The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1904-09-02

Il tell you that / can and will" For
even as | spoke an idea nashd into my
head which startled me by It's audaclty.
In moment had thought out every de-
tail
made up the stones, Champion dia-
mond and all. into a packet, carefully
closing the secret drawer, and. contriv-
ing to get away without being seen. went
straight TO my brothers house in Kent,
managing to avoid the service Of a sub
poena. Thus l was not present at the
police court proceedings. which would
/ have meant ruin for my plan
Mr. Nugent was committed for trial,
and meanwhile l staid in the country,
working each night in my locked room
with the tools had brought with me
until the gray dawn filtered under my
/ closed shutters.
When saw my old employer in the
dock AT the trial was shocked at the
CHASTITY change which had come over
| him.
The evidence al first went steadily
against him. IL was proved that he had
lost money heavily on the stock ex-
change. Mr. Champion swore that tho
stone in the ring delivered to him by Mr..
| Nueent's own hand was not his diamond.
One expert testified that not only was
the stone he now saw not the Champion
diamond. II was not genuine Jewel at
all. but a marvellous imitation An
other was not 80 positive He looked at
the gem through his glass. turning It this
way and that. declaring that In all his ex-
perionce he had never seen false stone
so cleyerly executed as this Indeed no
was not prepared to swear that It was
false
This was the first ray OF doubt which
had been thrown by the evidence upon
Mr.. Nugents guilt; and then / went
into the box. was cool now, for the
game had gone into had cost me many a
qualm Of conscience. But had no IN
tentiOn OF cheating Mr. Champion.
swearing falsely. or furnishing my per-
sOnal honor
The preliminary question Of the prose-
cutting counsel brought out the fact that
! had designed the rings setting and
done all the work upon H.
What sort of a stone was It your en-
ployer gave you to set?" was the next
question.
"An extremely valuable white dia-
mond," replied
"Doyou swear that you set the genuine
stone and delivered the ring when fin
ished to the prisoner?"
81 do"
do you consider It possible that stone |
might have been taken out and an imi-
tation one substituted"
Certainly But could tell whether |
the ring had been tampered with since |
II left my hands"
Take this. then. examine It. and in
form the court II that is the stone you
set"
The ring was handed TO me. and hush |
fell upon the court. The kind Of lull /
which denotes that vital point in a case
has been reached.
put my hand in my waistcoat pocket
for my jewelers. glass. and the sharpest
eve could not have seen that also drew
forth new ring. made in the secret
hours Of the night-an exact counterpart
OF the other. save that 1t contained the
real Champion diamond.
| pretended TO examine the initiation
with great care. while all eyes were
fixed upon me- At length returned tho
glass TO my pocket. and with It the ring
with the false stone. could hear my
heart beating: but. handing 10 the court
usher the new ring. said. firmly. in re-
ply TO the snappish "Well3" Of the pros
ecuting counsel:
Il swear unhesitatingly that the set
ting OF this ring has not been tampered
with. and that this is the genuine dia-
mond which was given me to set.
A rustic went round the room; the
doubling expert pricked up his ears; the
prosecuting counsel. with Mr.. Cramp-
ton and the treasury solicitor, were
whispering over the ring.
"You honor" said the counsel. Il ask
permission 70 recall the expert"
stepped out Of the box and the expert
stepped in. The new ring was put into
his hand, q friendly ray Of sunshine
lighting up the jewel
"This is remarkable" he said at last
1T is the first time have ever made a
mistake. This stone is genuine. cam
not doubt It."
And 80 the prisoner was free. But
when the verdict Of mot guilty" was
pronounced a faint groan echoed II. and
a dead man was taken from the dock.
A spasm Of the heart had proved fatal.