Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1914-11-04
Mystery
OF Jewels
1t Remained a Mystery For
Many Years
By F. A. Mitchell

meet. We were both very young then
and formed boy and girl attachment.
AS we grew older and l reached an
age at which I realized that I had a
career before me and must be con-
sidering how to meet it the fact that
neither Lucy nor l had any capital
seemed to render marriage between
us undesirable.
I don't remember that stated this to
her in so many words. Indeed. there
was no need to do so, for she spoke of
it herself. She was practical girl and
looked at things as they were rather
than as she would have them. 81 would
only be a drag on you" she said. You
are capable of taking a good stand in
the world provided you don't handicap
yourself in the start with a wife who
must throw the whole burden upon
you"
Would you have me-that is, con-
sidering yourself out of the question
marry a girl with fOrtune?
NO" she replied; Il would not"
what are your reasons?'
First, it would deprive you of the
stimulus of necessity. which is the
foundation Of all or nearly all success.
Second, l do not believe that any
poor man of proper pride can ever feel
comfortable if his wife possesses
fortune and he has nothing"
1.-THE deduction being that poor man
had best not marry so long as he is
poor?'
Rather that if he marries woman
who supplies comforts and luXuries he
is in an unpleasant position, and if he
marries one as poor as himself he is
very badly handicapped"
In all this l agreed with Lucy, but I
neither admitted nor denied it's truth.
We being practical young persons, there
was never proposal on my part or an
acceptance or refusal on hers. We
conferred upon the matter of our
marrying much as two persons will
talk over the practicability of forming
a business partnership. Whatever Of
love there was underneath this COM
mon sense elaboration was unex-
pressed.
This condition lasted about a year.
to me then that Lucy might best
marry me, for she must live alone. But
the conditions were otherwise I'M
changed. and since her mother had
been nOnprOductive pecuniarily Lucy
could provide for her wants more
easily than before. [ was then strug-
Cling to get start in my profession,
and it did not seem wise for me to
urge her.
Then followed a period in which Lucy
and l saw very little of each other.
was away from home a great deal, and
l heard of her being away, too, though
where she had gone l did not learn.
wrote her a Respondent letter, in which
I said that at the rate we were pro-
gressing-or, rather, not progressing
financially she would soon be an old
maid. l advised her, if she found a
suitable opportunity, to marry. She
replied that if she found the op-
portunity she would let me know be-
fore engaging herself.
Such was the very practical situation
when one morning received package
by express. Not expecting anything
in that way, looked long at the type
written address before opening it.
There seemed to be a box under the
wrapper. and had it not been very
light 1 might have feared an internal
machine. Untying the string and
taking off the cover. there, true enough
was box. Its lid was on hinges and
was held shut by a spring. which
pressed and raised the lid.
1 recall with the freshness of that
moment the dazzling splendor of wha
lay before me. The box was Hne(
with purple satin, on which rested {
heap of diamonds. For moment wa
lost in contemplation of their beauty
then I began to wonder how they coult
have come into my possession. Again
took up the wrapper and scrutinize
the address. There were my name
street and number. plain as the stone
in the box. Turning again from tn
printing to the jewels, made roug
estimate of their value. Several larg
stones l believed, If genuine, to b
worth between $4,000 and $1,000
each. There were many smaller ones
md when l figured up the value G
each / concluded the lot was wort
not much less and not much more tina
$4,000
After many theories as to why th
treasure had been sent me l came
the conclusion that it had been stoie1
the thief had feared being caught wit
1t in his possession and had shipped
by express to get it into the hands {
some one else. But in doing so
must have given up all claim to til
property. for he must have expecte
that the receiver would report the ma
kr to the police. But why had
chosen me for his purpose? My onl
theory on this point was that he ha
taken up a directory to find nam
and address and his hitting on mir
was a mere coincidence.