Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1899-05-02
4 GIFT FOR LOVE and LUCK

On a sultry summer evening Thomas
Cranborne was sitting with three other
men on veranda that faced out on Lake
st. Clair, in a suburb of Detroit. Gran
borne described himself as "a copper
man." he was, in fact. q young mining
engineer whose business was in the
regions of northern Michigan where cop
per is plentiful.
OF the other three men, one was 4 man
with heavy blonde mustache. This dis
tinguished-looking person also had ugly
bags under his eyes that told of overcast
living. He was accustomed to describe
himself as mere driftwood," but he also
said that in times past he had been an
officer in the British army in India His
dress was now marked by an absence of
care for appearances which certainly had
nothing IN it suggestive OF the British
army's reputation for ''smartness.
But in strong contrast to the shabby
Norfolk jacket and the mean looking felt
toweling hat which this ''driftwood"
wore, was one piece of jeweIry that
flashed in the late sunlight as he lifted Il
tall thin-Stemmed glass to his lips.
This piece of jeWelry was at first sight
an amazing combination of white and
green splendors; on closer examination 1t
proved to be an uncOmmonly large en-
erald set in the center or a great cluster
of diamonds on a ring which the drift
wood wore on his right fourth finger.
The whole outer side OF the ring rose like
the dome Of Il pagOda, or, to use mOre
homegrown simile, like the smaller half
of an egg, and at the apex OF this dome
Or egg-the emerald was set deeply in,
as if pushed heavily down into bed of
diamonds.
One thing that was evident to almost
anyone who examined the ring closely
was that the diamonds in it were not set
III any fashion known to either American
or European jewelers.; there was not
speck Of metal visible in the interstces
between the brilliants, only dark spaces,
as If each tiny diamond We're held by Il
rivet under it. And, above all, the whole
ring flashed with a glitter OF white and
green that strongly suggested the gOr-
strongly because Of its being on the
finger of the shabbily~dressed drift
wood"
Cranborne could hardly keep his eyes
off the jewels. AS q mineralogist, he
naturally was interested in unusual speci-
mems of precious stones; as a youth of
strongly developed artistic tastes, the
rare perfection of color in the great en-
erald Fascinated him.
Il am hating here said the drift
wood, whose name on the hotel register
was Fielding, L am hating here. like
israel Of old, between two opinions. Be
fore me is the Queens dominion of Cana
da-and shabbiness-at my back is the
United States Of America-and the posi-
bllity of prosperity, if that possibility ex
lists anywhere for me. One beckons me
across the lake to Canada. the other is
drawing me into the great vortex of the
United States. Which is it to be? Cana
Ga and shabbiness, or the United States,
wealth and cocktails?"
las for shabbiness,' Cranborne slowly
drawied, Il don't see how anybody can
help looking shabby with that ring on
his finger, Fielding. The magnifcence
OF it is enough to make Solomon in all
his glory look shabby
We'll, now, do you know" said Fielding,
looking at the ring, there is deep inner
man. | believe that this blessed Bur-
mese jewel has kept ne shabby for years,
and will yet. In other words, | suspect
the thing of being cursed"
Where did you pick it up?' asked a
gray-haired man of the party.
ing quickly "A Tommy Atkins picked
it up in Burmah in 'SS. when and where
| didn't ask him, though l suspect he
got it where he didn't ought [ paid
him 100 rupees for it, which he expended,
[ believe, on beer and died incontinently.
L
decline, and | attribute my present cOndl-
ton as a piece of driftwOod to this bril-
liant object.
And yet you won't part with it?' said
CranbOrne. That's human nature all
over"
Wont /, though, said Fielding. -
would part with il tomorrow, but every
body seems afraid Of it-or else afraid of
the price [ ask for it.
will you take a thousand dollars for
it?' Cranborne asked, while the two old
er men eyed him with chrewd interest.
''Will you pay it:' said Fielding with
a start.
IF you hand it over to me now, the
young miner answered, L will give you
$50 in notes and check on a Detroit
bank for $3.50"
Fielding set about pulling off his ring
while CranbOrne rang the bell ana sent
a waiter for q blank check, giving the
name OF his bank in Detroit.
You're not afraid?" Fielding asked
him once more, as if be really felt
scruples about turning over the curse to
this young man.
Mining engineers are not given to SUI
perstitions," said the graybeard who had
spoken before.
Il have plenty of superstition" said
Cranborne, but [ like to try expert
ments. | am going TO play 4 Christian
superstition against heather, that's
ALL"
It was no business Of Fielding's II
this young man from the Northern mines
chose to ruin his prospects in this world
and the next by wearing that uncanny
mass of splendor that had been taken by
theft out of some dark mango-shaded
shrine of idolatry, it was nothing to him.
He had candidly told the true story of
the ring. Now he was in possession Of
q good substantial thousand American
dollars, and his mind made up for "tha
United States, prosperity and cocktails"
He. however, as well as the two elder
Iy MichiGandprS who Eara DraSant nj this