and.

"The One You Didn't Give Away."

Mr. Middleton put the note in his pocket, and the eminent capitalist
having ceased pacing and standing gazing at him, he remarked:

"Certain reasons, such as preventing an altercation with your wife
over her suspicions that you had not lost the ring, but had disposed
of it as on a former occasion ten years since."

"Young man, you cannot blackmail me. My wife knows all about that. The
knowledge of that occurrence is worthless as a piece of blackmail."

"As blackmail, yes; but not worthless as an indication of the extent
you desire to regain possession of the ring. Your wife knows of your
former escapade and that is gone and past. But the present
disappearance of the ring will cause her to think you have repeated
the escapade. This knowledge of certain conditions causes me to see
that my services in securing and delivering the ring are worth one
thousand dollars. Upon the payment of that sum, cash, I hand you the
ring."

The distinguished money-king gave Mr. Middleton a very black look and
then left the room to return almost immediately with a thousand
dollars in bills, which Mr. Middleton counted, placed in his vest
pocket, and forthwith delivered the ring. As he did so, yielding to
the pride with which the successful outcome of his tilt with the great
capitalist inflamed him, he remarked with a condescension which the
suavity of his tones could not conceal:

"Had you, sir, employed in this affair the perspicacity you have
displayed on so many notable occasions, it would have occurred to you
that this ring, being of a common pattern, could be duplicated for
seven hundred dollars and so you be saved both money and worry."

A look of admiration overspread the face of the eminent manipulator,
and grasping Mr. Middleton's hand with great fervor, he exclaimed:

"A man after my own heart. I am always ready to acknowledge a defeat.
You have good stuff in you. I must know you better. You must stay and
have a glass of champagne with me. I will get it myself," and he
hurried out of the room.

In the state of Wisconsin, from which Mr. Middleton hailed, there is a
great deal of the alcoholic beverage, beer, but such champagne as is
to be found there is all due to importation, since it is not native to
the soil, but is brought in at great expense from France, La Belle
France, and New Jersey, La Belle New Jersey. Mr. Middleton had seen,
smelled, and