The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1899-12-09

fo. the missing jewel. Meanwhile the
numerous inhabitants Of the Vatican
were aroused.
All 5or.s If theories were advanced,
and Il .oChed for a time as If a ruhIor
coming from Cardinal Rampolla's Of
fee TO the effect that the gates Of the
palace were to be closed, and that nom
clerical persons were to be subjected
TO bodily examination would prove
true.
But if his eminence really contem-
plated such measures. Pope Leo quick
~ countermanded them, for neither
viSi. ors nor. any of those who live IN
the Vatican were molested. Instead, the
Pope's state officials set in motion the
ponderous machinery of o~ld-fashioned
inquirendo, at the same time refusing
to call in The aid of the Roman police.
The pope did not mention the matter
again until toward evening one of his
relatives called upon him for an hours
cnat. This gentleman suggested to
his holiness that his confidential valet,
Pho, should be Entrusted with the in
vestigation. "Ah, yes" answered the
pope, but it's Pio's day off, and |
haven't the heart to recall him from
his recreation"
Count Pecci said no MORE on the sub
ject to his holiness, bN, leaving the
Vatican, went straight to the place
where he expected tt find Pho. The
valet no sooner heard CT the loss Of
the rinS, when he offered to return to
the palace and devote the night to IN
| VeStigating the mysterious case. The
first thing he did was to summon the
servants who had been on duty in the
pope's chambers during the past twelve
hours. He took up all the rugs, shook
the tablecloths, curtains and other
hangings, and put his hand down the
upholstered walls of all the sofas,
lounges and arm chairs. Finally he
examined Leo's ccin and medal cabi-
nets, his trinket boxes, the w~ardrobes
where The sacred vestmentS and the
! cases where the holy vessels are kept;
there was no trace of the lost jewel
! anywhere.
Pho then examined eleven Of the
| twelve household servants. None OF
them had found the ring, and few OF
them had heard Of its importance he
fore then. Lucido, the twelfth OF the
servants, had gone away that after
noon for a few days visit to the coun-
try. It was 4 O'Clock in The morning
when the restless Pho alighted at the
gate of a little country house on the
outskirts of the eterna4 city. Ten
minutes later Lucido had confessed
that the great jewel was in his posses
sion. The steward had ordered LucidC
to go to the pope's and tend tic
THE fire. He wore felt shoes in order
to avoid making a noise. His holiness
was fast asleep; in front of him, right
in the patn of the servant, lay a ring
on the carpet. Lucido'S foot missed ii
by half an inch only, and he picked it
up TO prevent others from itrampline
on it.
Lucido said that he Immediately
went in search of the valet to deliver
the jewel, but found him gone. A lit
tie while afterWard he was relieved
and a lieutenant of the Noble guard
sent MIN to the city on an errand, in
structing him to proceed OF his fur
Tough after finishing the business. The
poor nan was nearly frightened to
Death when he learned that he was
temporary keeper of the grand seal o.
tthe holy see. He got the jewel out o1
his trousers pocket, kissed it ~reverent.
~, and crossed himself. Then, holding
it at arms length, he cried: Master
Pho, take the ring; it burns my hand
With a good deal of ceremony the
ring was wrapped UP in fine linen
sealed in a box and carried to Cardinal
Rampolla, who delivered it to Pope
Leo. The gold hoop of THE ring has
since been thickened under the seal tt
prevent 1T again slipping off the pom
tiff's finger.
This is the fourth time the fisher
mans ring has disappeared. Pope
Sixtls VS. signet ring was stolen, i'll
was believed, by an agent of Henry
". The King believed that by this
measure he could prevent the issuance
Of bill of accommodation against
him. The thief was discovered and
punished, and the ring returned to the
pope. Plus VI. was temporarily de-
prived of his signet ring by Halter,
commissary of the French republic, in
1898. Napoleon 1. seized the bronze
fisherman's ring of Plus VII. One OF
the first acts of Louis XVIII. after the
downfall of Napoleon was to restore
the signet ring to tine pope.