Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1890-06-19
cor RID OF A BOGUS SWELL.
A Smart woman's Ingenious Sckeaks fez
Beating u pawnbrOker.

Il feel awfully ashamed of it now"
said n demure little brown.eyed wo-
man to n. Y. Sun reporter, because
the pawnman was real good to me. 1t
was this way: My friend Ada showed
me a pendant, circle of beautiful
small, white diamonds about Il ruby
that glowed like flaming-rcd heart; it
had fire enough to melt rock. Ada
said it was Il shame that the ruby was
not genuine. because it made the PEN
dant of no value to her.
III don't care said !; 1T looks so
much like real stone that do not
believe any one could tell it was bogus.
Why see, there is even II little flaw
in it, Just as you often find in rubies.'
But Ada said rs long AS it was not
genuine the pendant was of no value
to her, unless she had the diamonds
set over.
"Why not pawn it,? said I.
81 couldn't said she. I'd he fright
ened to death. Besides, how do you
do it9"
"Oh. Just go in and ask him how
much he'll give on it,, said /, though l
had never been near 4 pawnshop. l
was in too deep to expose my Ignorance
now.
Would sou dare to do it?" said
she
"'Ccrtainlyr l replied bravclv.
"Will You do it for me. dear"
Now. that took my breath away.
To put my friend up TO mischief was
one thing. but to be up to it myself
was another. However, | could not
admit was afraid now.
"Ye-cs.' said half-heartcdly.
"She made me start at once. We
went downtown, and while she waited
in store l climbed the stairs to the
office of swell broker with my heart
beating until was nearly sutfocated.
| sat down i'll the private Office, and.
with II face rs long rs the statue of
misery, handed out that pendant.
"llow much?' said the man.
81 don't know replied. He dis
appeared and came back and said
$lj0.'
Then knew he thought the ruby
real, as | had expected him to do. and
the pendant therefore worth about 5000.
, but the sum offered was about double
the real value of the pendant; so l
looked sorrowfully at the gem for =
moment and then s:id:
Ian you 40 no better Tor mc!'
"Nope,' said he. One more long
look at that memcuto of better DAYS,
and then l said in voice sutfuscd with
tears:
I'm take it,
= The broker had been watching me
closely, and think he was moved by
my apparent distress, which my fright
helped me to assume, for when he
brought me the ticket and money he
: said in the gcntlest way.
MY dear lady, if you wish to re-
deem this ut any time send us word
and we will send it to you and spare
: you the pains of coming here. He was
so kind that I'm sorry l cheated him.
even if he did want 5000 pendant fol
Q $15O."
s The reporter related this story to 6
reputable Maiden lane jcwclry manu-
facturer. He said that the secret o
e the girls success lay partly in the fac
e that the bogus jewel had flaw in i
and that it was set with superior, i
n small, diamonds, but chiefly in thu
bearing of the girl. She showed to hi
e eye that she was not accustomed to tn
,e air of pawn-shop and SO he wa
II more easily deceived. 1t is regula
,e though small branch of the jewelr.
l. business to make jewels like this pen
a dant, which are worked off on pawn
=. brokers through just such means q
e were employed in this case.