The semi-weekly messenger., 1908-01-14

1 was particularly pleased with my
design for IL" Jc.ting. No other hand
had touched il, 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
i4ady Gwendolen Forrest, the beauty
and heiress of the season But !
diG not envy youna Lord Lambton
his finance; IN my own Nell | had u
girl as good and as pretty as any in
the land.
~ was about TO take the ring 10
Nj. NUgent, when Nell herself ran
in She was my employer daugl-
ter, and his private house was up
stairs over the large showroom in
Clifford street 1t was against all
custom for NeII to ccme down TO my
workshop, for her fatnei IisapprOved
OF her e Ga%aIneI-.. B. tCday she
had not been able to resist the temp
tation of having a peep at the Lamb
ton diamond.
Just as she had slipped it on her
finger, and was dancing about twist
Ing heE hand, that the marvellous stone
might catch the light, he door opened
ana Nh. Nugent entered. | prepared
to- defend Nell from a harsh repri-
mand, but none came Her father
appeared oddly preocCupicd, merely
took the ring from her, examined il
earnestly, and. swapping the lid Of the
case down upon it, placed it in his
pocket and walked away
Next day J was sitting at work
when I saw hanson drive UP, and |
Lord LambtOn Jumped out. He came :
hastily into the showf DOM, which ad-
Joined the one where [ was sitting, arG !
where Mr.. Nugent was
'Scoundrel :" I heard him say. and
could scarcely believe my ears. You
thought to fool me easily by false
Jewels as you are You are a thief,
sir What have you done with the
diamond ! entrusted to you ?"
Mr.. Nugent answered in lower
made any great impression upon Lord
Lanbton, however, for he impatient
ly interrupted, ard al last an ominOus
threat concerning the ''DOIice' reached
my ears.
| sat still, | understood very we'll
that Lord Lambton had deliberately
accused my employer Of trying tH
palm off upon him an imitation dia-
mOnd, yet | knew that | had set the
true stone and delivered it to Mr.. Nu-
gent only yesterday,
MY employer himself was a skill
ed workman, though not good de
signer, and in the time that had ell
apsed between my handing him the t
ring and his transferring it to the
owner he could have removed the
stone and replaced it by another But
for such a 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.. Nugenl
kept any false gems about the place.
u,
in his position would care to run Sc
terrible a risk ? Still I could not help
remembering how haggard and irri-
table he had been of late, and the
keen interest he took in the racing
Intelligence.
AS thus speculated on the astound- |
ing accusation, Mr.. Nugent himself !
opened the door of the wOrkrOOm. He |
looked keenly at me, as if wondering |
if it would be safe to trust me.
did you near anything Of what |
passed in the next room ~ he ques- !
toned.
Il admitted that l had.
""Ofr course. I shall be triumphantly |
acquitted" he announced, clearing MS
throat huskily as he spoke. Still |
Lord Lambton can make things disa-
greeable, And, look here, Wade,
haven't always been as friendly to
you as | might, but | can trust you.
You'll be an important witness. Do
what you can for me for the girls
sake"
was given no time to answer, for a.
that moment Lord LambtOn returned
with two Scotland Yard men. My
employer was g;r"n iuto CUSTODY and
taken to the police 6 alton 70 hc c:12rs-
ed, the detectives e naming to scar'l
the premises.
Mr. NugeD. ac,l4 Il widover, with
cnly one child. the management ot
the business practically devolved on
me: and as the dete2tiveS lansacked
thc place, thcy put ma ~ o''stiohs
to me as to where the stones were
kept The safes Were all pointed out
to them, but they seemed disappoint-
eG with their operations
Late in the evening they came to
me in the worl{room, and, holding