The true northerner., 1900-03-15
Finding the Diamonds
How a Maidservant Was the Means
Of Restoring Lost Jewels.

& OF Restoring Lost Jewels. @
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1t was her system that made Mrs.
Robinson what she was. If a lie got
loose anywhere near, she was up and
after it with anything she could lay
her hands on.
She showed you that lying didn't pay
when she was concerned. A lie turned
into a serpent as soon as it got out of
your mouth, and you were glad TO get
behind another.
Not to say that her system hadn't
its drawbacks. Every system has.
And the naked truth is sometimes an
awful thing-ten times more awful
than any lie you can think of at the
time.
When Susan Jones came, however,
Mrs. Robinson had her work cut out
The girl lied like an eel-there was no
catching hold of her.
At first she Just chirped out lies as
light hear cd as n bird. "Pleas'm it
Were the cat" or anything that came
U5permost. But the cat had n way
of proving an alibi that astonished
Susan.
SO Susan got as cautious as charity,
and it would have done your heart
good TO see the two ut 1t, for Mrs. Rob
inson had no sooner got the ferret Of
truth into one hole than Susan was
out and in at another.
Any one else would have got sick
and disgusted. but Mrs. Robinson
didn't
For" said she. "the girl has her
good points, and I'll make woman of
her"
And she succeeded, for Susan got
worn out by the sheer uselessness of
the thing and at last shut down In dis
gust After that the girl did not de-
part from the truth for six months.
and then she let off the awfulest lie
Mrs. Robinson had ever heard in her
born days. At least Mrs. Robinson
thought It was.
1t happened like this. One morning
when Susan was in the coal cellar she
found lady's ring that dazzled your
eyes and took your breath away.
"It's one of them cent things as
you can buy in any tinker's shop" she
said to herself. Just lot Of rubbishy
glass. don't believe it's worth both
ering about"
She took IL to her mistress, however.
Mrs. Robinson gave a cry when she
saw the ring and started up with her
mouth open. 1T looks like one Of the
rings mentioned in my grandmother
inventory" she said II shouldn't won
der If it belongs to the lost set of dia'
monds."
Mrs. Robinson was a widow and liv-
ed with her brother John. Few men
could look wiser than Mr. John when
he tried ii. His spectacles made him
look like Solomon. When he came
home, he put them on and raked out
the inventory and placed his forefinger
on an exact description of the ring. II
was valued at 5000.
After they had all wondered awhile
they put on last years clothes, got
candles and went into the cellar; but
though they shifted the Goals about fol
hours. they got nothing but their faces
blacked. Mr. Johns was the blacklist
When she had got herself washed
and busted, Mrs. Robinson put the
ring on and wore IL till night, but be
fore retiring to rest she put it on hel
toilet table in case it got lost in bed.
In the morning the ring was gone
Susan took n red face as soon as hel
mistress came down stairs. Mrs. Rob
inson Just stood still and looked at he
for a moment. and then she said:
Susan, what have you done with th'
ring?"
II never touched 1t. ma'am," was Su
sans reply, and the girl sat right dowI
on her chest and burst into tears.
"Then what are you crying for?" in
quired her mistress.
But Susan sobbed on and said moth
ing.
"I'll give you an hour to make NJ
your mind about it," said Mrs. Robin
son. You're not to do any work 70
that time"
Susan sat on the chest the whole @
minutes and cried herself out. Mrs
Robinson came down at the end o
that time and found her still glued {,
the lid.
"Now. Susan, want the soleml
truth"
"Yes'm."
"Where's the ringT
"Mr. John took IL, ma'am."
"My brotherT
"Yes'm."
Wise as he was, Mr.. John was struc
in a heap when his sister mentione
the matter. "What-wha-whatY h
gasped. "The girl Is stone mad.
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