“But somebody has lost it,” said Hilda, in her practical way. “You’ll have to find the owner.”
THE DIAMOND RING.
“Why, so I will! How silly of me. I suppose papa will advertise it. It’s just like our finding Mosina; we never thought that somebody owned her. Let’s hurry home and show papa.”
The children skipped home briskly, in the excitement of so great a discovery, and burst into Doctor Ward’s office eagerly. He had just come in for something he needed, and was on the point of going out again.
“Found what? A diamond ring?” he asked, putting down his hat, and taking the ring that Cricket put in his hand.
“H’m. Where did you find this?” he asked, turning it to the light.
Cricket told him about it. Doctor Ward, as he listened, took down a tiny vial from one of his shelves, and put a drop of its contents on the ring, watching the effect.
“It’s gold, but I’m a little uncertain about the diamond,” he said. “It’s not worth advertising, if it’s not real,” he said, putting back the bottle. “You may take it to the jeweller’s, if you like, and get his opinion.”
“Not a diamond?” cried the disappointed children, in a breath.