Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1870-03-02

conhIntioh Of the estimate he had pre-
viousy ormed of their worth.
40 res,' said my friend the jeweler
| re-.5nize the ring again directly
Warito know what it's worth 2 Tile
put it'the scales.l 'Well,-h'm-about
seven id-twenty shillings fot 6ld gold
"'F7' said l, as pale as a turnip.
Why, idn't you tell me it was worth
sevent pounds p
5 he answered; when it had dia-
monds it,-not when it has paste
I" Tan <.i = .f.oe =, the jcweler
suggesi rs 10 this and mel a getting into
difiou 1Lr.s sGe.:s- - ne did was to
sell thE EISaoaGs out of his ring, and get
their ees supplied with paste, whilst,
fnallys had pawned it himself with the
Jew. ava paste ring.
"WIl, William Henry says | to my
self, t,s Jew has jewed you, and the club
has ehiled you. and you may consider
yoursef trod upon, after the manner of
speaking
But the worm will turn.
"'Di the jeweler let out diamonds on
hire p asked.
" He did.
W'ld he have certain alteration
which [ suggested, made in my ring in
fortniglt's time ?
He would.
AMI keep it a secret
Certainly-business was business
For the whole of that fortnight | new
er went near the club; that was probably
the reaslA why my appearance at the club
dinner vas greeted with such lively sal
lies about Bakers Paste. One would-be
wag recommended me, whilst helping a
tart, to keep my fingers out of the pastry
Believing him to intend some obscure al
lusion toshe gems on my little finger, l
thought it time to open fire.
Gentlemen, said L. for some weeks L
have listened to casual observations in
which the name of Baker has been un-
worthily associated with paste and pastry,
but have refrained from making any re-
marks, having been firmly persuaded they
could only apply to industrious tradesmen
employed in the manufacture of home
baked bread (Oh, oh y 1t now occurs
to me that such remarks were intended in
allusion to the ring wear-a ring-I
take this opportunity of informing you
which, unlike the wits who have amused
themselves at its expense, is indebted for
its brilhancy to nature
They booted me they heaped Oppro-
brious epithets on the name of Baker ;
they laughed and talked me down.
"'ITi bet him FIVE pounds it's paste,
-. - = WIN. sara nnotper. -Aua T..
And 4
So sad eLeren of them.
Really, gentlemen said l, = 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 it,
They laughed and hooted me still more
at this admission. They said that settled
the question, and that it tcds paste.
l told them | didn't think it was.
Well, would bet?'
would rather not.
More hooting
At length, very reluctantly, ! overcame
my seruples. The name of Baker is a
name too closely allied to the gentle bred
(arms, four loaves, Ppr-Sejant, quartered,
crest, the doe, lerant) to allow it TO be
wantonly sullied. l bet.
We adjourned to the jewelers.
Without question, they ,rere diamonds,
the jeweler decided. and some of the
finest he had ever seem He ought to
know, as they were his property,-hired
by me for the occasion.
Eleven fves is fifty-fve, gentlemen
Having established the value of my ring.
and freed the name of Baker from suspi-
cion, paid for the hire of the real gems,
and had the paste stones reset in their
places, believing after all, the reputation
for diamonds to be as good as the posses
sion of them, and free from anxiety
1t was talked about, and noised abroad +;
it even reached the little back street where
the pawnbroker lived. You should have
seen him.
Real shtones. o my heart! Sheventy-
five poundish-dead robbery-clean gone.
! . my bootshe and bones not to know
that tolkshe do shometimes come and pawn
real diamonsh for pashte, sho as to have
less interesh to pay for taking care of their
ringsh. . my blessed heart, only think Of
itr
He cs1e to me. He grovelled, and
wriggled Md twisted himself before me.
He prayeG.,s-A "a sell him his ring again.
. D my ure EGshter Baker, you musht
she'll it tonne, or | shall be ruined old
manshe-, The time wosh not out, and
Mishter Smit has come to redeem it, and
he shaysit wosh a legacy, and if he dosh
not get It by Saturday next, he will ruin
me,-shihelp him, he will. o, MishteI
Baker, tink of it; twenty poundsh-al
in gold-sholid money. Now my tere
what do you shay ? thersh good mansh.
What did l say? Could l turn a dea
ear to the distress of the old man There
are people who might do it, but not people
of the name of Baker-not W. ii. Baker
/ certainly did ask him for more money
We compromised it at last at TWENTY-FIVE
ten. which he paid, part in sixpenoes anC
coppers, and owes me fourpence-halfpenn,
to this day.
Twenty-Five, nine and sevenpence half
penny, and ffty-fve pounds, is seventy
seven, nine, seven and half ltjust pai'
for the real diamonds for L bought tn
ones had previously hired of the jewelle
and had them set in ring the fac-simil
of Mr.. Blocks, except that the initials in
side are w. II. B.
That was the only time l was eve
swindled, gentlemen, Mr.. Baker concluded