaints He implored all and
sundry to search him, to search his house,
to search his park. to search everything
searchabIe. number OF gentlemen form
ed themselves into jury and did as he
asked Uncle John himself experimenting
their labors. No trace of the rubies was
found Sir George was unconvinced: the
action went on, the jury gave the colonel
$4,000: the colonel gave the money to chart
ty. and Sir George Marston. mounting his
horse outside Westminster Hall, observed
loudly
by C., he stole them all the same!'
With this the story ended for the outer
world. People were puzzled for while,
and then forgot the whole affair. But the
Marstons did not forget it, and would not
be consoled for the loss of their rubies.
Neither did We. the Merr:dews, forget. We
were very proud of our family honor, and
we made point of being proud of the
colonel also. in spite of certain dubious
stories which hung about his name. The
feud persisted in all its bitterness. We
hurled scorn at one another across the
space that divided us; we were absolute
strangers when we met on private occa-
soDs. My father who succeeded his uncle,
the colonel. was a thorough-going adherent
of his predecessor. Sir Georges son, Sir
Matthew, openly espoused his fathers
cause and accusation. Meanwhile no hu-
man eye had seen the Maharajah's rubes
from the hour at which they had disap-
pedred from the cabin of the East India
man Elephant.
A train of circumstances now began
which babe fair to repeat the moving TRACE
dy of Verona in one corner of the world, l
myself being cast for the part of Romeo.
AS 1 was following the hounds one day, 1
came upon young LADY who had suffered
a fall, fortunately without personal injury,
and was vainly pursuing her horse across
sticky plough. l caught the horse and led
him to his mistress. To my surprise l
found myself in the presence of Miss Syl-
via Marston. who had walked by me with
stony face half hundred times at county
balls and such like social gatherings. She
drew back with sort of horror on her
tremely pretty face. / dismounted and
stood ready to help her into the saddle.
MY groom is somewhere said she, look
ing around the Landscape.
anyhow, l didn't steal the rubies.'' said
i. The truth is that in each of the half
hundred occasions l have referred to | had
regretted that the feud forbade acquaint-
ance between Miss Marston and myself. |
was eager to assuage the feud as far she
and j were concerned.
My remark produced extremely haugh-
ty expression on the ladys face. l stood
patiently by the horses The abSurdity of
the position at last struck my companion;
she accepted my assistance, although
grudgingly. / mounted with all haste and
roo ''-i~ie her. We war,, ---'7'or-'-- of