Wanted—A Diamond King.

Te Aroha News, Volume I, Issue 51, 24 May 1884, Page 5

Wanted— A Diamond King.

I saw it kicked by the careless Balmorals of a jaunty nurse ; I saw a fat morsel of humanity make for it with a hey, broken into divers hey-ey-eys by pudgy trotting ; and I stooped and secured it, thereby causing the fat one to pull up short, staro at me with two black currants stuck in a dreary expanse of dough, insert a dumpy thumb in an orifice of the same expanse, and back again with that solid resignation under disappointment which is the peculiar attribute of the London infant population. Having ascertained the nature of my prize, I proceeded to meditate on the proper course to be taken, which meditation "resulted in the following advertisement : - FOUND, this evening (Wednesday), in Regent's Park, nearly opposite the New College, a valuable Diamond Ring. The owner may have it by calling at No. 19, Wilton Place, &c. Before noon on the following day I was making my most cautious bow to a vener-able-looking old gentleman, whose white hairs and benevolent smile added a double charm to the grace with which he stepped forward, and, waiving ceremony, extended his hand, saying : 14 You have taken a weight from my mind, my young friend, and must allow mo to thank you." The insinuating delicacy of the adjective (I am not more than forty-five) was, perhaps, not m ithout its effect. I accepted the ottered pledge of amity in respectful silence. •' A young man," continued the patriarch, " may possibly find it difficult to understand how the loss of a trinket can be a source of positive suffering to an old one, but — I am alluding to my lost riug — there are associations connected with it which, ahem ! This is childish — you will excuse my emotion." I bo"\ved profoundly in the presence of this natui'al agitation. " I have passed some hours of sleeplessness and distress, from which you have been the means of relieving mo. I feel deeply indebted to you. There remains nothing now but to reimburse you for— a — " Here the old gentleman drew forth his purse, and proceeded to unclasp it. " Excuse me, sir," I stammei'ed, rather hurriedly, " but if the ring is yours, you can doubtless desciibe the armorial bearings.'' "Armorial bearings, sir?" repeated the old gentleman, sternly ; " do not attempt to play tricks with me, young man. I will point out to you directly " "I beg your pardon," said I, drawing back from the outstretched hand ; " but, as the ring in my possession is assuredly engraved with a crest and motto, 1 conclude it cannot be the one you are in search of, 1 ' The old gentleman eyed me for a moment keenly. "lam afraid you are right," he sighed, in a tone of deep dejection. "I must seek further. Alas ! what a melancholy termination to my hopeful journey." I made no attempt to detain my venerable friend ; but, as he turned, lam certain I saw beneath the silver hairs a lock of dark shining brown. My next visitor was a lady extensively got up, of imposing height and carriage, rouged, scented, spectacled. " We meet under very singular circumstances," began this lady, with condescending haughtiness. "I am the principal of a college for young ladies." With a deferential acknowledgment of the honour done me, I begged to know what had procured it. * "In the hours of recreation we are accustomed to promenade in the park — a delightful spot, so suggestive of the blush ing country : during our ramble of yesterday, a young lady under my charge was unfortunate enough to loose her ring. You, sir, are the fortunate finder." " I certaintly did, madam, pick up a ring ?— " "Ah ! how grateful my dear pupil will be at beholding it again," exclaimed the teacher of youth, clasping her hands ecstatically. " May I troublo you to describe the ring?" " Describe it ! A diamond ring, sir — handsome and massive, but plain." " And the crest ?" "The crest! Ah! that my young charge were with me ! Stupid ! to have forgotten. The crest of the Deloraines. Is it a lion passant or? — No; I am wrong. Unfortunate, that she should be too unwell to accompany me ! But it is immaterial ; I will take it for her inspection — she will be able to recognise it at once." " I fear, madam, that I should scarcely be justified " "Sir!" " I feel ifc my duty," I said firmly, " under the ciroumstancesj to tako ©very

precaution against mistakes. I trust the lady is not too seriously indisposed to give you the necessary description." " Very well, sir ! Exceedingly well ! It , is I who have been mistaken. I fancied — yes, actually fancied — that I was speaking to a gentleman ! You will find, sir, to your cost, that the lady principal of a college is not to be insulted with impunity ; I wish you a good morning 1 . " Very harrowing this. I am .scarcely recovered from the lady principal when there is a dash of wheols to the door, and a young fellow, flinging the reins to a groom in livery, springs up the stops to the doorbell. " Oh, dash it !'' he begins, breathing out a volume of stale tobacco, "I beg your pardon, and that ; but the old woman-— dash it ! I mean my mother — told mo I should find, my ring hero, so I ordered out the vessel, and the cats, and spun along like ninepenco for it !" " 1 shall be very glad to restore the ring I was unfortunate enough to find when I can discover the owner." "Discover ! Dash it, didn't I tell you it's mine ? I say, I wish you wouldn't be so precious slow I don't want the cats to catch cold ; I've been to have them shampooed and napthaed and that." " What sort of a ring was yours ?" "What sort? oh, come, as if you didn't know— that's good." I intimated that I should be glad to find out if he knew. "Not know my own ring, eh! I know it's worth a couple o' ponies ; come, let's hear the damagjes, and I'll stump up," " You can describe the device?" " Device, eh ? What, the governor's ? Bless you, he has a device for every hour in the day to do me out of my rightful allowance. Device ! Oh, come, you don't expect mo do tho heraldic dodge, dash it !" " I cannot give up the ring unless you describe it," " Oh, dash it ! don't chaff a fellow now I shouldn't care a rap about the thing, only it belonged to some defunct party, and the governor'd cut up so awfully rough. I've got heaps of them 1 . Como, I'll swop you any of theso for it, because of the govei'nor." I respectfully declined the proposal. " Well, da3h it !" exclaimed the young fellow, as though struck with a sudden idea, " what a couplo of muffs we are • Why don't you show the thing, I could tell in a minute if its mine, dash it !" I replied that I was very sorry I could not oblige him, and, adding that he had better obtain an exact description of tho " thing" iioin his governor, I recommended him not to keep the cats any longer in the cold. Mem. — I am getting exceedingly tired oi my treasure-trove. 1 retire to my room with a view of dressing to go out. I am informed that a lady wishes to see me, and I am afraid my mental ejaculation was not complimentary to the lady in question. A tall, graceful figure, draped in heavy mourning, rises at my entrance. She opens the negotiation in some confusion, turning away her face. She has come to me in the hope of regaining a ring, carelessly lost, the parting gift of a fond father to her brother and herself. My eye rests on the crape about her dress, on her pale beautiful face, from which the blush of confusion and timidity has faded. Deferentially I request her to describe it. "A large diamond, handsome she believed, but valuable to her for far other reasons." "But," I said gently, "chased on the gold inside the ring there is " "A crest — I am aware of it," she answered sadly j "but I know nothing of heraldry, and have never given it more than a casual glance. My brother is dying, sir," she said, lifting up her pale face to mine. "Only this morning he missed the 1 ing from my finger uneasily : we are alone in world : it is tho only relic left of one so lately taken from us, how can I tell him it is lost ?" "I am sorry to pain you," I said, striving to be firm ; " but. it would be more satisfactory for all parties, and cause but little delay, if you could obtain the description from your brother." Without a word she turned away : the mournful resignation of her air and attitude touched me, and as she turned I saw a tear roll silently down her cheek and fall upon the hand stretched out to the door handle. I couldn't stand that. " Stop '" I exclaimed, " one moment. I am sure — I feel certain I may trust you. You will tell me - " I take the ring from its security. I hold it out timidly for the blue eyes to examine I see yet the look of delight overspread her fine features. I see the expression of almost childish pleasure in her eyes, as she looked up at me, as she clasped her hands and cried out: "The ring, the ring ! oh, Alfred, my dear brother !" Her band was upon it ; such a tremulous, happy eagerness in her glance ; such a caressing fondness in hei May of fingeringit. How pretty she was. "My dear child" (I am forty-five) "it gives me sincere pleasure ." Then I stammer, then I spring after her. "At least you will leave your address with me ?" What a look shades her face now ! Wounded integrity mingled with pity for me. "Ah, sir," she says, sadly, handing me the card on which she had been pencilling, "some day you will be sorry for this. You do not trust me." Certainly, I am a brute. The accent of reproach in her voice haunts me; the .sorrowful glance of her eye— how pretty she is. I sit down to my breakfast in the morning,|half inclined to call at the address given, and apologise for my heathenish distrust. But my letters wait, I toy with them. This is a hand I know. What does Fred want, I wonder ? I tear it open and read :—: — Dear Jack,-— What a queer chance if you have stumbled upon my ring. I was obliged to run down to Romford late laBt night, and never missed it till wo slackened at llford. A pretty taking I've been in. If it's mine, the crest is inside ; you know it— a mailed hand holding a lance, and the motto, "Armed at all points." Verily, truth is stranger than fiction. Keep it for me. Thine, Fred Vyning. Idiot ! Gull ! It is quite useless to call myself names. It is almost superfluous to add that when I called at a certain address in Eaton Square to inquire ior Miss Lucy Hamilton, the lady was not found. Probably, the " Dear Alfred" had required a speedy change of air ; probably, brother and sister were oven now embracing in rapturous gratitude over the pregious relic of that one lost to them so lately. Was that dear one not lost, but transformed ? Had the silver-haired patriarch of the first changed to the dashing buck of the third ? And was the virtuous teacher of youth only the tender sister in masquerade ? On my word I believe so. I dare say they are enjoying the joko. Possibly it is a dodge often repeated. But what am Ito say to Fred t— Prize Tit-bit.

Lake Tuhare, in California, is being absorbed in irrigation. From an area of 1,736 miles it has now shrunk to 196 miles, while its greatest depth is only 22 feet. A young New Zealand gentleman has a "run" in Central Australia which covers 2,000 square miles of country, half of which is sand-hills*