Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1865-11-02

On beholding it the jeweler well nigh be-
trayed himself The snuff box which NJ.
=, presented to him was the one
which had been stolen from him few days
before the robbery of his diamonds The
box was too remarkable TO admit Of the
possibility of mistake. Besides, it had q
secret spring, by means Of which all the
miniatures could be taken out Of their sit
tings. On the reyerses were painted similar
| subjects, but treated in the style of indeli-
cacv peculiar to the age of Louis XIV. This
circumstance was important in proof of his
claim to the possession of the box. When
M. = asked him to set q value on it,
he said, without hesitation;
81 consider it worth more than fifty thous-
and francs.'
"Fifty thousand francs ~ exclaimed NJ
| T, ~ thought it was valuable, but
but this far exceeds my estimation of it,"
"Sir," resumed the tjeweler, " 1 viii not
retrace what 1 have said. am an expert
dealer, and to me it may possibly be worth
more than the sum | have mentioned. will
make this proposition TO you; you shall take
| the rings you have selected, and you shall pat
the box under an envelope, stating it to be
my property and if it does not bring more
| than fifty thousand francs you shall have
nay rings for nothing
NJ. 7, was completely blinded by
this deep scheme. He was good connois-
seur Of objects of 0sgtu, and he was not
little gratiied to find his box so much over
valued, and to be enabled to obtain the rings
without opening his purse. The most exag
gerated valuation of the snuff box would
scarcely have exceeded seven or eight thous-
and francs. He gent for two of his neigh
bors, one of which was a notary, and the
matter was arranged comfortably with the
jewelers. proposition. This being done, the
invalid said
"Who will fix the price of the box 2"
"You, sir, coolly replied the jeweler,
"Me? you are jesting"
81 assure you, sir | am quite serious.
would willingly lay good wager that
you will value the box at five thousand
francs.
M. T directed at the two witnesses
look which seemed to say, the man is mad !;
but the jeweler added
"You will value it at that price. | am
certain you will. But first of all have to
aequaint you with a little circumstance con-
nected with this box, which will enable you
to perceive its real value
M. Z full of curiosity, and anxiety,
consented to hear the jewelers. communi-
cation in private. The two neighbors, TAX
ing the box with them, adjourned to the
drawing room NJ. T and the jeweler
being left alone, the jeweler said
sSir, it is now about sixteen years ago
since that snuff box was stolen from me, and
a short time after you robbed me Of fifty thou
sand crowns' worth Of diamonds under tho
assumed name Of Prince Gargarin. | have
now discovered you. My evidence relative
to the robbery is on record You have de-
clared the snuff boz to be yours, and | can
prove having purchased it at public sale.
/ know secret which win place the truth
OF my assertion beyond doubt. Now, sir,
tell me whether you are inclined to defend
yourself in the criminal suit which | intend
forthwith to institute against YOU
Every word uttered by the jeweler fell
like thunderboit on the ears of NJ. =,
Overwhelmed with the consciousness Of his
guilt, his Imagination pictured all the hor-
rors of Imprisonment, trial, sentence and
the scafold. He reflected, and the jeweler
said
"Sir, | give you five minutes to form
determination.
At the expiration Of that interval, NJ.
T, in faltering voice, directed the jew
eler to open a drawer in which he would
find billets de 6anque for five hundred thou
sand francs payable at the bankers that
same day. This being done, the jeweler
called the witnesses.
" Gentlemen said he, :" I have at length
convinced NJ. 2 of the real value Of the
snuff box. You see the price at which he
has purchased it back from me-"
81 have given you five hundred thousand
francs" said NJ. T. e~,...
"Here il your box. p said the jeweler, re-
storing it, "and will let you have The rings
into the bargain"
The notary, who was no less amazed than
the other witness, said:
''There is some mystery in all this. "
Probably there isl replied the jeweler
an. r may explain if he pleases for
my part, promise him eternal secrecy"
With these words, he took his departure
leaving the witnesses bewildered in maze
OF eonjectures. NJ. r. though immense
ly rich, (he wae said 10 possess upwards of
three miIlions) never recovered from the
modification attendant on this unexpected
discovery.
AN AFFLICTED EDIToR.-The Charlottes-
vile (va.l Chronicle has grown desperate
over the learning that surrounds him:
Charlottesville is fairly entitled to be
called the literary centre of the South.
There is, first, the University of Virginia.
with its learned professors on all sorts of
subjects Then we have two large female
seminaries, where young ladies learn thirty
or forty things ending in--ology. Then we
have some half-dozen first-class academies
for boys. Then several select schools. Then
number of schools for the English branches.
And then the whole colored population, of