The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928, 1898-11-19

ton, and keep what may be in the
right. ,"
Together they ransacked the old
bureau, and at length Nell touched
the spring which opened the secret
drawer. drew in my breath sharply,
for the light of the candle which I
held struck out CLEAN from pile OF
exquisitely made false stones, which
lay in partition ON the left hand,
while on the right was the Lambton
diamond.
Involuntarily I betrayed the dread
full nature of the discovery by an ex-
clamation, for, left to herself, Nell
would not have understood. But she
was quick to comprehend, and realiz-
ing the worst swayed, staggering
backward
"My poor father" she moaned, as
held her. "He is ruined forever
and I, too. The daughter of con-
victed thief is no fit wife for an honest
man."
"My darling, you are wife for a
king, and as for your father, I swear
to you that I will save him yet"
"You-you cannot"
II tell you that I can and will. !"
For even as I spoke an idea had
flashed into my head which startled
me by it's audacity. In a moment I
had thought out every detail,
I made up the stones, Lambton dia-
mond and all, into a packet, carefully
closing the secret drawer, and con-
irving to get away without being
seen, and went straight to my
brothers house in Kent, managing to
avoid the service Of q subpoena. Thus
I was not present at the police court
proceedings, which would have meant
ruin for my plan.
Mr.. Nugent was committed for trial,
and meanwhile stayed in the country
working each night in a locked room,
with the tools I had brought with me,
until the gray dawn filtered under my
closed shutters.
When I saw my old employer in the
dock at the trial I was choked at the
change which had come over him.
The evidence at first went steadily
against him. Lord Lambton swore
that the stone in the ring was not his
diamond. One expert testified that
not only was the stone he now saw
not the Lambton diamond, but was
not a genuine jewel at all, but mar
velous imitation. Another was not so
positive. He looked at the gem
through his glass. turning 1t this way
and that, declaring that in all his ex-
perience he had never seen a false
stone so cleverly executed as this.
Indeed, he was not prepared to swear
that it was false.
This was the first ray of doubt
which had been thrown by the evil
dence upon Mr.. Nugent's guilt; and
then l went into the box. I was very
cool now, for the game I had deter
minded on had cost me many qualns
of conscience. But had no intention
of cheating Lord Lambton, swearing
falsely, or furnishing my personal
honor.
The preliminary question Of the pro-
scouting counsel brought out the fact
that I had designed the rings setting,
and done all the work upon it.
"What sort of stone was it your
employer gave you to set?" was the
next question.
can extremely valuable white dia'
mond," I replied.
''Do you swear that you set the
genuine stone, and delivered the ring
when finished to the prisoner?"
81 do"
''Do you consider it possible thai
that stone might have been taken out
and an imitation one substituted"
Certainly. But I could tell whether
the ring had been tempered with since
it left my hands.
"Take this, then, examine it, and q
hush fell upon the court. The kind
of lull which denotes that a vital point
in case has been reached.
put my hand in my waistcoat
pocket for my jewelers. glass, and the
sharpest eye could not have seen thai
I also drew forth new ring. made il
the secret hours of the night-an ex
oct counterpart of the other, save
that it contained the real Lambtor
diamond.
pretended to examine the imita
ton with great care while all eyes
were fixed upon me. At length I re
turned the glass to my pocket, and
with it the false stone, I could heal