The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1916-10-06
ODD STORY OF
A STOLEN RING
Truth Would Have Saved In
nocent Accused.

poser
Thereby hangs a tale"
"Tell it,
"If do you viii possess a secret Of
which my husband is ignorant"
"Give me your confidence"
81 have kept the horrid thing so long
that 1t will be relief to tell you.
must 60 back fifteen years to time
when was twenty. Then I got into
a terrible trouble. For what? Wo-
mans propensity for leaving yaluables
about where they may be appropriated.
was visiting at the country house of
my husbands parents. / was favor
ite with his mother, and Henry found
no difficulty In inducing her to invite
me down. He had not yet proposed to
me, but l knew that he would soon
do 80.
"We were merry party. 1t was mid
summer, and our time was passed in
summer sports-reading driving. boat
ing, croquet, lawn tennis One evening
before dinner stepped into the bath
room to wash my hands, and there on
the marble slab was diamond ring. l
recognized 1t at once as the property Of
Lucy Crane, girl about my age, who
had doubtless taken 1t of to wash her
hands and forgotten 1t. What joke 1t
would be to appropriate 1t, let Lucy
think that 1t was lost. then produce It
slipped It on my finger, went to my
room, put It III my portemonnaie and.
leaving the portemonnaie on the man
tel, went down to dinner.
1--WE had finished the dessert and
were slipping our coffee when there
was noise without, and we all went
on to the piazza in time to see the but
Ter and the coachman chasing man.
who was running like stag. He STUN
bled and fell, and in another moment
they were on him Then he was led
back and was searched in presence OF
the household"
The narrator put her hands to her
face for few moments. then pro-
ceeded.
81 never can think of that scene with
out terrible suffering The butler
took from the man my portemonnaie
and, not knowing to whom 1t belonged.
opened It. The first thing he took from
1t was one of my cards; the second.
Lucy Cranes ring. / turned white as
a sheet 1t was a few minutes before
the situation-the apparent situation
dawned upon every one and when 1t
did 1t was my telltale pallor that re-
moved all doubt that had stolen the
ring
1T went to my room and locked my
self in. What was l to dot What
could do? Nothing. No one came to
me. and did not go out, though l went
neither to bed nor to sleep. At sun
rise left the house.
Five years passed. during which the
secret Of my supposed dishonesty was
so well kept (by Henry's request) that
It injured me only with him. his fam
lily and the guests present at the time
the ring was stolen. But 1t was ter
dble period for me. One day rough
looking man accosted me on the street
and asked for money / took out my
purse and gave him a coin. He kept
looking in my face intently. Suddenly
he said, I've seen you before
"'Where?'
1--WE just done term for taking q
pocketbook. You were there when I
was searched.
"'Are you that manr
Yes. got into the house when I
supposed all the family had gone down
to dinner. Then saw you go into the
bathroom and pick up ring
" I didn't intend to steal It. intend
ed to give its owner lesson for leav-
ing 1t where It might be stolen
I knew that by the look on your face
"a mischief look. Your back was to-
ward me. but saw you in the glass
over the basin. followed you and saw
you leave the ring in your pocketbools
on the mantel. and as soon as you left
the room went and got it.
4 have been resting under suspicion
for your act for five years, blurted.
tears coming In spite Of my efforts to
keep them back.
"He looked from me to the coin in his
hand and back from the coin to me
u testily W ursnoneSty. ne Sdlu-
No one would believe YOU
"I s'pect you're right he replied
thoughtfully. AT least It wouldn't do
to tell the truth. A lie might help. I'll
thinkit over. Who shall tell about itT
81 gave him Henry's address. then
left him without attaching much impor-
lance to the meeting
1.-Two weeks passed. and had ceased
to think about the ex-convict. when one
day my maid announced that gentle
man wished to see me in the drawing
room. went down. and there stood
Henry. His first words were:
Forgive mel
N looked at him like one In dream
Read that he saic, handing me a bit
Of dirty paper on which was written in
pencil
''Dere sir-T hearn a Teddy IN your house
when was arrested there for steelen was
suspected OF taken the dimon ring. Sum
un lef' II on the washstand. an TUX Il
an put II In the pockethook that TUX
too. DANDY JIM
"Henry and were married that fail
have never dared tell him the true
story of my meeting with the thief.
Should do so 1t might shake his fuith