AN AWKWARD MOMENT

Hawera Star, Volume L, 14 February 1931, Page 9

AN AWKWARD MOMENT

THE sequel to a nine-year-old mystery has been retailed everywhere in Mayfair, London. The circumstances as they are told in the “Daily Mail are that shortly after the war a retired colonel of the Brigade of Guards gave a reunion party to a group of about a dozen .friends who had been through the campaign together, and who had since seen little of each other. One of them (Captain X) had had bad luck and was in very low water, barely being able to support his wife and family. He made up his mind to go, however, and routed out his old tail coat.

The evening was the greatest success, and toward the end of dinner the host, who was a connoisseur in precious stones, passed round for his friends to admire a wonderful ruby he had bought that day. Just before the party broke up the colonel asked for the stone, and no one answered, and the nost laughed and said that, of course, someone had - _plaved a practical joke, but, as it was T rather late, would the person who had it please return the ruby?

Colonel and His Ruby

The situation became embarrassing, and someone suggested that they must all be searched. The only one who objected was Captain X. who said that on no account would he submit to being searched. In spite of every remonstrance he persisted, and the party broke-up under a cloud. The ruby was found soon afterwards in the lining of the colonel’s' dinner jacket. Every effort was made to find Captain X, who had, however, completely disappeared. Nothing was heard of him until a few weeks ago, when his former host ran into him in the street. He took him straight back to his house, and, having made as great an apology as he could, asked the captain if lie could tell him why, actually, he had refused to be searched. “Well, as a matter of fact," replied Captain X, “while I was eating your excellent dinner the thought of my wife and children having only just enough to exist on at home made me feel so guilty that I slipped a few pieces of food into my pocket, and whateve*- tlie consequences I simply couldn’t disclose it."