Waterbury evening Democrat., 1895-05-13
CHAPTER 1.

TuE NARRATIVE OF JOHN E BROWN.
 am quiet, mddlo aged gentleman who has been a Jrwtlcr ill Maiden lane, New York, for rising 30 years. l may be permitted to say that have family of whom l arl fond, and that my cir Cum>tanCCS are S,.;l>factury Understand at the beginning nf this story that 1 am ncI thp hero, and have uuly set out to relate the occurrences that Camo to my knowledge, and i'll which, from the trend of circumstances, was compelled to act lradiuS part.
 A certain October day, few years ago, was ono of the most dismal 1 ever experienced. The downfall of rain was constant for two days, and when night clu>td Ill tIe steady driZZlo continued. We had not Sg"n customer since the forenoon. and l allowed my two clerks to % home early. There was nothing fur them to do after placing the stock within the massive safe. and was in that state of unrest when l was glad to bo freed from seeing their faces
 l would have left the store at the Sanr time but for q call from my old friend, CAr! Wittner the detective, who, with the remark that ho knew 1 would rr lonely, walked behind tho counter a3d back into my private office, where joined him and wo lit our ci- Sars.
 was glad to sec him. Wittnor was an officer of exceptional skill, bright, intelligent, well educated. and am sure thoroughly honest. We had been friends for years, and ho knew that ho need never wait for an invitation to visit me. Ho was always welcome.
 The genuine detective is not man to tell his secrets or boast of his ex- pluits, aS members of the profession do i'll fiction, Nevertheless l am satisfied that Wittner let me know more of his doingS than any other person. He some times appealed to me for counsel in cer- tain matters. hut inasmuch aS, so far as l could learn, ho generally took an op. pOSite course from what l recommended tand must confess with good results, as ru.e) suspect that he had littlo purpose except to compliment me. We had talked , minutes or so upon nothing Id particular when the door of 1 the store opened and a man entered. Is + possible that l have a custom err remarked, rising and walking for 1 ward to greet the caller l Was struck hy his appearance, He was tall. elegantly formed and dressed and evidently foreigner He set down hi, dripping umbrella in tho stand. and then. as he turned. gained good view l uf him
 | His hair eyes, muStachr and imperial ] l. H. I ., teeth were Sh>ttnil.y white and his complexion aa swarthy as Spaniard' s, though l Was sure he Was not q native of Europe His gloves, silk hat and at, tire We're of fashionable make and a dia- mond of the first water gliStened on his scarf
 Year, before l had spent several weeks i'll Calcutta, and prompted by 8 curious whim said:
 ''RaJah sahib salaam Alp ka mizay kaiSa hai:"
 These words are Hindoostanee and mean: Peace to you, honorable sir. How is your temper today"
 The black eyes flashed, the white teeth showed behind the jetty mustache, and he instantly broke forth with q lot of words which 1 could no more under stand, except that they were in the same language employed by me, than could speak Choctaw,
 'l picked up only a few sentence. when in India. I replied. With laugh
 If you are familiar with English, le us confne ourselves to that. "
 With pleasure, " he replied, his ac | II q
 language is spoken in New York, and
 was delighted to hear my own, but think l can make my meaning clear il . your tongue,
 'i am sure no one could speak it nor
 correctly. shall be pleased to serv
 you. if i'll my power. II thank you, sir You are q deale in precious stones l observe:'
 He glanced about the store as h spoke, and inclined my head. II have something I would like t
 show you
 II shall be glad to see it. D , He reached his hand inside his ve: and drew forth one of those sma
 green pasteboard boxes such as al . used to hold certain kinds of jswelry
 and lifting the lid took from the so : pinkish cotton the most wonderful gel 1 have ever looked upon. A man who has been in business fC 30 years in Maiden lane sees about a there is worth seeing in that line, aI 7 during my travels had beheld some the great jewels of the world. l ms
 say that had he produced tho Kohino' !. itself my amazement would not ha'
 been greater.
 , That which took between my thun
 and forefnger at his invitation was }, pigeon blood ruby the size of a sma
 walnut with the husk removed. A I geon blood ruby, it may not be know
 is moro valuable than the same numb of carats in the form of Q pure diamon