Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1899-04-14

out of keeping with the value of the
jewel entirely.
Before taking any other steps. miss,
it 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 it re-
f7se to do it9" she exclaimed passion
ately
"Your refusal would compel me to-
call in policeman, / rejoined dryly.
'All right. she said; 81 go along
with you. if this is the custom in Vie
emma when storekeepers are dealing
with their customers Please call car
rage.
"You must pardon me. 4" said apol-
ogetically. "but this is really an ex-
traordinary case. A jewel of such val
ue'-
"All right but whatever you do
you do at your risk.
The girl appeared to me entirely
above suspicion and to be quick witted.
A long acquaintance with crooks of all
kinds permits me to quickly distinguish
between the hypocrite and the honora-
BILE, and l was indeed not mistaken in.
my diagnosis. Arriving at police head
quarters, she was asked who she was,
whence she came and whence the pearl.
She gave her name and residence. Her
father, she stated, had at his death be-
queathed her modest pawnbroker shop
in small country town, which had
often been visited by young farmer,
who had pawned various articles with
her He was very poor, she said. One
day she accidentally passed near his,
miserable hut and heard noise in the
yard. Well knowing the man, she en-
tered and learned that all his posses
sions were being distrained for debt
of IS forms. The young man called her
aside, secretly showed her the pearl and
asked for loan of 90 forms on it to-
pay the debt. He said the pearl was an
old keepsake with which he parted most
unwillingly. Moved rather by pity than
by the value of the collateral, she ad-
vanced the sum desired, although she
knew from general experience that if
the pearl was genuine it must be quite,
valuable, but she thought it to be an i'm
itation only 1t is barely worth while.
to add other data. The telegraph was
called into requisition and the truth of
| her statement established.
The history of the pearl was as fol-
| lows: The father of the young farmer
had been a chamber valet of Count
Louis Batthanyi, the minister president
of the revolutionary government Of
Hungary, in 1S4S. The count wore the.
pearl as cravat pin, and few hours
before his death-as is known he was
shot in Pest by order of military
court martial-he presented it to his
faithful servant. who under no cir
cumstances ever parted with it. At his
death his son took the pearl out of the
setting. which he sold, keeping the
pearl and parting from it as recited
The pearl itself had been stolen about
$50 years ago out Of the English crown.
which had contained three of them.
Two large diamopds went with it at
the sumo time The English govern
mont had been looking for it for $50
/ yours. UuL " nO dNa4L 4NOAnlHH was
ever heard Of it until this accident. IN
what manner it drifted into Count Bat
thuryis possession viii doubtless re-
main secret forever. He had most
probably bought it of some antiquarian.
The English government redeemed
the pearl, paying for it the offered re-
ward Of e2, 500, a handsome sum.
w.ich the girl divided with the farm
ec-but not divided, because the his
tory of the pearl says that the two con-
cluGed to keep the money together
best demo b. getting married.
eyes added my gray haired inform
ant "many jewels and pearls have
had their eventful history, and during
the many years that l have been en-
gagged in dealing in precious stones a
good many of their ups and downs and
mishaps-theft, arson, murder and all
the crimes on the statute books-have
come to my knowledge. propose to
write book about these adventures
sooner or later, and l assure. you it will
contain entertaining and startling read
ing matter Jewellers Circular.