The Delaware ledger. (Newark, Del.) 1879-19??, 1888-08-11

What do you suppose its worth?'
| asked.
90, it is difficult To say" said the
Frenahnan, Struggling his shoulders.
avon gentleman sinks Won price
NOR for him, another sinks"
YES hut what would you give
if you were to buy it? Would you
give eighteen hundred frances p
"rhe jeweler did not reply for a
second. He popped his microscope
once more into his eye, held the
ring up TO the light, examined the
setting and fell to making elaborate
calculations with pencil on a
sheet of blotting-paper.
81 do not often buy such large
stones but l will give you two
thousand five hundred francs for
;his one" he finally said to the
American.
1.-THE Yankee did not reply and
the Frenchman assuming that his
offer was accepted, placed the ring
on little ledge behind him and
opened his desk for his check
book.
"Not so fast, said Brother Jona-
than the diamond is not for sale" "
1.-TWO thousand six hundred, was
the Frenchman's reply.
The American shook his head.
"Seven hundred-eight hundred. .
No y
"Nine hnndred-three thousand
francs ! That is my last offer. Pause
| beg of you, mosieur, before you
refuse it. 1t is Il largo sum-three
thousand francs, and as if he were
convinced that no one could refuse
such price, he put the stone once
more among his own treasures and
again turned around for his check
book.
"Thunder I! exclaimed the Yam
kee what do you lake me for ?
tell YOU | can't and | won't sell you
the ring. 1t was as good as sold
to this British gentlemen last night
and it isn't mine to sell any more.
Give me the ring.
$50 saying the American took th'
ring rather sharply from the jewellers
hand and replaced it on his fin ger
The Frenchman next made me an
offer for myself of course l coult
not sell it, and we left the shop.
"My mind was clear now as to thu
prudence of giving eighty pounds
for the diamond. had heard tn,
best ieweler in the town offer thre,
thousand francs, or a hundred anC
twenty pounds, for it.
"Well, l must say you have actet
most honorably, said l to the Amer
lean when we reached the street
After all, bargain can't be all OF
one side, and l had never promised
to buy the ring, so you had per
feet legal right to sell it to tn
Frenchman.
You needn't say no more, stran
ger, said tho Yankee, as if he wcr,
tired of the subject. You can hav,
the stone now, if you choose, ut th'
price we fixed ON last night, and h,
held the ring out to me.
but l had to get my letters q
credit cashed, and | agreed to NEE
the American in the billiard-roon
in an hours time and conclude tn
transaction.
"No one was in the billiard-roon
when | entered it (for it was still
early in the day except the Amer
lean, who was standing by tn
empty fireplace. The transfer die
not occupy more than five seconds
and the Yankee Immediately pro
posed drinks. These were discussed
we separated an | saw no more oI
my friend from the States tina
day.
"That evening after dinner | hap
pened to be sitting not far from thu
fireplace in the billiard-room, whei
| noticed small round object jus
lying inside the marble fender
Curious to know that it was. 1t Wal
IA jewelers. ring case--not an uncom
mon article, certainly, yet hardl
the sort of thing one often sees ol
the floor of billiard-room.
Suddenly l remembered that tn
American had been standing close t
the spot where l found it where
found it when, earlier in the day,
had exchanged my two thous
and francs worth of notes for hi
diamond. An uncomfortable feelin
crossd my mind. What did he war
with ring case ? He had beel
wearing the ring he had sold mi
He might of kepta case for it,
course, and might have thrown
away when he parted with tn