The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1879-08-28
A MODERN DELlLAH.

JOHN RlDDEL was young man. in
whom confidence was Justly placed by
Messrs. Moonstone 4 Co, jewellers, his
employers, in whose establishment, at
the time we became acquainted with
him, he occupied the post of foreman.
He was not a p" self-made man." as yet,
but he was on the road to it. John
never drank, except a glass of beer
with his early dinner; ne never smoked
nor Of course took snuff; he never
handled anything in the shape of a
billiard cue, unless it was his neatly
and tightly rolled-up umbrella; he
never-I was going to add he had no
weakness rs regards the ladies, but
this l hardly dare to write, because of
the extreme attention he paid to his
very tine head of hair. Why should
any man, not being Narcissus, take
such great pains with his hair, unless
to make an impression on the ladies?
shop, and with them l am sorry to say
Mr.. John Riddel was not popular
young men rarely appreciate in their
associate so much virtue as resided in
our hero, aud especially if that virtue
has not been its own reward, but has
enabled its possessor to walk over their
heads and stop there. There was hard
lv one among them but at some time
during his servitude with Messrs.
Moonstone had mislaid q ring or a
trinket for few hours, or had even
caused some loss to the firm, not so
much through carelessness IS from not
being quite as wide awake as a weasel.
For the way of a jewelers. assistant
is set with springs. 1t is calculated
that about one per cent. of the custom
ers at such establishments are rogues
and vagabonds, people who come to
spy out, not the nakedness of the land,
but its riches. and If possible to possess
themselves of them by force or fraud.
And these look as little like rogues as
nature (and art) can enable them to
DO. Notwith standing all that has been
written upon the deceitfulness of rich
eS. it is difficult to believe that a gen.
tleman who drives his own mail
phaeton. or lady who comes in q
chariot upon c springs. are brigands
in disguise. Yet the young men at
Messrs. Moonestone's had been, most
of them, taken in by appearances, and
at least once in the lives of each their
employers had paid for the experience.
One of them had taken jewelry to a
newly-married couple at fashionable
hotel "on approval" and had been so
successful in his recommendations that
they had collared'' the whole lot, and
given him such dose of chloroform in
exchange for them that he was unable
to give any clear account of his adven-
lures for hours afterward. Another
had been set upon by whole gang of
thieves, and in such promiscuOus and
overwhelming fashion that he could re-.
call nothing OF what happened except
that he had been " struck with an in
strument like the ace of spades," which
the newspapers expressed the hope
would afford some clew to the police;
they thought it showed, suppose, that
the perpetrators of the outrage must be
either gardeners or gamblers; but moth
ing came of the suggestion. Others,
again, had been exposed to the seduc-
tons of the fair sex, and in losing their
hearts had sacrificed the diamonds of
their employers. ....
In this last regard Mr.. John Riddel,
being adamantine, was invaluable.
His youthful as well as handsome
looks attracted these ladies of industry,
who, on entering the shop, gravitated
toward him quite naturally. A man
of that age, as they iattered them
selves, and one so particular about his
hair, must surely fall an easy victim to
their destinations. Thieves as they
were, they were still women, and per-
haps they allowed their feelings to car
ry them too far; if they had stopped
half way, where Mr.. Bobby, the
cashier, sat, or at the desk over which
Mr.. Nation (the hero of the ace of
spades) presided, they would have had
better chance; but Boltby vas bald
and Nation was gray, and women
never will understand that it is from
forty to fifty that men are most inn
questionable with respect to female
charms. Your conceited young fellows
think it nothing surprising that any
lady should fall in love with them, but
when a man comes to that more ma
ture period which we call (or al least
calD the prime of life, he appreciates
the compliment.
do not say that Mr.. John Riddel
had not some admirers among the fair
sex who loved him for his own sake.
Indeed, il was whispered among his
detractors that, like the first Duke of
Marlborough and other great men who
ought to have known better. he de-
rived pecuniary advantage from their
devotion to him; that the sums ex-
pended in macassar-oil, etc., for the
adornment of his appearance, came
back to him twenty-fold in substantial
tokens from Duchesses, and Countesses,
and the like. Goodness knows whether
there was any truth in such stories.
Perhaps it pleased his rivals to invest
the drudgery that was their daily lot
with this halo of romance. But he
was certainly as fascinating as he was
hard-hearted. When any lady GUS
toner who was unknown to him got
out of her brougham-for no one ever
came in cab to Messrs. Moonstone's
establishment--and moved up the shou
in his direction, he would look at her
through his half-shut eyes-for they
were Of the " dreamy order of beauty
aud murmur to, himself. ssNow, i
this a swindler or . bona fide party p
and many bona fide party did hi
serve with much external politenes.
who little dreamed of the suspicion
which she excited within him. s. -
He thought it a bad sign when they
took off their gloves, and under such
circumstances would always decline te
show them those specimens of rough
diamonds which wet finger can carry
away with it. And. when they offered
to pay for their little purchases BY
check, it was quite pretty to hear him
explain, in his soft voice, how the
System of the firm was o ready.
money one, and that no exception
could be made in favor of anv one
however highly connected, who wa.
not personally known to it.
One afternoon q brougham stopped
at Messrs. Moonstone's establishment
with a widow in it; about tn,
brOugham there could be no sort o
doubt; it was not q private vehicle, bu
one of those which are hired by tn,
day or hour; the appearance of tn,