The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-09-29

The famous La,nbton diamond
threw back the light from its many
facets, and strange, brilliant coors
shot from its depths 1t was the finest
stone l had ever set in my life.
was particularly pleased with my
design for the setting. No other hand
had touched It,, and felt that the
frame. so to speak. was worthy of the
picture.
The ring, now that . it was finished,
was fit even to adorn the hand of Lady
Gwendolen Forrest, the beauty and
heiress of the season. But l did not
envy young Lord Lambton his fancc;
In my own Nell had a girl as good ana
as pretty as any in the land.
was about to take the ring to Mr..
Nugent when Nell herself ran in. She
was my employers daughter. and his
private house was upstairs over the
large showroom in Clifford street 1t
was against all custom for Nell to come
down to my workshop, for her father
dsapproved our engagement. But
today she had not been able to resist
the temptation of having a peep at the
Lambton diamond
Just as she had slipped it on her
finger and was dancing about twisting
her hand that the marvellous stone
might catch the light, the door opened
and Mr.. Nugent entered. ] prepared to
defend Nell from a harsh reprimand,
but none came. Her father appeared
oddly preoccupied. merely tok the ring
from her, examined it earnestly, and,
swapping the lid of the case down upon
it, placed it in his pocket and walked
away.
Next day ! was sitting at work,
when l saw hanson drive up, and
Lord Lambton jump out He came
hastily into the room, which adjoined
the one where | was sitting and where
Mr. Nugent was.
"Scoundrel!" I heard him say, and
could scarcely believe my ears. "You
thought to fool me easily by a false
stone; but | am as good a judge of
jewels as you are. You are Il thief sir!
What have you done with the diamond
I intrusted to you?'
Mr.. Nugent answered in a lower
voice. What he said could not have
made any great impression upon Lord
Lambton, however, for he impatiently
interrupted, and at last an ominous
threat concerning the police" reached
my ears.
sat still. I understood very well
that Lord Lambton had deliberately
accused my employer of trying to palm
off upon him an imitation diamond, yet
/ knew that l had set the true stone
and delivered it to Mr.. Nugent only
yesterday.
My employer himself was a skilled
workman, though not good designer,
and in the time that had elapsed be-
tween, my handing him the ring and
his transferring it to the owner he
could have removed the stone and re-
placed it by another But for such a
hold trick to succeed the imitation must
he magnificently made, and the orig
inal diamond must have been carefully
measured.
had never known that Mr.. Nugent
kept any false gems about the place.
Eesides, was it likely that man in his
position would care to run so terrible
risk? Still, l could not help remem-
bering how haggard and irritable he
had been of late, and the keen interest
that he took in the racing intelligence,
As thus speculated on the astound-
opened the door of the workroom. He
looked keenly at me as if wondering if
it would be safe to trust me.
Did you hear anything of what
passed in the next room?' he ques-
toned.
admitted that ! had.
"Of course, l shall be triumphantly
acquitted" he announced, clearing his
throat huskly as he spoke. "Still,
Lord Lambton can make things dis
agreeable. And look here, Wade,
haven't always been as friendly to you
as l might, hut l can trust you. You'll
be an important witness. Do what you
can for me, for the girls sake"
The words sounded strange, but |
was given no time to answer, for at
that moment Lord Lambton returned
with two Scotland Yard men. My en-
ployer was given into custody and
taken to the police station to be
charged, the detectives remaining to
search the premises.
Mr. Nugent being a widowGr, with
only one child. the management of the
business practically devolved on me,
and as the detectives ransacked the
place, they put many questions to me
as to where the stones were kept. The
safes were all pointed out to them, but
they seemed disappointed with their
operations.
Late in the evening they came to me
in the workroom, and, holding out the
ring that l had made for Lord Lamb
ton, one of them said
This is your work, we understand,
Is that the stone you set?"
l glanced at it, but only replied: II
don't call myself an expert in precious
stones, and all 1 can say is that this
one precisely resembles in size, shape
and appearance the one given me to
set"
While this statement was practically
true, that one glance had been enough
TO show me that l was not looking at
the Lambton diamond.
The detectives left, saying that !
would have to tell all / knew in the
witness box, and then, just as / was
about to lock up the place for the
night, Nell CAME in. 1t was the first
time she had let me see her since her
father had been taken away
The face which thought the sweet
est on earth was marble white, and