National Republican., 1883-11-15
The Brewster Diamonds,


valuablep
"Worth 10000, Mr.. what may call
,,orr mama ~ asked Harold Brewster Of the
nlainlv dressed m an seated upon the opposite |
side Of the table.
Goldsmith" responded the man.
"ouite q common name, that; but sup
nose il will suffice as we'll as any" said Mr..
Brewster.
Precisely"
A short interval of silence then elapsed. 1t
Ia quite evident that the two are studying
one another-Mr. Brewster because he is
stranger, and the latter because 1t is his
calling.
Finally Mr.. Brewster broke the silence by
asking
"You are detectiveT
Smith acknowledged this by simply bow
ing
And do you thin X Mr.. Smith, that you
can help me to recover the jewels%
II can try"
$50 can any one try" quic ky interrupted
Mr.. Brewster.
LET me finish, please" said Smith. "when
/ try succeed If you wish NV services
give me some points. Tell me who the dia-
monds belonged to. Give me some explicit
idea as to their form, number, and the ike:
i cannot work in the dark, and blindfolded
Mr.. Brewster"
the Jewels are old family heirlooms. They
consist of a necklace, eardrops and pair OF
bracelets. All by the way, can give you
a better idea by these" said Mr.. Brewster,
taking from drawer box. He took the
cover off and their, ensconced among oowny
cotton was perfect mass OF glittering,
shimmering jewels.
Smi tn uttered an ejaculation Of surprise as
his eyes fell upon the sparkling gems.
"You seem surprised, Smith; we'll, they are
pretty fair counterfeits" said Brewster, Us he
laid the diamonds upon the table.
"Counterfeits, did you say :" asked Smith,
as he bent lower to examine them.
Precisely; they are but paste representa-
tions. They are the same in size and number
as the originals; were made expressly for
such an occasion as this. Please examine
them closely Mr.. Smith, for by these must we
recover the originals"
The detective took the piecesup one by one
and examined each closely. He counted the
stones noted the quaint, old fashioned set
ting, which was intricate, delicate, and
marvel of skilled hsndiwork. "And you say
these are bogus"
"Yes, sir. If the originals were here you
could then compare the two SETS"
"Who usually wore the real onesW
my daughter which was seldom; for she
is an invalid, and goes into society but little.
Poor Lucy she does not even know that the
diamonds are missing"
Does not know? What do you mean. Mr..
Brewster"
"The two sets are kept in q secret drawer
in my desk at home. The originals in plain
white box those in a blue box. as you see.
Precisely; go on"
"If possible, would like to recover the
diamonds before my daughter finds out abou
the matter. You may proceed i'll your own
manner Mr.. Smith if you succeed in recov-
ering the jewels, and Furnishing the thief,
shall not hesitate to reward you hand
somely."
"Of course you will allow me to take
these" said smith, pointing toward the coun-
terfets
Certainly; they are only PASTE" said Mr..
Brewster. as he laid the bogus jewels back in
their d0wny nest.
Smith took the box, rose buttoned his coat
and turned to leave when he suddenly asked
US he looked over his shoulder:
Does your dau ughter know of the exist
ence of these bogus jewels"
Let me- see-you have son p asked Mr..
Smith.
90 have"
rs he a member of the frm?"
"No, sir"
"What does he dop"
sclr, my son lS u gentleman OF leisure
THAT'S ALL good night" and the door
closed behind the officers form.
JacK Smith was one Of the best men on the
force. He was sharp. cunning, and knew not
the meaning of the word fear. As he wended
his way from Harold Brewster's office he be-
gan to cogitate, to wonder if there was nc
possible light ahead concerning the case in
hand. Just as he was about to pass jewelry
store a sudden thought illuminated his mind.
He stepped in, and showing the bogus" dia
monds to the proprietor, asked him one
question. When Jack Smith emerged from
the door a strange look was upon his face
and he Rugged the box more closely to his
breast as he threaded the great Broadway
throng.
Fred Brewster was one of those gay, petted
darlings of society of which New York has a
surfeit. He toiled not, neither did he spin
yet no one of the fashionable set in which he
moved had finer raiment nor spent money
more lavishly. Perhaps if Fred had had some
aim in life his lot would not have been O.
vapd as it is. But as the case now stands hi
is rapidly going to the dogs. He knows it
and his boon companions know it, but ht
cared as little for his mistaken career as they
did. He was petted by his mother and sister
and his father condoled his many foibles BY
saying:
LET the boy SOW his wild OATS he'll settle
down soon enough"
The young man gambled, was frequenter
of sporting circles of every description, and
did not dsdain to bet hundreds of dollars on
brutal prize ring affair. Upon the evening
following the interview between Harolc
Brewster and the detective, while Fred wal
in one of the noted gambling resorts on -
street, he found that plainly dressed man OF
middle age was watching him closely.
1t troubled him exceedingly, and made him
careless in his play. The consequence was
when he arose from the game he found thai
he had lost $500. He went to the bar anC
called for brandy After drinking it he took
his departure. The middle aged man wht
had watched him so closely was at his heels.
Look here, stranger" said Fred, turning
to the other when the pair had reached the
walk, lam such an object of curiosity tina
you must needs keep your eyes upon me?"
"Be calm, Mr.. Fred Brewster l arrest yor
in the name of the law" said Jack Smith
for he 1t was in many of his DISCUSSES
"My God Arrest moP For whatW gaspet
the young man, starting back.
"No matter; come with me-" simply re
turned Smith.
The young man saw now that it would b.
utterly out of the question to offer resistance
and so accompanied the officer The pal
passed into Broadway, and after reaching ant
passing through Bond street, went down tn
BOwery.
strange expression of fear came upoI
Fred Brewster's face when the officer toll,
him to step into pawnship with him, neal
Canal street crossing.
TtA oil Oh ala " uafA GW,asN