The Raymer enterprise., 1912-05-02
66e NECKLACE OF
GREEN DIAMONDS
By MAX MBERTON
Copyright. BY W. G. Chapman.)

'udy upon which l received tut OTQeT
from my eccentric old friend, Francis
Brewer to make him a necklace of
green diamonds. II was the second OF
May in the year 1890, exactly three
days after his marriage with the fas-
cinating little singer, Eugene Clar-
vile. who had set Paris afame with
the piquancy OF her acting and her de-
iightful command OF fifth.rate voice
some six months after Brewer had left
London to take up the management OF
Il great banking enterprise in the
French capital. He was then well into
the forties; but he had skipped
through life with scarce a iostle
against the venial sins. and was as ig-
norant as babe where that mortal
septette OF vices which the clergy ana.
thematize on the first Wednesday in
Lent was concerned.
When he was married he wrote to
me. and laid his letter upon my table
with a whistle Not that he was in
any way suited for the celbate state,
for his instinct was wholly cast in the
marrying mold. Had been called
upon to paint him, should have sat
MIN in an armchair by the side OF a
roaring fire. with a glass OF punch to
toast buxom goodwife and a pipe
as long as the stick OF my umbrella to
make rings OF smoke for new gen.
arntinn a hIC kpnn Srph
should, said common sense. have been
yOked to an English dame. to one used
to the odor OF lemon. and motherly by
Instinct and by training could not
Imagine him married to a lady from
the vaudeville: the contrast between
his irOn-headed direCtness and the
Gauze and tinsel OF opera bouffe
seemed grOtesque almost TO increduI-
ity Yet there was the letter, and
there were his absurd rawlings about
. woman he had known dstantly for six
months, and intimately for three days
Il have married." he said in this
memorable communication, the dear
est little soul that God ever brought
into the world-fresh as the breeze,
bright as the sky. eyes like the night,
and temper like an angel. You must
come and see her, old boy"
There was good deal more OF this
sort OF thing, but the kernel OF the
Ac,ter was In pOstscriptum. as was
the essence OF most of his Communi-
cations He told me there that he
desired TO make some substantial
present to the girl he had just. mar
ried and he inclosed a rough sketch
OF a necklace which he thought would
be a pretty thing II rare stones were
used TO decorate IT, fell in with his
whim at once; and as 1t Chanced that
had Just received from the Jagersfon.
tcin mine n parcel OF twenty very fine
grcenish diamonds, determined to
use them in the business. may say
mat these stones were OF q delicious
pale green tint, almost the color OF
the great jewel in the vaults at Dres-
den. and that their fire was amazing
| have known gem OF the hue TO be
worth nearly hundred pounds
carat; and as the lot had averaged
two carats apiece. their worth was
very considerable, | had not learnt
what were Brewers instructions in
the matter OF expense; but wrote to
him by the next post COngratulating
him on his marriage and informing
him that | would set the green dia-
monds in a necklace and sell them for
TWO thousand pounds. He accepted the
OFFER by cablegram. and on the fol-
lowing day sent 4 long letter OF in.
struCtiOn, the pith OF which was the
order to engrayc on the inner side OF
the pendant the words, major lex
amor est nObiS.
when the tTinket reached him, his
satisfaction was quite childish He
wrote of his delight. and OF "Eugy's,"
and spoiled three sheets OF good note.
paper telling me Of her appearance at
the English ball early In June; and Of
the sensation such an extraordinary
saibI' Nhuo'hs h'i i'hlu lIO4l
no more until August, when | read In
an evening paper that he had been
returning from Veluettes after a short
holiday. and had been in a great train
smash near Rouen. A later telegram
gave list OF the dead, In which was
the name of his wife: and three days
after | received from him the most
pitiful letter that 1t has ever been my
misfortune to read. The whole wound.
ed soul OF the man seemed laid bare
upon the paper; the simplicity OF his
words was SO touching and so expires.
sive OF his agony, that could scarce
trust myself to go through the long
pages over which he let his sorrow
flow, Yet one paragraph remained
long In my mind. for 1t was one that
recalled the necklace Of green dia.
monds, and It was so astonishing that
! did not debut that Brewer was, for
the time. at any rate on the high.
road to madness. Il have put them
round her dear neck" he said, land
they shall cling always to her in her
3ong sleep"
at the end OF the month he wrote
again. mentioning that. despite my