The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1889-09-14

this is the very ring l lost year
ago." The answer was: That can
not be. as l do not think we have
pair of gloves on hand that we had last
year at this time. Slowly the ring
was drawn out, and, indeed, it was the
same, with the owners initials en-
graved upon it. The wonder was that
the gloves had not been sent to some
smaller store in the country, as was
frequent practice if not sold the pre-
vious season on the spot.
A still more wonderful ring story is
told in an English periodical. A gen.
tleman was walking along the shore OF
Hastings when he dissolved that val
liable ring which he wore had slipped
off. Although diligent search was
made, no trace of it could be found. A
year afterward-indeed it is even said
on the very anniversary-the gentle
man again visited the spot, and while
strolling along the shore fisherman
near him stopped down, picked up
something, and ran after him, saying:
''Did you drop this?" at the same time
holding up the identical ring lost
twelve months before.
Some of the most curious losses and
recoveries of which we have any record
are related in regard to famous jewels.
Among these the De Sancy diamond
may be mentioned as possessing par
ticularly singular history. The first
known owner of this gem was Charles
the Bold, Duke of Burgundy, who is
said to have worn it in his helmet. 1t
was lost in the battle in which its owner
was killed. but was picked up by a
Swiss soldier, who sold it to priest
for form. The priest, as ignorant
as the soldier of its rare value. i'm
agined that he had made good bar
gain when he sold it to the King of
Portugal for a form and half. The
profit of the King, however, was some-
what larger than that of the unworldly
priest, for he received no less than
100, 200 crowns for it from the wealthy
Harley de Sane in whose family it
remained for several generations.
Finally one of his descendants, wishing
to pawn it in order to lend Henri III.
some money, sent it to Jew broker
by the hand of a servant in whom he
had the utmost confidence. The serv-
ant never returned, and the broker
declared that the man had never made
his appearance with the diamond.
In spite of this assertion the conf
dence of De Sancy in the honesty of his
old servant was mistaken. This conf
dence, as it afterward appeared, was
not misplaced, for after a time the body
| of a murdered man was discovered
near the city walls in deep ditch,
which was recognized as that of the
missing servant. An attempt at robbery
had evidently been made, and the faith
full fellow had remained true to his
masters interests to his last moments;
for on the surgeons examining the body
the diamond was found in his stomach,
he having swallowed it as the only
means left to him of outwitting his
assailants. This diamond remained in
the possession of the family for several
more generations, but was at last sold
to James Ill of England. who pre-
scented it to Louis XIV. 1t remained
among the crown jewels of France for
some time, but was finally purchased
by the Russian banker. Demidortf.
An interesting anecdote is related in
the life of Lord John Lawrence in re-
gard to that most famous diamond, the
Koh-i-noor. When the precious gem
was committed to the care of Lord Law
renee he stuffed it into his waistcoat
pocket and went on with business.
Dinner time arriving, he changed his
clothes and threw his waistcoat aside.
Six weeks later message came that
the Queen desired the diamond to be
sent home at once. The matter had en-
tirely escaped the memory of the absent
minded lord, and he at first avowed
that he had forwarded it long before.
When the facts came back to him he
was badly frightened, but allowed no
misgivings to appear, and took the first
opportunity to slip away to his private
room. Once there, with his heart in
his mouth, he sent for his tative serv-
ant and said to him: Have you got a
small box which was in my waistcoat
pocket some time ago?" Eyes, sahib,"'
the man replied. II found it and put
it in one of your boxes" Bring it
here" said the sahib. Upon this the
old servant went to broken-down tin
box and produced the little one from
it. "Open it," said Lord Lawrence,
land see what is inside" He watched
the man anxiously as fold after fold of
cloth was taken off, and great was his
relief when the brilliant gem ap-
peared. The servant seemed perfectly
unconscious of the immense treasure
he had had in his keeping. There is
nothing here, sahib," he said, ''but
bit of glass" Thus. through the in
difference of a native servant, what
might have been serious loss was
turned into happy recovery.
In an interesting article on the ro-
nance of literary discovery writer in
an English periodical names number