The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1889-11-09

ago?" The answer was: That can
not be, as / do not think we have a
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
of. Although a diligent search was
made, no trace of it could be found. A
wear 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:
Ibid 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
Swiss soldier, who sold it to priest
for form. The priest, as ignorant
as the soldier of its rare value. inn
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 unworldiy
priest, for he received no less than
100, 900 crowns for it from the wealthy
Harley de Sancy, in whose family it
remained for several generations.
Finally one of his descendants, wishing
to pawn it in order to lend Henri Ill.
some money, sent it to a 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 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. Anattempt at robbery
had evidently been made, and the faith
full fellow had remained true to hi
, masters interests to his last moments
, for on the surgeons examining the bod,
: the diamond was found in his stomach
: he having swallowed it as the onl.
) means left to him of outwitting hi
l assailants. This diamond remained Il
! the possession of the family for severa
more generations, but was ut last soil
8 to James III. of England. who pre-
t sented it to Louis XIV. 1t remaine'
v among the crown jewels of France TO
J. some time, but was finally purchase
s by the Russian banker. Demidorff.
b An interesting anecdote is related i
a the life of Lord John Lawrence in re
= gard to that most famous diamond, tn
n Koh-i-noor. When the precious ger
It was committed to the care of Lord Law
70 renee he stuffed it into his waistcoa
5, pocket and went on with business
% Dinner time arriving, he changed hi
>. clothes and threw his waistcoat aside
p Six weeks later a message came ths
'. the Queen desired the diamond to
r sent home at once. The matter had el
g tirely escaped the memory Of the absen
Q, minded lord, and he at first avowe
rs that he had forwarded it long befor'
re When the facts came back to him b
a was badly frightened, but allowed q
lg misgivings to appear, and took the fir
a. opportunity to slip away to his privat
s. room. Once there, with his heart
,e his mouth, he sent for his native SER
es ant and said to him: ''Have you got
e. small box which was in my waistco;
r., pocket some time ago?" YES, sahib,
I'd the man replied. II found it and p'
e. it in one of your boxes" Bring
~ here" said the sahib. Upon this Il
ly old servant went to a broken-down Il
ly box and produced the little one fro
%. it. "Open it." said Lord Lawrenc
ed "aud see what is inside" He watch'
ng the man anxiously as fold after fold
Id cloth was taken of, and great was b
be relief when the brilliant gem a
ed peared. The servant seemed perfect
be unconscious of the immense treasu
he had had in his keeping. There
,st nothing here, sahib," he said, ''but
lis bit of glass" Thus, through the
,st difference of a native servant VIII