Year: 1877

NOW AN OFFICER LOST \ VALUABLE DO


MONp.


Among other interesting stories of lost
rings the following is related of an officer
who bought "A valuable diamond lust after
the Indian mutiny. The officer had it set
in a ring, and wore 1t for several years
quite safely; but one day, CHANGING to be
In London, he went intoa a shop to buy a
pair of gloves, and looking at the ring on
his little finger he observed that the setting
was empty, the dmond gone. He exam
ined his glove, lis pockets and the nunr of
the shop; no trace Of the stone was 10 be
seen, and so he gave it up as lost. How
ever. he mentioned the matter at his club,
and told the club-master 10 post up 4 notice
offering e10 reward to any one who should
iiod the diamond. \ day or two after
wards the stone was brought to him. Ii
had been found by one of the house. maids
i'll darkIsh passage that led o lie billiard
room. The reward was gladly paid. aud
the diamond taken 10 the jewelers.. to
be once more firmly replaced in the ring





Again some years passed. The officer Lad
been back to ludia, and was on furlougb in
this country, and had gone 10 Scotland to
shoot with friends VINO had taken Il moor
in the Highlands Oae hot August day he
had been out for sevei al hours tramping over
miles and miles of close heather, grouse
shooting He was still walking, when a
covey OF birds rose ii little way off He
raised his gun to take aim. when his eve
chanced to fall on his ring, and he saw that
the setting was once more empty. Stop
ping to look at it, the birds got away. and
he laId down the gun on the heather beside
him and carefully examined the place
where he stood, with very feeble hope of
finding the glittering stone. He stopped
for his Gun, and the thought flashed into
his mind, "l'il turn out the charge-the
thing is just possible He did SO: drew
the wad, aud then shook ont the contents
of the barrel, shot, powder, and-tbe dia-
mond. Il had slipped unnoticed into the
muzzle when he was loading, and but for
the lucky chance thad had caused him to
remark its absence from the ring. it would
have been ti'ed away the next moment
Another visit to the ieweler, and the ring
resumed its place on the finger of its owner,
and three or four years passed away. The
officer had again returned to India. and
was with his regiment, which was encam-
ped near large station, portions of some
herregiments being close to them. He was
acting as Adiutant to the Gene. aln COM
mand. and writing at small table placed
close to the door of the tent As his hand
passed rapidly over the paper his trouble
some diamond once more dropped from its
setting and fell on the table beside him.
Being in hurry, he merely uttered an an
gIy exclamation, pushed the stone close to
ing. Presently Il messenger came to say
that the general wished to see him immedi
ately. He forgot all about the stone, threw
on his uniform, buckled on his sword, aud
started at once for the quarters of the com
manding officer. He was detained some
httle time; and when be returned to his
mond, which he had meanwhile recoll5cted,
but it was gone. A thief had been there
during his absence, had seen and appropri-
ated the stone, and he never saw or heard
of it again. though he offered IA liberal re-
ward for its restoration.