The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1904-06-17

out every detail.
/ made up the stones, Champion dia-
mond and all, into a packet, carefully
closing the secret drawer, and. con-
irving to get away without being seen,
went straight to my brothers house In
Kent, managing to avoid the service
of subpoena. 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 | 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 I saw my old employer in the
dock at the trial was shocked at the
CHASTITY change which had come over
him.
The evidence at first went steadily
against him. 1t was proved that he
had lost money heavily on the stock
exchange. 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, 1t was not a
genuine jewel at all, but n marvellous
imitation. Another was not so posi-
tive. He looked at the gem through
his glass, turning it this way and that
declaring that in all his experience he
had never seen a false stone so clev-
erly executed as this. Indeed, he was
NOT rod 10 fhof II q
false.
This was the first ray of doubt
which had been thrown by the evil
dence upon Mr.. Nugent's guilt; and
then 1 went into the box. / was cool
now, for the game l had determined
on had cost me many qualm of con-
science. But 1 had no intention of
cheating Mr.. Champion, swearing
falsely or furnishing my personal
honor.
The preliminary question of the
prosecuting counsel brought out the
fact that 1 had designed the rings
setting and had done all the work upon
it.
What sort of stone was it your
employer gave you to set? was the
next question.
IAN extremely valuable white dia-
mond," l replied.
''Do you swear that you set the gen
uine stone and delivered the ring
when finished to the prisonerY
81 do"
'tDo you consider it possible that
stone might have been taken out and
an imitation one substituted?"
Certainly! But 1 could tell wheth-
er the ring had been tempered with
since it left my hands,
Take this, then, examine it. and
you set''
The ring was handed to me, and a
hush fell upon the court. The kind
of lull which denotes that vital point
in case has been reached.
put my hand in my waistcoat peck
eft for my jewelers. glass, and the
sharpest eye could not have seen that
l also drew forth a new ring, made
in the secret hours of the night-an
exact counterpart of the other, save
that 1t contained the real Champion
diamond.
l pretended to examine the imitation
with great care, while all eyes were
fixed upon me. At length l returned
the glass to my pocket, and with il
the ring with the false stone. l could
hear my own heart beating; but, hand
ing to the court usher the new ring, !
said firmly, in reply to the snappish
''WellT' of the prosecuting counsel:
Il swear unhesitatingly that the set
ting of this ring has not been tam
pered with, and that this is the gen
uine diamond which was given me tC
set"
A rustic went round the court; the
doubling expert pricked up his ears
the prosecuting counsel, with Mr.
Champion and the treasury solicitor
were whispering over the ring.
your honor" said the counsel. 81
ask permission to recall the expert"
l stepped out of the box and the
expert stepped in. The new ring was
put into his hand, a friendly ray Of
sunshine lighting up the jewel.
This is remarkable" he said a
last. 1T is the first time 1 have evel
made a mistake. This stone is gen
uine. l cannot doubt IT."
And so the prisoner was free. Blu
when the verdict of mot guilty" wa'
pronounced a faint groan echoed it
and a dead man was taken from thu
dock. A spasm of the heart haC
proved fatal.