St. Paul daily globe., 1888-02-13

the presentation
were engaged in collecting them. For
the sake of the brilliant woman who re-
| celYed SO imperial a present, it is to be
hoped that she will not recall the sad
augurieS that have been historically
| furnished in the connection of emeralds
and Inflated women who were soyer-
eigns also, says the New York Graphic.
One of Dumas great stories is founded
on the emerald necklace presented to
Marie Antoinette, about the disappear
| ance OF which so much of romance and
suffering was woven in the terrible days
| that saw her die upon the ScaffOld The
mention of emeraldS and Marie Antoin-
| cite recalls strange story toll the
| Graphic some time since, which, as it
| relates to emeralds, and some, too, re-
| puted to be of marvellous size and purity,
will bear telling in type.
In the northwest quarter of Washing
ton. and on the upper edge of the most
| fashionable section, there stands an old
fashioned three-stOry house, built about
fifty years ago. Except that it is old
fashioned and seedy, there is only one
thing to call attention to it, besides its
being the home of reduced yet well
known Nirginian family. The one thing
is the fact that back window on the
second floor is always closed tight with
pair of heavy outside iron shutters, in
the top of which there are two small
| light holes.
A Southern gentleman living on his
wits somewhat, though not in a disrep-
utable sense, told the incidents herein
narrated. He knows the Yirginians, who
are still posseSSOrs of small property,
and among the family couple of gov
ernment appointments. He was aware
| that there was room in the dwelling
which was never opened, so far as
| visitors knew. The door thereto was
heavily nodded, and
| EVIDENTLY HAD A STRONG LOCK ON TT,
In the course of friendly conversa-
| ton he mentioned a visit made to the
Chinese embassy mot the present one).
| In the course thereof his host, one Of
| the accomplished attaches, who spoke
English perfectly, led him to his private
Sitting-room. The conversation acci-
dentally turned on gems. on which sub
ject the Chinese diplomatic proved him.
self an adept. He showed his visitor q
large number of rare Jewels, diamonds
and other stones, some of them of a
most costly character. He was a gem
collector, and, being very rich, could
readily crafty his most eXtravagant
wishes. His visitor remembered after
ward that as he told the incident quick
family. A few days passed by and he was
waited upon at the Office by one of the
| male members, who nsked, after ex-
acting pledge of secrecy, if he could
bring the Chinese attache to the house
with the iron-Shuttered window in order
to examine some very rare and valuable
jewels.
Of course this was done. Both gem
tlemen, American and Chinese, went on
| their call in quite flutter of excite
ment. The hour set was late in the
evening. They were met at the door by
| the two gentlemen of the family None
of the ladies were visible, nor their one
servant either. After removal of mats
and coats the callers were asked to go
up stairs. They were taken to the
StrOng-roOm. as it turned out to be. The
door when they entered was observed TO
be heavily lined with steel plates. 1t
lock was a combination one. A light
was burning within. The iron shutters
| were closed, as usual. There was moth
ing in the room but an iron stand, bolted
to the floor, supporting small iron safe.
| The door was closed behind them. On
| the stand lay two cooked reyOlverS. The
visitors were asked to stand near the
door. Both were men of nerve, and one
| had been dashing cavalry officer and
| was Scared with score of wounds.
| But they confessed afterward that
| thrills of apprehension ran through
them. One of the brothers opened the
| safe. and the other stood where his
| hands would readily grasp the revol-
verS. A few seconds and then appeared
jewel-bOX, from which a small parcel.
carefully wrapped in soft leather and
| cotton, was as carefully removed.
Opening this there were exhibited to
the aStonished eyes of the callers sew
eral large emeralds, and evidently of
great purity. The Chinaman trembied
with excitement. He declared as tn e
largest one, as big at least as a good
sized pigeons egg, was placed in his
hand, that he had
NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE 1T,
while telling, also, of wonderful gems
that he knew of in China. The emer-
aids were cut in an antique style. There
were dozen of them, and all remark
able for their beauty and size. The
Chinaman was allowed TO examine them
all carefully. He did so with the utmost
minutenesS and delight. All the time
the closest watch was kept, and the
brothers. as well as the visitors, seemed
to feel relieved when they were all out
side the door and going down the stair
case.
And this was the story of their pos
session of such wonderful Jewels told
then and afterward by the Virginians:
Their paternal great-grandfather was a
military surgeon. Just as the French
revolution was beginning he was in
Paris, greatly interested, too, in all the
stirring events of the period. He had
apartments in the house of a physician
who had some court practice and yet
was secretly a radical. He was involved
heavily as a gambler at one time, and
borrowed money TO considerable
amount from his American friend.
When the revolution became violent the
Frenchman came under suspicion on
both sides. One day he brought to the
Virginian. then about to return to
America, small jewel box and showed
the emeraldS which had been exhibited
to the visitors. He insisted upon his
creditor taking them to America, where
he promised to come also. Suffice it to
say they were brought to the Virginlan's
home. The French physician was never
heard of afterward. The possessOr of
the eMeraldS held transfer memOran-
dunn for them, and his family had held
them III possession ever since. They
became both a fascination and terror
to the family. which had apparently
gone down the hill of well-doing in
guarding a great fortune they were un-
able or afraid to utilize.
The Chinese gentleman was eager to
buy. Difficulties arose at once. The
posSessors were unwilling to trust an
expert with their secret, or to carry the
gems out of their abiding place. The
attache desired to have expert testimony
as to value and purity before he eX-
pended princely fortune. Some ill-
quiries were cautiously made as to the
history of the remarkable emeralds. All
known gems cf that class were located
except those of the unfortunate queen
OF France, whose necklace had appar-
emily disappeared absolutely from the