Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1894-03-21

tune of a French abbe. 1t was part 1
had often played in piece that had
pretty long run in London some eight
years ago, and l had little doubt that
should be able to acquit myself in it
fairly well. i got the proper dress, wig,
powder and everything complete, and
having put all the articles into my bag
l went to one OF the railway stations
and took a return ticket for station {
little way out in the country.
TO my disgust found it impossib Ok
to get a compartment to myself. Tht
train was too crowded, but | II fec q
that the trains returning to Paris wo4.d
probably be much less crowded in the
afternoon than those going into ,i.s
country.
''In this supposition l was right !
hung about the suburban railway sta-
tion till retnrn train WAS abo'!t IL
start. 1t was nearly empty, and L Cot
ceur to the guard secured me the privacy
l needed. By the time l returned to
Paris / was stout, benevolent looking
French priest in comfortable circum-
stances, My suit of tweeds l had placed
in my bag. which took care to leave at
the railway station. Then made the
best of my way to the Hotel Continental.
81 was just in time for the table
d'hote, and as took my seat l noticed
with great satisfaction that my transat-
lantic friend was sitting not far off, and
that he had not suspicion of my iden
tity. Nothing, knew, could be done
until after dinner, so waited through
the tedious procession of courses as pa
tiently as I could, and when at last they
came to an end followed the. Amer
ican and little group of men who sur
rounded him to the smoking room. 1t
was not exactly the place for priest,
but could not help that.
81 sat down by little round table
near the American, but slightly behind
him, so as to be able to hear the conver-
sation without joining in it unless I
wished. From time to time l offered
remark, speaking of course in French.
to Il : man who sat next me, but for the
most part smoked my cigar and slipped
my coffee in silence.
''As expected, it was not long be-
lure uldluOuuS -UCOduO tAO ouOJCSI VI
conversation.
"'I don't know much about diamonds
myself, said the American, speaking in
his native tongue, but I'm told by good
Judges that thar's about as good a stone
as you'll see anywhere round. Almost
exactly the phrases, said to myself,
which the fellow used to me at Nice!
Ii foI 10 q lob of II , hn odd
ed carelessly, drawing off the ring and
handing it to one of the group. l bent
forward, so as to see more clearly what
was going on. One after another the
men who were sitting near examined
and admired the ring. The man next
me was the last to look at it.
O. "A friend l hev at Buenos Ayres
sent it to me, and had it cut myself.
''At this point ! noticed that my
neighbor had finished his examination of
the diamond, and l touched him, init
mating that I. too, would like to have
look at it. He handed 1t to me as
matter of course.
1t was the very ring which had been
exhibited in the same way at Nice.
had the imitation one which had been
palmed off upon me ready in my hand,
and under pretense of trying the effect
of the gem on my finger l easily substi-
tued the one for the other, slipped the
false ring Oh my finger, admired it, as
in duty bound, and then pulling it off
handed it back to my neighbor, who in
turn gave it to the American.
Il put the real diamond, which had
secured, into my pocket and finished my
coffee hastily just as Brother Jonathan
was making an appointment with rich
young Frenchman to meet at the shop
of fashionable jeweler next morning
and take his opinion on the value of the
gem.
"'And since it has taken your fancy,
said the unsuspicious American, you
shall hev it for the same sum the jew
eler offers me for it. can't say faireI
than that now, can ~
II went back to the railway station,
got my bag, changed my hat and coat
in the waiting room, slipped into the
hotel and next day set off for Cannes.
My only regret was that l was un-
able to make study Of the Americana
face when the Paris jeweler put a price
on his beautiful diamond next morn
ing. .''-Exchange.