The Lambertville record., 1899-03-01

morof
Why play nj love, you say when love Is hereg
Pail Mali Gazette.
THE BLACK PEARL.
1.-The heroine of my story, said the
dealer in precious stones, lighting a
cigarette, sis II pearl beautiful full
black pearl of extraordinary sizo and
rare luster 1t is difficult 10 express its
value in figures And this Is the stoiy:
II is just about 20 years ago when
one morning n young woman entered a
large jewelry store in Budapest, Every
inch of her dress bespoke the back.
woods her bonnet was II composition of
glaringly disharmonious colors; in one
hand she held parasol of old. large
iiowered. 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
cheap plated bracelet, with the word
Souvenir engraved ON il. as memento
of this her first visit to the city" " Aud
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, viyncious black eyes and the
dimples in her red checks. that the
salesman attending TO her omitted
offering her seat
The young girl. however, did not
seem TO notice this slight and uninvited
dropped down ON II small red plush
fauteuil, principally used by tho noble
customers of tho store She opened the
reticule hanging on her arm and drew
out small package carefully wrapped
in tissue paper. After she had peeled
of layer Hfter layer of the envelope she
took out tho nucleus, beckonod to tho
owner of the establishment and exhibit
ed TO him something she held between
her thumb and index finger.
what IL the value of thiat" she
asked in a melodious voice.
Tho jeweler started visibly and took
the object from her hand.
IL waa the above mentioned pearl, of
such beauty and size that ho hardly
trusted his eyes. At one place it had n
barely noticeable flaw, which might
have been done by former setting.
"Tho pearl has one defect, /" tho Jew
eler said
bending forward 70 Inspect the small
spot
frbn iauaIa,. staIuaJ Yt,,fp thu ,s;,,I IIat
astonishment was genuine, artless. II
was not tinged with the shadow Of hy-
pocrisy
Where did You get that penrl2" he
asked
THAT il perhaps nm irrelevant ques-
tion, she answered amilingly, But
to give you some sort of satisfactory
answer | will say carry on II little
business, out in tho Coun
try, Inherited from my father. A noble
man 4 res TO pawn his pearl with me,
but demands much money. Please tell
me what IL is worth, and | will pay for
the trouble,
81 cannot appraise il. - said the jew
eler, regarding IL with an admiring eye.
''Why not Why can you not fix its
valuef" the girl rejoinod in vexed
tone
"Well. well. " the man said appeas-
ingly. IL only desired to express there
by that tho pearl Is beyond appraise
ment because Of Its great rarity. Its
value belongs among The fancy
prices
The young girl pondered n moment;
then, regarding the jeweler attentively,
she asked
"Can advance 1000 horins ON it9"
''Moat certainly
"And 3, ,0002"
"Also 5000 "
"And 10, 000f"
The jeweler amilinglY repeated,
"And 10, 600.
The country beauty evidently became
feverish Pcrspiration showed III her
face, and her youthful black eyes gilt
tered with fire superior to that of tho
costliest diamonds in the store She
asked for glass Of water The former
ly inattentive salesman rushed to get it,
"And will you pay me 10, 600 florins
for the pearl if feel disposed togcll it
| am nEo authorized 10 aell if. she
said. with certain show Of suspicion.
fearful lest the iewelrr was simply
boaxing her
Mo-
"Ab she exrlaimcd II OWNED
vou were boaxiue met
ooh no. God forbid the iewcIer
responded eynsiycly. 1T is simply be.
cause / have no use for the pearl. There
ia only one firm in Austria that would
buy it the iewcler for the court.
"Would you please furnish me with
his address,"
"Will4ngly.
lie wrote the aldre4s On piece Of
uapcr which he handed 10 her. She in.