Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-03-06
DAILY SHORT STORY
ROMANCE OF A DIAMOND.
IOriginal.l

ago ana have lived an eVenJIuI lie.
was cut and polished in Holland, then
sent to Paris, where l was exposed fol-
sale Being purchased by a woman OF
fashion. for a time l shone in many 4
scene of social splendor. One night
after she had come home from a sup
per, having drunk too much wine, she
left me on her dressing table instead
of putting me in her safe. as was her
custom. One of the servants took he
and buried me in the earth till the eX-
element attending my disappearance
had blown over, when l found habi-
tatiOn in Il pawnshOp. Sold at auction.
l was bought by u manufacturer of
curios and set in the hilt of n Moorish
dagger. y nobleman bought me- and 1
hung for years on the wall of his libra
~. One night he took down the dagger
which l adorned and, going upstairs
with it, plunged it into the heart Of his
sleeping Wife.
The murderer died of remorse. He
was never suspected of the crime.
was sold with his effects and placed in
the center of gold cross being made
for a bishop. He wore me suspended
from his neck, but he seemed 10 be i'll
at ease at my touch and one day threw
the cross on the floor, trampling on it,
eXclaiming that he believed it was ac-
cursed. Then, picking it up. he laid it
reverently in his bureau drawer as if
remorSeful at having committed sac
rilege But he never wore the cross
again, and in time l was taken out OF
ii, sold to Il manufacturer of iewelry
and set in Il bracelet formed to repre-
sent Il serpent, | with n mate forming
the eyes The bracelet was purchased
by u celebrated actress. With her
learned how little of real romance
there is in its portrayal. In her
cFamped dressing room, that looked
like paint shop. she would clasp her
bracelet on her wrist and pass to the
wings, only the unadorned backs of
which could see, waiting to be called.
One evening the call boy neglected her.
whereupon she boxed his ears in a fit
of temper, then went on to the stage to
persOnate q pure and noble woman
struggling with a stage plot.
When l passed from her l found my
self in box with many other jewels
and was put into the hands of an artif-
icer and by him worked into Il kings
crown. The crown finished. it was tax
eli to q cathedral, where it was left all
night under guard. The next morning
the cathedral began to fill with peo-
Pile in splendid attire and when it was
full the king came. After a ceremony
an archbishop took up the crown and
placed it on the kings head. Then
all we jewels glistened and sparkled
and scintinated before the assembled
thrOng
In the crown l remained many years,
and this was the most tiresome part of
my life. This is so with many NOR
tails. The higher they mount in splen-
dor and power the more they are cut
off from those simple enjOyments that
ordinary people may have in album
dance. y revolution occurred in the
kingdom, and one day a mob attacked
the palace where the crown was kept,
and it was carried into the street.
There ii was trampIed upon by an in
furiated people, ana when it was
picked up l had fallen out and lay in
the gutter unnoticed. \ rain came and
washed me into sewer. It was
months before l came to light again
and then only after a great flood, dur
ing which / was washed out of the
mouth of the sewer on to a sandy tract
where the tide rose and fell. Success
sive tides washed me up the beach,
where l lay OH the side of a dune look
ing out on the ocean. There l rested
amid delightful surroundings. 1 loved
the passing ships, the circling gulls
and, more than all, the plash of the
waves.
One day young man came and sat
down on the dune beside me. He
looked out on the waves, and from
what he said | knew he was Il poet.
lie possessed not only manly beauty.
but an appearance Of purity. AS he
framed his verses he graSped the sand
n his hand and let it slip through his
fingers. ! was with the sand he
and as l did not slip through
ne looked at me- The sun was shining.
lnd l sparkled my best, for l wished
10 attract his attention. As soon as he
saw me he exclaimed: a diamond,
How Helen will prize it,
He took me to modest house some
distance back from the beach and. en-
eTing. asked if Helen was at home. A
young girl came down with a glad
ook in her eye that had never seen
n any eye before. He took her in his
lrmS and kissed her.
Helen" he said, while lounging on
he beach awhile ago L found some |
hing which Will make you happy. |
-ook"
BE produced me. and. lying in the |
z>Sew of her hand. l flashed up into |
~ Innocent eyes.
'~8cw beautiful she exclaimed. |
A surely it must have an owner |
We have no right to keep it"
True. We will advertise ii and re- |
urn it, But the claimant must prove |
hat il is his
Well. they advertised me, and had /
many claimants, but no one could /
'roye his ownership, and none knew /
b1f I had bpoD in n kindly c-Orr-v