Connecticut western news., 1899-10-12
THE BLACK PEARL.

"The heroine of my story" said the dealer in precious stones, lighting a | cigarette, ''is a pearl. beautiful full black pearl of extraordinary size and rare luster. It is difficult to express it's value in figures" And this is the story: | It is just about 20 years ago when one morning young woman entered s large jewelry store in Budapest. Every inch of her dress bespoke the back woods her bonnet was a composition of | glaringly disharmonious colors; in one hand she held parasol of old, large | lowered, faded silk. Every one of her motions betrayed the country girl. Any salesman of experience who had watch ed her entrance into the store would have thought at once, "Ah, she wants q cheap plated bracelet. with the word Souvenir engraved on it. as memento | of this her first visit to the city" And under ordinary circumstances he would have been about right in his conjecture: but this time he wasn't. She appeared SO simple and artless, in spite of her handsome, vivacious black eyes and the dimples in her red cheeks, that the salesman attending to her omitted offering her a seat
 | The young girl however, did not seem to notice this slight. and uninvited dropped down on a small red plush tauteuil, principally used by the noble | customers of the store. She opened the | reticule hanging on her arm and drew out small package carefully wrapped in tissue paper. After she had peeled off layer after layer of the envelope she | took out the nucleus, beckoned to the owner of the establishment and exhibit ed to him something she held between her thumb and index finger. | "What is the value of thisf" she | asked in a melodious voice. | The jeweler started visibly and took the object from her hand.
 It was the above mentioned pearl, of such beauty and size that he hardly trusted his eyes. At one place it had barely noticeable flaw, which might have been done by a former setting.
 1.-The pearl has one defect, the jew sasr said
 "Indeedp' the stranger answered, bending forward to inspect the small spot.
 The jewe4er "sized up' the girl Her astonishment was genuine, artless. It was not tinged with the shadow of hy- pccrisy.
 "Whers did you get that pesrlf" he asked.
 That is perhaps an irrelevant ques- tion," she answered smilingly. But to give you some sort of satisfactory ] answer I will say carry on a little pawnbroker business. out in the coun- try, inherited from my father. A noble man desires to pawn his pearl with me, but demands much money. Please tell me what it is worth. and will pay for the trouble. ''
 'I cannot appraise it, l" said the jew eler, regarding it with an admiring eye.
 "Why not Why can you not fix its valuef" the girl rejoined in vexed tone.
 "Well, we'll" the man said appeas- | ingly. 1T only desired to express there by that the pearl is beyond appraise- ment because of its great rarity. Its value belongs among the fancy prices.
 The young girl pondered moment; then. regarding the jeweler attentively, she asked;
 "Can I advance ?. .000 forins on itf"
 ''Most certainly"
 "And 5, 000f"
 "Also 5, 1000" .... "And 10, 000f"
 The jeweler smilingly repeated. "And 10, 900.
 The country beauty evidently became | feverish. Precipitation showed in her face, and her youthful black eyes gilt tered with fire superior to that of the costliest diamonds in the store. She asked for glass of water. The former ly inattentive salesman rushed to get 1t
 ''And will you pay me 10, 900 fiorins for the pearl if feel disposed to sell it ' | I am also authorized to sell it," she said. with certain show of suspicion. | fearful lest the jeweler was simply hoaxing her.
 "No"-
 "Ah," she exclaimed. "I divined | you were hoaxing mel" "Oh, mol God forbid" the jeweler responded evasively "It is simply be- cause I have no use for the pearl There | is only one firm in Austria that would buy it-the jeweler for the court"
 "Would you please furnish me with his addressr'' Willingly" He wrote the address on q piece of paper, which he handed to her; she in- closed it in her reticule, drank the glass of water courteously offered by the salesman. and, in spite of protests, placed a forin piece on the counter to pay for the appraisement and went | out. Twenty-four hours later the same young woman, dressed, if possible. in a more glaring suit, entered the store of | the jeweler of the court. The suit of stores are situated Au den Graleen. the most fashionable street of the capital, ] Vienna. I (the reciter of this occur rence) received her. l was the princi- pal business manager. She showed me the pearl The attire of the woman was out of keeping with the value of the jewel entirely. Before taking any other steps miss, if will be necessary for you to go with me to the chief of police and explain in what manner the pearl came into your possession. Her eyes darted fire. "And if I re- fuse to co itf" she exclaimed passion ately.
 "Youy refusal would compel me to call in policeman, rejoined dryly.
 "An right" she said ''I go along with you. if this is the custom in Vi enna when storekeepers are dealing With their customers. Please call car riage."
 "You must pardon me" said apol- ogetically, "but this is really an ex- traordinary case A jewel of such val ue'- UAu rioht but whstavar vou do |