The Somerset reporter., 1899-03-02
lyon must pardon me- I said apoI-

lyon must pardon me, . I said apoI-
ogetically. but this is really an ex-
traordinary case A jewel of such val
ne"--
"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 | 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-
uueathed her a modest pawnbroker shop
in a small country town. which had
often been visited by a 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 a loan of 90 forms on it to
pay the debt He said the pearl was an
old keepsake with which he parted most
nnwilingly Moved rather by pity than
by the value of the collateral. she add
vanced the sum desired, although she
knew from general experience that if
the pearl was genuine it must be quite
valuable. bat she thought it to be an i'm
itation only 1t is barely worth while
to add other data. The telegraph was
called into reTnisition and the truth OF
her statement established.
The history of the pearl was as fol
lows. The father of the young farmer
had been chamber valet of Count
Louis Batthanyi. the minister president
of the revolutionary government of
Hungary. in 1913. The count wore the
pearl as a cravat pin, and few hours
before his death-as is known he was
shot in Pest by order of a military
court martial-he presented 1t to his
faithful servant, who under no cir
cumstances ever parted with it. At his
death his son took the pearl ont 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 diamonds went with it at
the same time. The English govern
ment had been looking for it for 100
years but to no avail Nothing was
ever heard of it until this accident. In
what manner it drifted into Count Bat
thanvi's possession will doubtless re
main secret forever. He had most
probably bought it of some antiquarian.
The English government redeemed
the pearl, paying for 1t the offered re-
ward of e.. 800, handsome sum,
which the girl divided with the farm
er-but not divided, because the his
tory of the pearl says that the two con
cluded to keep the money together
best done by getting married.
Yes added my gray haired inform
ant, many jewels and pearls have
had their eventful history. and during
the many years that ! 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 tic
write book about these adventures
sooner or later. and assure you it will
contain entertaining and startling read
ing matter. Jewellers Circular