The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1896-12-09
WHERE The TREASURE IS."

ago | was on terms of considerable in
timacy with an officer of the English
police who at this hour ills position
of high trust at Scotland Yard. At the
time of which | write he was sergeant
in the force of a great provincial city;
smart, alert, ambitious and resolute to
get on. He and | were in one or two
big things together. L had got wind of
a gang of Russian forgers, on one oc-
casion, and was playing detective on
my own account, when the sergeant re-
ceived instructions to watch the same
thing. We met, understood each 9th
er, and combined our forces. My si-
lence, as journalist, purchased his, as
an officer, and when at last we bagged
our men we each had an Exclusive"
We were engaged together in conniv-
ing at the escape of as Thoroughbred
a swindler As might have been found
in the British dominions. There was
reason for this cOnnivance which
may some day make the story worth
telling. | lent the sergeant an infor-
NAL aid and countenance in the capture
of desperate defrauder in his bed
room at the Queens hotel, and narrow
ly escaped being shot for my pains.
When | went prowling about the slums
of that great provincial city, as | did
pretty often, the sergeant was my fire.
quent companion. And when at last
he gained his hearts desire, and was
promoted to London, / was the only
person in whom he cOnfided the fact
that the capture which secured his
promotion was due to char
| have never made notes of these
matters, and the names of the people
concerned in this adventure have long
since slipped my memory, but the facts
are clear enough.
In the year 1871, and long before and
after, manufacturing jeweler, in a
large way of business, kept shop at st.
Pauls churchyard, on the right-hsnd
side as you go westward. The COM
mon kind of work was done at 8ir-
mingham; the better and more val
liable jewelry was the product of skill
ed hands employed in a small work
shop in Clerkenwell. The private
clientele of the house was small, but
the business transacted with ''the
trade was probably as large as any in
London. Only one commercial trav-
eIer was engaged, a Jewish gentleman,
man of exemplary character and
charming manners; linguist, musi-
clan, a judge of pictures, painter, an
amateur, and finished expert in pre-
cious stones. He had been Il years in
this same service aud his employers
trust in him was absolute. He drew a
liberal commission, kept his own little
family in solid comfort at his Brixton
home, was pillar Of his synagogue, a
pearl among commercial travellers, and
deservedly respected. l never saw this
gentleman, but can draw his portrait,
and before ] close this story | will tell
you why. He had large dark eyes,
which shone out OF sort of velvety
dull softness, as a black-heart cherry
shines when dew or rain is on it. He
had a well-shaped aquiline nose, and
an olive skin. His lips weI shapely,
but redder and fuller that is common
with men of western type. He wore
his hair cut short, and his beard was
trimmed Vandyke fashion. The nota-
ble thing about him was that hair, eye
brows and beard were of a deep ruddy
auburn, color handsome III Itself, ont
a little startling and bizarre in a man
of his complexion.
In the year 1870, whilst the sergeant
and unwilling ofthis gentleman's ex-
istence, were hanging on the skirts of
the Russian forgers, the commercial
traveller had submitted a scheme To his
employer. He had employed his taste
and leisure in the preparation OF
number of designs for brooches, brace
lets, rings, tiaras, necklets and pend
ants, and he had designed and drawn
with beautiful delicacy case in which
to display them. He estimated the
cost Of the preparation of this tray at
about e2O,OO and his proposal was that
the real tray TO be manufactured from
his designs should be kept in the show
case at st. Pau's churchyard, whilst
he should carry round with him a
tray of paste and pinchbeck in Illus
tFation Of the style and color.
Both trays were made. The real
thing went in the showcase, and the
bogus article went on tour. The real
tray was Photographed in the London
and provincial newspapers, hundreds
of fashionable people went to see it,
orders came in briskly, the new designs
became fashion, ard the clever little
Hebrew gentleman made so good a
thing of his liberal commission that he
was more than paid for all his trouble.
His employer was, Of course, eminent
ly satisfied on his own account, but by
and by disaster crept upon him.
The traveller made four journeysa q
wear, covering the three kingdoms on
each expedition. He had started on
the third round since the completion
of the two trays, when the jeweler, by
a chance examination Of his treasure,
discovered that he was in possession Of
the imitation, and that his servant he'd