River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1881-08-04

story; that the dodge was an old one,
and, in fact, that the sooner he walked
out, the better / must say he brazen-
cd the matter out well enough. He
was furious at being thought an inn
poster; declared Merton could vouch
for him Merton being thirty miles Off
and, at last, became so noisy in broken
English and German, shat was obliged
to tell him that, if he did not 90 away
quietly, | must send for the police.
Then he seized his hat, and dashed out
in tornado of explosives in both Ian
guages.
| had been so disturbed by all the
commOtiOn that | felt confused about
my list of gems, and went hack to look
at them again before continuing my
writing. Was it to be believed My
best jewels were gone Yes, it was too
true. Aunt Dorothy's diamonds, which
| had kept in a small case to them
selves; Uncle Johns Indian collection
both had vanished. Nothing was
left except my own purchases, and not
the best of them even; for certain
ruby | had given-well, rather a long
price for-was missing likewise. Alto
gether, | had been robbed of nearly
f3, 900 worth of property. When could
the theft have been perpetrated? The
Jewels were safe an hour ago, for had
shown them to Herr Schlossman.
Could he be the guilty party? But
then Merton vouched for him. | could
not suspect him of such a robbery. If
il had been a loose stone, more curious
than valuable, it might have been
easier to believe. Collectors sometimes
yield to such temptations, but rich
man to make off with $4,000 worth of
actual money value-it seemed unlike
ly. Then / thought Of the shabby Ger
man, far more likely subject for sus-
picion; in fact, | should have been GER
tain he was the thief, save that / could
not understand how he had managed
to appropriate my property under my
very eyes Still, as the 'pea and
thimble trick" shows, the hand can be
quicker than the beholder's sight, and
it was possible that my German friend,
amid his angry gesticulatiOns, had con-
trived to slip my jewels into his peck
ct. Either he or Herr Salesman must
have been the thief and | could not
suspect Merton's friend. However, it
was useless to lose time rejecting. |
called a cab, and hurried to the nearest
police court to give notice of my loss.
As | stated my case, the evidence
against the German stranger seemed to
grow more conclusive. His attempt to
gain money by false representation
looked very suspicious, and the police
inspector smiled at the negative evil
Z 7 ol1
the jewels.
"You never see q conluror put a
watch up his sleeve when he makes be-
lieve to slip it into a cake, and you
don't know how he gets a bow into a
cake, and you don't know how he gets
bowl of water and gold fish out of an
empty cloak, do you sir?" he inquired
"Why, those light-fngered gentry can
almost take the rings off your hand
without your knowing it" He did,
however, ask me whether anybody
else had been in the room during the
| time the safe was opened, and | an
swered, .'Only the real Herr Schloss-
man, the gentleman this impOster pre-
tended to represent" | omitted to
| add that | had never before seen "the
real Herr Schlossman."
The police authorities held out hopes
of the recovery of the property, as they
had been set so promptly on the track
of the supposed thief; and after taking
all necessary steps in the matter, ] re-
/ turned home to wait anxiousl " for
further tidings.
/ breakfastod early next morning,
and was gratified to see hanson dash
up to my door between ten and eleven
o'clock. Fastening into the hall, hop
ing to hear that my swindler was
caught, and my presence required at
the police station, | encountered Mer-
| ton.
"How about my diamonds?"
Hang your diamonds" was Mer-
tons most uncivil reply. what could
possess you to treat my old friend,
Herr Salesman, in this-this insane
manner If you doubted the truth of
his story you might, at least, have tele-
graphed TO me to ascertain if it were
correct, instead of first insulting him,
and then giving him in charge to the
police on some absurd pretext."
Il never insulted your friend" | re-
piled. "He was most agreeable man,
and we spent pleasant hour together.
have been robbed and ruined by a
swindler-a little dirty German, who
came here after your friend left and
pretended to personate him. He has
carried off the best of my collection,
and will certainly set the police on
his track You seem under some ex-
traordinary delusion, Merton, and your
/ 1anfytafra mot tho ylnlIfpSt
Merton is an irritable fellow, and
make allowances for him: but my
words appeared to turn his wrath into
pity.
"Jones," he said solemnly, Il did
not think You were to be so easily gull
ed. see it ali now"
Then you have the advantage Of
me-" | retorted, rather testify, for no
one likes to hear that hehas been east
ly taken in.
'Your pleasant, agreeable man, y
went on Merton. in tone of eXasper-
ating certainty, lis at this moment ex-
ulting in the possession of your lost
jewels The dirty little German, as
you please to entitle him, is the real
Herr Schlossman, who has just tele-
graphed TO me from the police-statIon,
where your laundering has had him
locked up"
But the other man brought letter
IA card" gasped.
''Of which he had robbed my friend
at the railway station, said Merton
coolly.
Need | dwell on the rest of this tale
| accompanied Merton to the police
court. where his injured friend wa.
identified and set free. | cannot say
that Herr Schlossman showed S
very forgiving disposition, for he
received our apologies and explana
tions with a remarkably bad grace
and utterly declined to fill his engage
meut with Merton, announcing that ho
had "seen enough of England" ana
intended TO return tothe continent tina
evening. So off he went, and si1
, months afterward, when he died, the
names of the Merton family were re
: mitted from his will, though he ha6