The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1904-06-14
FOR THE
GIRLS SAKE
By FRANK THOMAS

THE famous Champion diamond
threw back the light from its many
facets, and strange. brilliant colors shot
from its depths. 1t was the finest stone
had ever seen in my life.
Twas 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 1t 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..
was my employers daughter. and his pri-
vate house was upstairs over the large
showroom in Clifford street 1t was
against all custom for Nell 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 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 prepared to defend
Nell from harsh reprimand. but none
came. He father appeared oddly preoc-
eupied. merely took the ring from her.
examined It earnestly. and. swapping the
lid of the case down upon II, placed II in
his pocket and walked away.
Next day I was sitting at work when
saw hanson drive up. and Mr.. Cramp-
ton jump out He came hastily into the
showroom. which adjoined the one where
I was sitting, and where Mr.. Nugent
was.
'Scoundreli" heard him say. and
could scarcely believe my ears. "You
thought to fool me easily by a false
stone, but I am as good judge of jew
els as you are You are a thief. siri
What have you done with the diamond
intrusted to you?'
| 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.
sat still. understood well that Mr.
Champion had deliberately accused my
employer Of trying to palm OF upon him
an imitation diamond, yet knew thai
had set the true stone and delivered il
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 magnificent!
made, and the original diamond mus
have been carefully measured.
| had never known that Mr.. Nugen
kept any false gems about the place, ant
besides, was it likely that a man in hi
Iposition would care to run SO terrible
risk? Still, l could not help remember
ing how haggard and irritable he ha'
been of late, and the keen interest tina
he took In the stock exchange intelli
| gence-
AsI thus speculated on the astounding
I accusation Mr. Nugent himself open,
; the door of the workroom.
did you hear anything of what passe
3 in the next room ?" he questioned.
1 admitted that l had.
"Of course, shall be triumphantly &C
Quilted" he answered, clearing hi
Throat huskily as he spoke. Still. MI
CHAMPION can make things disagreeablt
land, look here, Wade, haven't alway
been as frindly to you as might. but
can trust you You'll be an importan
. witness. Dowhat you can for me, for tn
( girls sake"
The words sounded strange, but wa
given no time to answer, for at that me
ment Mr.. Champion returned with tw
Scotland Yard men, My employer wa
fIgiven into custody and taken to the pc
\ lice station to be charged. the detective
remaining to search the premises.
fl Late in the evening they came to me 1
the workroom, and. holding out th
! ring, that had made for Mr.. Cramptol
y one of them said:
I This is your work. we understand.
} that the stone you set?"
81 glanced at it. but only replied:
y don't call myself an expert in preciou
z Istones, and all l can say is that this or
precisely resembles in size, shape, an
appearance the one given me to set"
While this statement was superficial
Iy true, that one glance had been enoug
to show me that was not looking at II
Champion diamond.
The detectives left, saying that wou
have to tell all / knew in the witnel
box. and then, Just as was about to loo
up the place for the night, Nell came i
It was the first time she had let me s,
Iher since her father had been take
away.
The face which l thought the sweete
IN on earth was marble white. and the
No were dark shadows under her lashes.
m There's something 1 must say
IN you," she painted, something I've be,
m wild to say all day lest it should be t.
I'M late, but dared not let any one suspet
m A month ago father confided to me tn
he had lost a great deal of money, al
I'M he showed me how to open a seer
IN IN drawer in his Chiprendale bureau.
I'm ever anything happens to me- he sal
I'm I'm don't lose moment but look into th
I'm drawer; throw away everything that y,
I'm ,m will find in the left hand partition, al
I'M keep what may be in the right"
!. Together We ransacked the old burea
and at length Nell touched the spril
nm which opened the secert drawer. DIRE
I'm in my breath sharply, for the light of Il
N, nm candle which held struck out a glea
from a nile of eXnnisitelv made fal