The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1870-01-11
HOW L WAS SWINDLED.
A Diamond Story.


eyes open and use them too. Still adj
init was .once taken in, by as dead a
swindle as could be; l am not ashamed
to own it. L made money by it, after all,
but | a0dS swindled.
:" 1t was about diamond ring, |
knew the fellow who had it for many
years in the way of business. He was a
commercial traveller, and used always to
flash this ring about when he came round
on his journeys A jeweler friend of
mine, who happened to be in my office
once when Mr.. Block called, asked, / re-
member to be allowed to examine it; and
had pronounced the stones to be diamonds
of the purest water, telling me afterwards
the ring was worth abut seventy pounds.
Mr.. Blocks initials were engraved inside
the hoop of the ring: r. B. and be-
sides that, it was a ring Of peculiar and
rather old-fashioned make. Indeed hav-
ing once seen the ring, no one would be
likely to mistake it for another. Well,
Mr.. Block got into difficulties, and went
so entirel y to the bad, that l never saw
or heard anything more Of him. But
about tIo years afterwards, whilst walk
ing down a back street, my eye was taken
by ring exhibited in pawnbrokers
window. Mr.. Blocks ring l excaim-
ed directly; 'Pll swear to it, 1t was in
u tray with number Of very scedy-look-
ing rings, and was as discoored and dir
ty as they were. went into the shop
and asked to look at it. The pawnbro-
ker, an old Jew, said yesh might see
his ringsh, but he didn't know mosh
about ringsh himshelf. They wosh un-
redeemed pledges thash what they
wash-and they wosh all marked at the
advanshed upon them with a very shmall
overplus for inteersh-thash all he knew.
"There was no mistake about it. 1t
was Mr.. Blocks ring, and had his ini-
tials inside. But how did the Jew get
it He would soon tell me. Referring
to his book, he found that it had been
pawned two years ago in the name of
Smith" Thash all he knew. Would
buy? 1t wosh dirt sheap-three pounds
twelve; and cosht him all the monlsh p
"'Three pounds twelvep repeated,
thinking he had made mistake for the
was worth twenty times that amount,
go Well, if it was too dear he had
some sheaper ones, es,-beautiful ringsh, he
dare shay,-but he knew so little about
ringsh, you shee, exshept that he always
advanshed too mosh monish on thcm.-
One couldn't understand everything in
his bishness, you shee, from fat-ifonsh to
diamonsh'
Il bought the ring, after beating the
jew down half a crown, partly to pre-
vent his suspecting its value, and partly
well knowing the disposition of the
people to oblige him.
Il wore the new purchase about, with
no little inward satisfaction at having
bettered a Jew at a bargain. In my own
mind, | accounted for its coming into his
possession somewhat in this way: Mr.. !
Block must have sold the ring when in
difficulties to some one else. 1t was quite
certain that Mr. Block had not pawned
it at the jews or Jew would have known
its value The ring must, then. have
either been lost by, or stolen from,
subsequent possessor; and the finder, or
thief (whatever it happened to be), be-
ing ignorant of its value, had taken it to
the Jew, who knew no better.
"There is a certain commercial club
in our town, which [ occasionally visit. -
The members are of somewhat lively
disposition; generally given to indulge
in that playful style of banter popularity
known as chaff.' My diamond ring
came in for a good share of it, | can
stand chaf' as well as most men but |
put it to you, if, when you know very
well your brilliants are real, it isn't lit
tie annoying for the chaff of whole
body of people to assume the character
of persistent disbelief in the value of
your jewelry? For instance, the waiter
answers the bell
go Did any gentleman ringY
500, yes, one Of the members would
retort; it was the gentleman with the
paste diamonds
Again, there are kinds of sham bril-
iants known as Irish diamonds and Isle
of Wight Diamonds. The club mot one
or two members, but the whole body) re-
|