The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1914-09-24
AMystery
OF Jewels
1t Remained a Mystery For
Many Years
By F. A Mitchell

was living with her mother. and the,
were having hard time to make end
meet We were both very young ther
and formed boy and girl attachment
As we grew older and ! reached an
age at which | realized that | had Q
career before me and must be con
sidering how To meet II the fact that
neither Lucy nor | had any capital
seemed TO render a marriage between
US undesirable
don't remember that stated this to
her In so many words. Indeed. there
was no need 10 do so, for she spoke or
It herself. She was practical girl and
looked at things as they we're rather
than as she would have them. II would
only be 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 II girl with a fortuner
NO" she replied: II would not"
what are your reasonsT
First. 1t would deprive you OF the
stimulus of necessity. which is the
foundation of all or nearly all success.
Second. | do not believe that any
poor man OF proper pride can ever feel
comfortable II his wife possesses a
fortune and he has nothing"
1.-THE deduction being that poor man
had best not marry 50 long as he is
poorY
Rather that II he marries n woman
who supplies comforts and luxuries he
is In an unpleasant position. and II he
marrles Que as poor as himself he Is
very badly handicapped"
In all this | agreed with Lucy. but |
neither admitted nor denied its truth
We being practical young persons. there
was never a 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
business partnership Whatever Of
love there was underneath this com
mon sense deiberation was unex
pressed
This condition lasted about a year
when Lucy's mother died. Ii seemed
20 me then that Lucy might best
marry me. for she must live alone. But
the conditions were otherwise UNI
changed and since her mother had |
been nonproductive pecunlarily Lucy |
could provide for her wants more |
easily than before | was then strug |
Cling TO get start In my profession. |
and II did not seem wise for me to
urge her.
Then followed period In which Lucy |
and | saw very little OF each other. |
was AWAY from home great deal. and
j heard of her being away. too, though |
where she had gone | did not learn. |
wrote her Respondent letter. In which
j said that at the rate we were pro
Eressing-or. rather. not progressing
financially she would soon be an old
maid | advised her. II she found a
suitable opportunity. to marry. She
replied that II she found the OPP
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 az the type.
written address before opening II.
There seemed TO be box under the
wrapper. and had II not been very
light might have feared an internal
machine uutying the string and
tuking OF 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
recall with the freshness OF that
moment the dazzling splendor Of what
lay before me The box was lined
with purple satin, ON which rested a
heap OF diamonds. For moment was
lost in contemplation OF their beauty;
then began TO wonder how they could
have come into my possession. Again
took up the wrapper and scrutiniZed
the address. There were my name.
street and number. plain as the stones
in the box Turning ugain from the
~ AhtAA- " Wv J'ffNAfNs = AhihN a AbA~h
estimate OF their value. Several large
stones | believed. II genuine. to lie
worth between $1,000 and $1,000
each. There were many smaller ones.
and when ! hgured up the value Of
each ! concluded the lot was worth
not much less aud not much more than
$4,000
After many theories as 10 why this
treasure had been sent ne came TO
the conclusion that 1t had been stolen.
the thief had feared being caught with
81 IN his possession and had shipped II
by express 10 get Il INFO the hands OF
some enc else But In doing so he
must have given up an CLAIM, TO the
property for be- must have expected
that the receiver would report the mat
ter To the police But why had he
chosen me FOR his purposeT Ny only
theory on this point was that he had
taken up a directory to find a name
and address and his hitting on mine
was mere coincidence
Being metbodical sort Of person.
thought ont what | would do before
doing It ! made list OF the stones