Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1870-03-01

ana aHected not 10 thlnk the remarks IN
tended for me-
hardly know what made me 90 and
call on my friend, the jeweller. 1t was
not that had any doubt of the genuiness
of the diamonds, especially as he was the
very man who had before valued Mr.
Blocks ring at seventy pounds. But it
had been so dinned into my head they
were false, that i wanted just formal
confirmation of the estimate he had pre-
viously formed of their worth.
0 yes, said my friend the jeweler;
/ recognize the ring again directly
Want to know what it's WORTH? (He
put it in the scales.) 'Well--h' m-about
seven-and-twenty shillngs for old gold.
Eh?' said /, as pale. as turnip.
Why, didn't you tell me it was worth
seventy pounds?'
Yes, he answered, when it had dia-
monds in i.-not when it had paste.
Talking the matter over, the jeweller
suggested, that on Mr. Block getting into
difficulties, the first thing he did was to
sell the diamonds out of his ring, and get
their places supplied with paste; whilst
finally, he had pawned it himself with
the jew as a pas tie ring.
Well, William Henry, said to my
self the Jew has jewed you, and the
club has chaffed you, and you may con-
slider yourself trod upon, after the man
ner of speaking ~
But the wor m will turn"
t. Did the je'Seller let out diamonds on
hire2' i asked.
"'He'did
"'Would he have certain alteration
which sugges ted, made in my ring in
fortnight's tirne?'
He would. Certainly--business was
business.
For the whole of that fortnight /
never went near the club; that was prob
ably the reason why my appearance at
the club dinner was greeted with such
lively sallies about Bakers Paste One
would-be-wag recommended me, whilst
helping tart, to keep my fingers out
of the pastry Believing him to intend
some obscure allusion to the gems on my
little finger, thought it time to open fire.
'Gentlemen, said |, for some weeks
| have listened to casual observations in
which the name of Baker has been un
worthily associated with pa ste and pas
VI Dut ldNt lTOII
remark, having been firmly persuaded
they could only apply to industrious
tradesmen employed in the manufacture
of home-baked bread (0h, ohD 1t now
occurs to me that such rem arks were in
tended in alusion to the ri ng wear-a
ring-I take this opportun' .ty of inform
ing you-which unlike the wits who have
amused themselves at its Expense, is in
debted for its brilliancy to nature
They hooted me; they b eaped opprob-
ious epithets on the name of Baker;
they laughed and talked me down.
I'm bet him five pounds it's paste,
said one.
$50 will L said another. And 1.
And l.
!" So said eleven of tn EN-.
Really, gentle men, said |, | am sorry
you should take the matter so much IN
earnest All l can tell you is, believe
my ring to be diamond ring, and this
Notwithstanding | will freely admit only
paid very small sum for 1t.
They onl y laughed and hooted me still
more at this admission. They said that
settled the c question, and that it was paste.
Il told mem didn't think it was.
We'll, would bet2
d u wou Id rather not.
More hooting
AT length, very reluctantly, / over
came m scruples. The name of Baker
is a naI ne too closely allied to the gentle
bred firms four loaves, Ppr).
wv adjourned to the jewellers
Without question, they were dia-
monds, the jeweler decided, some of
the finest he had ever seen. He ought
to know, as they were his property
hired by me for the occasion.
Eleven ives is ffty-hve, gentlemen. |
Having established the value ofcny I
ring, and freed the name of Baker from
suspicion, paid for the hire of the real
gems, and had the paste stones reset in
their places, believing, after all, the rep 4
utation for diamonds to be as good as the /
possession Of them, and free from the
anxiety. i
ut was talked about, and noised 4
abroad; it even reached the little back 4
street where the pawnbroker lived. You
should have seen him.
"'Real shtonesl 0 my heart Shev-
enty-fve poundish-dead robbery-clean
gone. o my bootshe and bonesl not to
know that folkshe do shometimes come
and pawn real diamonds for pashte, sho
as TO have less interest to pay for taking
care Of their ringsh. 0 my blessed
heart, only think of i'll
He came to me. He grovelled, and
wriggled, and twisted himself before me.
He prayed to sell him his ring again.
% my tere Mishter Baker, you musht
shell II to me, or ] shall be a ruined old
manshe. The time wosh not out, and
Mishter Smit has come to redeem It,
and he shays il wosh legacy, and If he
dosh not get it by SATURDAY next he viii
ruin me-sh-help him, he Will . Mlshter
Baker, think oft, twenty pounds-alin
gold-sholid money Now, my tere,
what do you shay thersh good manshl
What did ] ssss-i ceala ] turn a dea.
ear to the distress Of the old manf
There are people who might do n, gem
tiemen. but not people Of The name 81
Baker-not w. H. Baker. Ice ~.
did ask him for more money. N.AYf .
promised il at last at twentyt ed ''tF