The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1904-06-14
you that Iwill save him vet. ("

NGA sOA lAal Ndu anu EOl
even as | spoke an idea fiashd iRto my
head which startled me by its audacity.
In moment l 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 SUBJ
poena- Thus | was not present at the
police court proceedings, which would
I have meant ruin for my plan
! Mr.. Nugent was committed for trial,
and meanwhile staid in the country.
working each night in my locked room
with the tools l had brought with me
until the gray dawn filtered under my
closed shutters
] When l saw my old employer in the
dock at the trial was shocked at the
/ CHASTITY change which had come over
him
4 The evidence at first went steadily
against him. II was proved that he had
lost money heavily on the stock ex-
change. Mr.. Champion swore that the
stone in the ring delivered to him by Mr..
Nugent's own hand was not his diamond.
One expert testified that not only was
the stone he now saw not the Champion
diamond. it was not a genuine jewel at
all. but n marvellous imitation. All
other was not so positive. He looked at
the gem through his glass. turning II this
way and that. declaring that in all his ex-
perience he had never seen false stone
so cleverly executed as this. Indeed. he
was not prepared to swear that 1t was
false
This was the first ray OF doubt which
had been thrown by the evidence upon
Mr.. Nugent's 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 II.
What sort of stone was II your en-
ployer gave you to set?" was the next
question
IAN extremely valuable white dia-
mond," l replied
do you swear that you set the genuine
stone and delivered the ring when fin
ished to the prisoner"
"I do"
do you consider If 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
1t left my hands"
Take this, then. examine 1t, and in
form the court if 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 case
: has been reached.
: l put my hand in my waistcoat pocket
: for my jewelers. glass, and the sharpest
eye could not have seen that also drew
forth a new ring. made in the secret
I hours of the night-an exact counterpart
of the other. save that it contained the
I real Champion diamond.
d I pretended to examine the imitation
> with great care, while all eyes wer'
fixed upon me. At length l returned the
glass to my pocket, and with it the rim.
d / with the false stone. | could hear m!
heart beating; but, handing to the cour
usher the new ring, l said. firmly. in re
ply to the snappish ''Well?" of the pros
: ecuting counsel:
81 swear unhesitatingly that the set
ting of this ring has not been tampere'
with. and that this is the genuine dia
mond which was given me to set.
rustic went round the room; tn
doubling expert pricked up his ears; tn
prosecuting counsel. with Mr.. Cramp
ton and the treasury solicitor, wer
whispering over the ring
81 You honor" said the counsel, 81 as
l permission to recall the expert"
stepped out of the box and the exper
e stepped in. The new ring was put int
his hand, a friendly ray of sunshin
lighting up the Jewel.
This is remarkable" he said at las
sTt is the first time have ever made
mistake. This stone is genuine. car
| not doubt it"
And so the prisoner was free. BJ
when the verdict OF Not guilty" wa
pronounced a faint groan echoed it. an
a dead man was taken from the docl
u A spasm of the heart had proved fata
Six months later Nell and were mai
rieH. On our honeymoon We were wall
ing in a lane near Ilfracombe. when W
Is came face to face with Mr.. Cramptol
le who was stopping with his bride in
10 neighboring country house.
"Ah, Mr.. Wadel" he exclaimed.
l. haven't seen you since that mysterior
N case of mine. Do you know, have a
lie ways thought of fyou-as-a very-clev,
mani"
Id Thank you" said quietly. 'Will yc
SIS allow me to present you to my wife-tl
TX only daughter of the late Mr.. Nugent?-
n. Mr.. Champion raised his hat, locke
ee keenly at pretty Nell. shook hands wit
IN Gs both, and murmured:
s"Ah, / understand"
yvnDnc nE rHE uTSE CRES