The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-07-12

He was of good family and his father had
: left him a property sufficient to relieve him
from the necessity Of work But Harry
Trent had not an idle bone in his body, and
he had no sooner completed his university
career than he gave proof OF his activity.
Instead of taking up a profession, how
ever, or cultivating the fine arts-as his
fine taste and organization might have led
you to suppose he would-he directed his
energies to trade. After spending few
meaning Of finance, he rented place up
town and appeared before startled com
munity as diamond merchant
After all, if one must follow trade, there
are few articles of commerce more agree
able to deal in than diamonds. They are
beautiful to look at, profitable to handle,
and they stimulate the Imagination. The
romances Of diamonds are among the most
fascinating of the worlds stories. The spell
woven by these stones Is mysterious; 1t
differs from the vulgar craving for money.
The living, changing, Intangible spirit in
them allures forever those who have once
yielded to it Its glory seems unearthly,
for it is like nothing else of earth; yet
one would scarcely venture to call 1t
heavenly. 1t CLEANS most brilliantly from
the midst of human blood and crime and
misery. The diamond necklace sparkles
like river of flowing light on woman's
bosom; but on that river the souls of both
Illen duQ WOu1tn dIc W Inc
hollow of an infants hand may hold gem
able TO raise an army or provision city;
yet it is but form of the commonest OF
physical products. 1t is our invincible love
of beauty that gives 1t Its value, yet all
evil and ugly passions are Its foster chill
dren. Its possession carries power, but
ever threatens destruction.
Be all that as it may, Harry Trent dealt
IN diamonds and built fame and fortune
from them. In a comparatively short time
he became the best-known and wealthiest
merchant in the trade. No one was a surer
Judge OF their purity and value; diamonds
OF unequaled purity and splendor seemed to
crystalline beneath his fingers. He knew the
HISTORY and owners of all the great gems
of the world, and stones were believed to
pass through his hands equal in quality
to any extant. Withal, like all true
diamond merchants, he was as silent as the
grave. No one could tell with certainty
what his transactions were or who were
his chief clients. Therefore, on the prin-
cipIe of onne i0notum pro mdgnifco, fabu-
lous reports were circulated about him.
He had bought and sold the jewels of
empires. He had weighed in his balances
the crowns of the sovereigns of Europe.
He had bargained with the Shah and the
Sultan. In his books might be found the
names of every millionaire of contempt
rary times. Halt the diamonds of Old
World history either were or had been in
his possession. and were replaced in the
regalia of their putative owners by skillful
limitations in paste. So ran the gossip, at
which Harry Trent, when he happened to
hear any of it, would laugh heartily and
declare that it was lucky nobody knew how
really difficult it was for him to make both
ends meet.
The truth, as usual, doubtless lay be-
tween the extremes, but may reasonably
be held to have inclined toward the large
extremity rather than the small one. Kings
aud queens and other people OF august sta
tion are sometimes in pressing need Of
money and have little except their Jewels
to offer in exchange for it. Their jewels
may or may not be their personal property;
at all events, paste reproductions are cheap
and easily come by. Who knows, or can
expect TO know, whether the Regent de
France, the Pasha of Egypt, the Sancv, or
even the great mogul, are genuine or bogusl
If bogus, where are the originals! Wits
pers have even been heard regarding the
kohl moor: but it is to be hoped that, in this
case at least, there is no basis for them.
Meanwhile Harry Trent continued dill
gently at work on his new house. Wehave
seen many fine houses erected since then;
but it is safe to say that Trent's house is
still as good as anything in the way of
dwelling in New York city, Its excellence,
however, lay not so much in external
adornment as in the fittings and furniture
inside.
1t stood on q corner lot-or rather on q
corner lot and two adjoining ones-and
there was space on both sides Of it, WHILE
at the back was q roomy Enclosure and
stables. 1t was built of reddish gray
stone. with broad projecting windows ad-
hitting plenty of light. The plan of the
rooms and staircases was most agreeable;
at whatever point you stood you saw around
y.n only charming vistas, harmonious
1nes soothing colors and spacious per-
spectives. Every room was picture in it.
self, combining with the others to form
more elaborate picture. Yet the eye was
never wearied by petty details: the minor
features constituted and contributed to the |
whole effect instead of detractinR from it ]