The Starkville news. (Starkville, Miss.) 1902-1960, 1904-06-17
FOR. THE
GIRLS SAKE
By FRANK THOMAS

T. HE famous Champion diamond
threw back the light from its many
facets, and strange, brilliant colors shot
from it's depths. 1t was the finest stone
| had ever seen in my life.
was particularly pleased with my de-
sign 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 Gwendolen
Forrest, the beauty and heiress of the
season. But l did not envy young Mr..
Champion his fiancee; in my own Nell
/ had girl as good and 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 prl-
vate house was upstairs over the large
showroom in Clifford street. 1t was
against all custom for Neil to come down
to my workshop, for her father disap-
proved our engagement. But to-day she
had not been able to resist the tempta-
tion of having a peep at the Champion
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. I prepared to defend
Nell from harsh reprimafd, but none
came. He father appeared oddly preoc-
cupied, merely took 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 I was sitting at work when
Isaw hanson drive up, and Mr.. Cramp-
ton jump out. He came hastily into the
showroom, which adjoined the one where
/ was sitting, and where Mr.. Nugent
was.
"Scoundrel.' heard him say, and
could scarcely believe my ears. "You
thought to fool me easily by a false
stone, but | am as good judge Of jew
els as you are. You are a thief. sir!
What have you done with the diamond
/ intrusted to your
Mr.. Nugent answered in a lower voice.
What he said could not have made any
great impression upon Mr.. Champion,
however, for he impatiently interrupted,
and at last an ominous threat concerning
the police" reached my ears
I sat still. understood we'll that Mr..
Champion had deliberately accused my
employer of trying to palm off upon him
an imitation diamond, yet knew that
I 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 between
my handing him the ring and his trans
ferring it to the owner he could have re-
moved the stone and replaced it by an
other. But such bold trick to succeed
the imitation must be magnificently
made, and the original diamond must
have been carefully measured.
I had never known that Mr.. Nugent
kept any false gems about the place. and
besides, was it likely that a man in his
position would care to run SO terrible a
risk? Still, l could not help remember
ing how haggard and irritable he had
been of late, and the keen interest that
he took in the stock exchange intelli-
gence.
AsI thus speculated on the astounding
accusation Mr.. Nugent himself opend
the door of the workroom. He looked
keenly ut me, as if wondering if it would
be safe to trust me.
did you hear anything of what passed
in the next room?" he questioned.
I admitted that had.
"Of course, shall be triumphantly ac-
nuitted," he answered, clearing his
throat huskily as he spoke. Still, Mr..
Champion can make things disagreeable.
And. look here, Wade, haven't always
been as frindly to you as | might, but
can trust you. You'll be an important
witness. Do owhat you can for me, for the
girls sake
The words sounded strange, but was
given no time to answer, for at that mo-
n,ent Mr.. Champion returned with two
Scotland Yard men. My employer was
given into custody and taken to the po-
lice station to be charged, the detectives
remaining to search the premises.
Mr.. Eugent, being widower, with
only one child, the management of the
busiIas practically devolved on me,
and Is the detectives ransacked the
Mace they put many questions to me as
towhere the stones were kept. The safes
were All pointed out to them. but they