The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-11-19
ITALIAN HONESTY,
Lillian Bell Writes Of
Her Experiences
With 1t.
HEAVEN HELP ITALY,"
Organized Robbery In a
Jewelry Shop.
HEAVEN HELP ITALY"

In the Woman's Home Companion,
Lillian Bell writes vivaciously of Italian
dishonesty, and caps the climax with
the following story:
One day my companion and Mrs.
Jimmie and I went to one of the best
shops in all Italy, to buy a ring. Mrs.
Jimmie was getting it for her hus-
bands birthday. Now, Mrs. Jimmies
own rings are extremely beautiful, and
her very handsomest consists of band
.of blue-white matched diamonds
which exactly fills the space between
her two fingers, and is so heavy and
SO fine that only Tiffany could dupli-
cate it. The band OF the ring is merely
fine wire. To try on Jimmie's ring
Mrs. Jimmie took off all hers and laid
them on the counter. Now, mind you
this was famous jewelers. where this
happened. But when she had decided
to take the new ring, and turned to
put on her own again, 10 this especial
ring was gone.
We searched everywhere. We told
the clerk, but he said she had not
worn such a ring. This was the first
thing which made us suspect that
something was wrong. We insisted
and he reiterated. Finally 1 made up
my mind I said to my companion:
You stand at the front door and have
Mrs. Jimmie stand at the side door
Don't you permit any one either to
enter or leave, while rush around to
Cooks office and find out what can
be done"
Both women turned pale, but obeyed
me. One clerk started for the back
door, but we called him and told him
that no one was to move until we
could get the police there. Then such
scurrying and a such a begging as
there wasl Would madame Wait lust
one moment? Would madame permit
them to call the proprietor? amy
body would have thought it was my
ring, for Mrs. Jimmie's calm was not
even ruffled, while 1 was in a white
heat, and all their impassioned appeals
were addressed to me.) 1 said they
could call the proprietor if they could
call MIN without leaving the room
They called him in Italian.
He came-a little smooth, brown
man with black, shoe-button eyes. We
explained to him just what had taken
place. Mrs. Jimmie with her back
against one door and my companion
oraced against the side door like Ajax
defying the lightning.
He rubbed his hands and listened to
torrent of excited Italian from no
Then I stated the case in English
The proprietor turned to Mrs. Jimmie
and said if madame was so sure that
she mad worn o ring which all his
clerks assured him she had not worn
then for the honor of his house he
must beg madame to choose another
ring, of whatever value she liked and
1t should be present from him! Now
MRS. Jimmie is a very madonna of
caimness but at that she ignited. She
told him that Tiffany has been six
months matching those stones, and
that not in all his shop-not in the
whole of Italy-could he find a dupli-
cate. At that another search took
place, and I, just to make things plea
SAINT, started for the American ambas-
sador. q had risen peg from
Cook'sD
Such pleading! Such begging! Two
of the clerks actually wept-Italian
tears. When 10! a shout of triumph
ana from a remote corner of the shop,
quite forty feet from US, in a place
where we had not been, under a big
vase, they found that ring! If it had
mad the wings of a swallow 1t could not
have flown there. 1t it had had the
Legs of a centipede 1t could not have
run there.
The proprietor was radiant in his
uncuous satisfaction. at had rolled
there!" Rolled! That ring. 1t had no
more chance of rolling than a loaded
die! We all shifted, and shifted public
ly. Mrs. Jimmie L regret to say. was
weak enough to buy the ring she had
ordered for Jimmie in spite of this oc-
currence. But I think I don't blame
her. l am weak myself about buying
things. But that is a sample of Italian
honesty, and in a shop which would
rank with our very best in New York
or Chicago. Heaven help Italy!