The record-union., 1892-11-26
"Pm glad you think So"

! / III = ltAlt ) ON 'llli4h 50.
/ 'Glad I think so! Don't you think that
/ it's a diamoad3H
1T appears to be q diamond. Under
ordinary conditions l should say without
hesitation that it was Il diamond: but
When | consider the circumstances Of its
discovery l am driven to doubts. How
much did you give for that puzzle,
Pugh?''
"NInepence; the fellow wanted a shill-
ing, but L gave him a ninepence. He
seemed cOntent.'
'-Niuepence! Does it seem reasonable
that we should find diamond, which, if
1t IS diamond, is the finest stone l ever
saw and handled, in a ninepenny puzzle.
1t is not as though it had got into the
thing by accident; it had evidently been
placed there to be found, and, apparently,
by any one who CHANGED to solve the
puzzle; witness the writing on the scrap
OF paper"
Pugh re-examined the crystal.
"lt is a diamond! rll stake my life
that it's a damOndn
''Still, though it be a diamond, smell
a rat,''
"What do you mean?'
- strongly suspect that the person
who placed that diamond inside that
puzzle intended to have a joke at the ex-
penSe OF the person who discovered it.
" hat was 10 be the nature OF the Joke is
more than | can say at present, but /
should like to have bet with you that
the man who compounded that puzzle
was an ingenious practical joker. l may
be wrong, Pugh; we shall see. But, un-
Ill / have proved the contrary, do not
believe that the maddest man that ever
lived would throw away diamond worth
apparently, shall we say a thousand
pOunds?"
"a thousand pounds? This diamond is
! worth q GOOD deal mora than a tbpus1pr
/ pounds"
/ "WelI, that only makes my case the
/ stronger. l don't believe that the mad
| dest man that ever lived would throw
away a diamond worth more than a
I thousand pounds with such utter wan
/ toEness as seems to have characterized
| the action of the original owner Of the
stone which | found in your ninepenny
I puzzle, Pugh."
There have been some eccentric char
acters in the world, some very eccentric
characters. However. as you say, we
shall see. | fancy that / know somebody
who would be quite willing TO have such
a diamond a diamond as this, and who,
moreover, would be willing to pay fair
price for its possession. l will take it to
him and see what he says"
Il shall come with you"
We entered the Hatton Garden office
side by side. The office was divided
into two parts by a counter which ran
from wall te wall. | advanced to a man
who stood on the other side Of the coun-
ter.
''I want to sell you diamond"
Taking the crystal from my wastcoat
pocket I handed it to the man on the other
side of the counter. Directly he got il
between his fingers aud saw what it was
that he had got, [ noticed a sudden CLEAN
come into his eyes.
EtfTbis iC-fbfc iG ho,. fDo c+Cpn
Pugh nudged my arm.
Il told you So" paid no attention to
Pugh.
what will you give me for it?"
DO you mean what will l give you for
1t cash down upon The nail?'
- ust so; what will you give me for it
cash down upon the nail?"
The man turned the crystal over and
over in his fingers.
Nv ell, that's rather large order. We
do not often get a chance OF buying such
stone as this across the counter. What
do you say to-well-to ten thousand
/ pOunds?'
| Ten thousand pounds! 1t was beyond
/ my widest lmaginings. Pugh gasped.
He lurched against the counter.
! Ten thousand pounds!' he echoed.
| The man on the other side glanced at
/ him, thought, a little curiously.
If you can give me references or sat
/ isty me in any way as to your bona fides.
/ / am prepared to give you for this dia-
mond an open check for ten thousand
/ pounds, or, II you prefer it, the cash in
/ stead"
/ l stared; i was not accustomed to see
I business transacted on quite such lines as
| those.
4 wen take it,' murmured Pugh. I
! believe he was too much overcome 6v his
feelings to do more than murmur. / in
/ terposed.
"AIy dear sir, you will excuse my say
ing that you arrive very rapidly at your
/ conclusions. In the first place how can
you make sure that is diamond?"
The man behind the counter smiled.
Il should be very ilI-titted for the posi-
ton which l hold if l could not tell dia-
mond directly | get sight of it, espe-
cially such stone as this"
But have you no test you can aDply?''
| I'VE have tests which we apply in
cases in which doubt exists, but i'm this
case there is no doubt whatever. lam
as sure that this is diamond as | am
sure that it is air | breathe. However.
/ here is a test"
| There was a wheel close by the speaker.
/ 1t was worked by treadle. it was more
/ like n superior sort of a travelling
/ unker'S grindstoue than anvthinn
else. The man behind the counter put
I his foot upon the treadle. The wheel be-
gan 10 IeNolNe. lie Drought the crystal
\ into contact with tho swittly-revolving
/ wheel. There was SSH! And in an
/ instant his hand was empty; the crystal
/ had vanished into air.
! Good Heavensn' he gasped. I never
saw such look of amaZement on hui
man countenance before. ITS spIint-
ered!'
POSTSCRIPT.
1t was a diamond, although it had
splintered. In that fact lay the point OF
/ the joke. The man behind the counter
! had not been wrong; the examination OF
such dust rs could be collected proved