The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1869-07-22
IHE DIAMOND EATERS.
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The DIAMOND EATERS
Translated from the French.)
\ 9on Of la Pertide Albion" dressed with
Scfupulous care and sporting the inevitable
tiery-hued whisAers of dog-car pattern that fol
the last thirty or forty years have formed the
distinguishing facial ornament of the male in.
habitants of the British Isles, walked into one
OF the principal iewelry shops Of Palermo &
few weeks ago, and, in spite of the wretched
Italian in which he delivered himself. manag-
ed to make known his desire of looking over
the large assortment Of gems and precious
stones that glstened in the windows and show
case. with a view he explained to purchas
ing the handsomest he could select for sci
he intended to order
The jeweller, whom his request plunged in
to an ecstasy Of JOY. showed. as may be inn
agined. great alacrity in placing before his
distinguished customer the most beautiful
pearls and the purest diamonds he possessed
But the Englishman could find nothing to sui,
his tastidiOus taste. 1t was not the price he
murmured at; on the contrary, he expressed
his willingness to pay most literally for his
purchase, provided he was successful in pro
curing anything he might consider worthy Of g
place i'll the prncely gift which, he allowed
it to be inferred, was intend As a surprise tc
some dark-eyed Sicilian beauty. Nothing dis
couragcd by the fault-tinding propensitieS OF
the magnificent foreigner, the worthy trades
man, who was all smiles and bows, continued
his researches, literally rumma eing and ran
sackiug his spacious store from top TO bottom
in his effort to do Justice to himself by prov.
ing his establishment to be second to none il
beauty, size and variety Of the precious min
erals it contained. Finally, after close exam
ination of the numberless diamonds, pearls.
rubies, emeralds, turkoises add AMETHYST.
that lay heaped upon the counter, and a lons
discussion Of their qualities and defects, th9
distingae looking foreigner succeeded in find
ing number that met with his unqualified ap
prevail and after having them put aside, gave
the requisite direction for the manner in which
he wished to have them set
The jeweller, reioiced at the happy termina
tion Of so wcighty a matter, set TO work
gathering up his valued treasures and replac
ing them in the caskcts, continuing all the
while the conversation with his munitcen
patron. As he was engaged in this occupa
ton his eye happened to fall upon a small box
filled with diamonds, when he missed a large
brilliant which he had held in his hand but &
moment before.
My lord he exclaimed, struck with a
sudden suspicion, Il have Just now showed
Nou q uldllOii't VI Sitti value. Ou ttlnenl-
Der it, do You not Well, it has disappear
ed :"
what is that to me-" said the Englishlnan
at is this much, that you will uot leave
here till have found it,
LAS for that am in no hurry reloined
the Englishman, with great composure "Yor
may search me if YOU like
The jeweler while continuing to look fol
his diamond, whispered a word in the ear o
one of his clerks. who started off in grea
haste and returned i'll Il few moments, follow
ed by police inspector and two patrolmen
Upon their arrival, the diamond being still
unbound, the jeweller denounced MILFORD" a>
having stolen it.
The Englishman Indignantly denied the
charge, but as he said, to place the matter
beyond all doubt, he begged that the inspec-
tor would search his clothes and person from
head to foot, which the officer proceeded to
do without further ceremony While this
operation was going on. however, the Eng
lishman, in taking off his coat, made so vio-
lent movement that he dropped one side OF
his whiskers.
All ha my fine fellow, that's Your game
Is it = said the Inspectors II understand you
now Come for your own sake, make clean
where you've put it, for | hardly suppose YOU
contcnted yourself with one diamond"
Il have taken nothing, and have nothing 10
tell You. | am at liberty to wear false whisk-
ers if | choose, and it is nobody's business
whether 10 or not"
Although the most minute search proved
fruitless, the inspector determined to hold the
Briton in custody, and marched off with him
to the Prefecture of Police, on their way to
which it so happened that they passed by an
apothecary's. This circumstance, apparently
too trivial and unimportant to be mentioned,
served to clear up the mystery. for it undoubt-
edly gave birth to the felicitous inspiration
that proclaims the shrewd inspector in whose
bra n it originated,
They reached the Prefecture, where the
Englishman was placed in room under the
surveillance of two guards. In course of a
half hour the inspector made his appearance,
and after motioning to the guards to with
draw, seated himself and entered into friend
ly conversation with the Englishman towhom
he expressed the regret he felt at having been
compelled by his duty 10 place him at this
temporary Inconvenience, but he doubted not
that in the absence of any proof Of his guilt
the magistrate before whom he wonld have
to appear next day would order him to be set
at liberty. In this view the Engishman fully
concurred. As they were conversing, the
door opened, and an attendant came in bear
ing tray laden with refreshments, among
which were two glasses of beer One ofthem
the officer took himself, while the other was
handed to the unsuspecting foreigner, who,
knocking his glass against that of his host in
true British style, quatfed its contents off at
one draught.
The mixture was not slow in producing its
effect, and the fact was revealed that Milford
had swallowed, besides the diamond that was
missing, three other diamonds of the purest
water, four pearls and large turkois, repre-
senting total value of from twenty to twen-
ty five thousand pounds.
An insane man in White Pigeon, Mich,
recently burned Sl,100 in greenbacks and
buried the ashes. He had just received the
money for four years service on farm which
he has suddenly taken notion to leave. He
that he used the money in this sim
gular and Improbable way ito help him
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