The bee. (Earlington, Ky.) 1889-19??, 1914-12-29
A DIAMOND
RING

Copyright. 1914 by Associated Lit
erary Press

IL any one had told my friends that
was possessed OF the slightest spark
Of romance at the age OF forty.ave the
information would have been received
as a base canard A bachelor Of that
age, who hus drifted about with all
sorts Of people and bumped up against
all sorts Of adventures. Is pretty sure
to have bad all romance knocked out
OF him.
On certain Tuesday | took a train
at Elmer Junction for London, and as
there were but few passengers had
a compartment to myself. | bad been
busy with newspaper for half an
hour when noticed q small package
lying under the opposite seat found
Il a plain pasieboard box and was pre-.
pared to find specimen Of free chew
ing gum or o new brand Of troches In
side lt was something different. how
ever II was q ladys diamond ring.
made UP OF Eve stones of the purest
water, and on the inside were the in
itials "B. T." The ring was n double
hoop Of gold and had probably been
made to order. II was lying closely In
the box, and the box had once contain.
ed steel pens. ] argued that it must
have been some careless person who
carried valuable ring 10 that fashion.
l am only a fairly honest man. My
FIRST idea was to keep the ring to my
own profit, but | remembered that
was known to the railway porter and
that the property might be traced to
me.
II not strictly honest I am prudent.
and therefore gave up the idea OF
converting the ring. ! would hold 1t
for a reward, however. Half an hour
later felt curious sensation stealing
over me. / began 70 feel sentimental.
began to connect that dear little ring
with a dear little blond haired. blue
eyed girl. ! got up and kicked myself
three times and called myself a fool.
but the feeling did not go away. To
my astonishment aud indignation
found It growing stronger, and before
l knew it the grip OF romance had got
me by the neck.
l was a man Of leisure, though | had
no great amount of money to my cred
It. / would hunt up the owner Of TINT
ring, and Il all things went well
would marry her. For q week watch
ed all the newspapers. but the ring
was not advertised This seemed to
prove to me that the owner was either
rich and Indifferent to her loss or that
for some reason the loss had not yet
been discovered Romance made me
anxious. and therefore went TO tie
expense OF advertising IN nvo different
papers simply stated that q, dla.
.mond ring had been found on a ran.
road train and asked the loser 10 cor
respond.
q. Inside OF three days received about
I50 letters 10 reply. The l50 writer's
were takers and liars, and the true
loser had not answered me. | was
bit nettled at this neglect on her part.
advertised again. This time ask
cd "B. p" to communicate with me in
case she had lost anything. There
were Just 107 "B. r." answers, but
among them / selected one which APP
peared to be genuine. This "B. p"
had lost a double hoop diamond ring
containing Eve stones. II had been
lost on a railroad train and was a
birthday gift from a dead mother.
was asked 20 call at the chambers OF
q certain solicitor TO have the ring fur
Their identified. was on hand at the
appointed hour. So was stern faced
and aggressive looking householder. to-
gether with a slick looking villain
whom had once spotted for a detec-
tive and a young woman whose hair
was red instead Of blond. The ring
was speedily identified by the stern
faced man and red headed girl. "B.
p" was Bertha Perkins. and her ia
Their aud her maid were before me.
Perkins was a country squire. and on
the night previous 10 my finding the
ring his daughters jewels had been
stolen. The hoop ring was part OF the
plumber.
OF course l was ready to hand over
the ring, but It wasn't to stop there. |
The red headed maid was sure she !
me as the man who was |
about the grounds few hours |
before the robbery. and that villain VI
a detective was only too glad TO snap |
the handouts on my wrists aud hurry |
me on to jail.
II took me three days to prove my
self respectable and to establish an
alibL They had 70 give me my liberty. !
but II was grudgingly done. and the |
detective said he'd have an eye on me
I'll the rest OF my days. The romance
had departed when was locked up. |
zane out OF JAIL determined to secure
Old Perkins had helped
The red headed girl TO conclude that |
| was the rSbber and I went down 70
his country seat to receive an abJect
apology or pull his nose. He not only
refused an apology. but threatened 10
Kick me or the grounds. and the red
headed girl declared had cast In
my left eye, aud by that cast she
would swear me IA any court as a
nan who would not stop at murder
there was one more thing TO be clear |