The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1912-07-23
BY MAX PEN ERTON

(COps El8ht. o.

Copyright. ~
The accursed gems lie c,dGtely in
the lowest drawer Of my strong room.
shining from couple of dozen OF prim
leather cases, with light which Is
full of strange memories. | call them
accused because l cannot sell them:
yet there are those with other histor-
les, stones about which the fancy of
romance has sported. and the strong
hand of tragedy has touched with
an indelible brand. 1t may be that
the impulse of sentiment, working
deep down In the heart of the ostensi-
bly, commercial character, forbids mo
to cry some of these wares in the
market-place with any vgor; 1t may
be that the play OF chance moves the
mind of the jewel-buyer to prejudice
against them. In any case, they lie
In my safe unhonored and unsung-
and, lacking that which Sewell called
the precious balsam" of reputation,
are merely so much carbon or mineral
matter giving light to iron walls which
give no light again.
For the stones which have no his
tory am not an apologist Some day.
those excellent people who now decry
them in every salon where jewels are
discussed, will give up the hope of at
tempting TO buy them cheaply: and
! shall make my profit. Everything
comes TO him who can wait, and am
not I'm q hurry. AS to the others,
which have been the pivots of romance
or serious story, they may well lie as
they are awhile they serve my mem
ory in the jotting down of some OF
these mysteries.
And that they do serve it have no
measure OF doubt. Here for instance.
is little bag of pearls and diamonds.
1t contains n black pearl from Koe-
pang, so rich In silvery luster, and so
perfect In shape, that it sho0ld be
worth eight hundred pounds in any
market in Europe; a couple of pink
pearls from the Bahamas, OF fine orr
ent yet pearshaped, and therefore
less valuable as fashion dictates; five
old Brazilian diamonds averaging two
carats each; number Of smaller dia-
monds for finish; and two great white
pearls. which ] find at the vey bot
Tom of the bag. Those stones Wcie
month before the cate announced for
his marriage with the Hon. Christine
King. He had intended them as his
gift to her, handsome and sufficient
gift, it must be admitted, yet so did
tickle fortune work that his very gen.
crosby was the indirect cause of a
connection in the week of the we'd
ding, and of as pretty a social scandal
as society has known for q decade.
The matter was hushCd up of course.
For six weeks, as n wag said, it was
a nine days wonder. Ii was to me first
of all that Lord Maclaren related the
history of it, and, despite my advice
to the contrary, laid it upon me that
! should tell none in his lifetime He
is dead now, and the publication OF
the story will throw a light upon much
that is we'll worth investigating
Here then is the story | had q
visit from the chief actor in it to-
wards the end of June in the year
1890. He came to tell me that he was
married quietly in the middle of the
following month to the Hon. Christine
King, the very beautiful sister Of
Lord Cantiliffe. She was then stay
ing at the old family place at st.
Peters, in Kent, and she wished to
avoid a public wedding in view of the
recent death of her sister, whose
beauty was no less remarkable than
her own. MacLaren's visit was but
the prelude to the purchase of a pres
ent, and the business was made the
easier since he had the simplest no.
lions as to his requirements lie had
recently come from America-without
wife mirabile dicu-and there had
seen q curious anchor bracelet. l
told him that I would make him q
model, and send II down TO his hotel
ut Ramsgate within week; and that,
If he then thought the jewel to DO
over snowy. we could refashion 81.
He left much pleased, returning by
the Granville express 20 Kent; and
within tho week he had the model
and ] received his instructions to pro-
coed with the work
1t Is necessary, ] think, TO say q
word here about this curious charact
or. At the time / knew him. Maclar.
On was man in his fortieth year
though he looked older. lie was once
vulgarly described I'm a club smoking
room as being "all hair and teeth, ID
like a buzzard: and his best friend
could not have ranked him with the
handsome. Yct the women liked him
perhaps because it was a tradition
that he made love to every pretty girl
IN town: and 1t was surprising be
yond belief that he reached his for
ticth year. and remained single. When
he went TO America I'm 1883 the whole
Of the prophets gave him six months
Of celibacy; but he cheated them, and
returned without 81 wife. True. n copy
Of an American society paper was
passed round the club. where the men
learnt with surprise that New York
had believed this elderly Don Juan q
be engaged 90 Evelyn Lenox. tho lady
of the unlimited dollars" as youns
Bariabroke of the Bachelors called
her. and had been very Indignant
when Dc took passage by the Toutouic
ANA left her people 90 face tho filters
Of triumphant rivalry Uut for all
that Doc was not married and could af
ford Co laugh 40 thc malignant s.ribcs
"lJ maIa co.ii.8 OF DIS supposed
unatory adventure 200 Boston. and
dedicated eouuefe of orDI,o, .,r,