The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1899-04-11
THE BLACK PEARL.

Souvenir engraved ON it, as a mementC
of this her first visit to the CITY," AnG
under ordinary circumstances he would
have been about right in his conjecture
but this time he wasn't. She appeared
SO simple and a~rtless, in spite of hel
handsome, vivacious black eyes and the
dimples in her red cheeks, that the
salesman attending to her omitted
offering her a seat.
The young girl, however, did moi
seem to notice this slight, and unlimited
dropped down on a small red plush
f%auteuil, principally used by the noble
customers of the store. She opened the
reticule hanging on her arm and drew
out a small package carefully wrapped
in tissue paper. After she had peeled
off layer after layer of the envelope she
took out the nucleus, beckoned to the
owner of the establishment and exhibit
ed to him something she held between
her thumb and index finger.
"What is the value of this {" she
asked in a melodious voice.
The jeweler started visibly and took
the object from her hand.
1t was the above mentioned pearl, OF
such beauty and size that he hardly
trusted his eyes. At one place it had a
barely noticeable flaw, which might
have been done by a former setting.
"The pearl has one defect" the jew
eler said.
~"Indeedl" the stranger answered,
| or1in farror1 b a-ook A. - II
spot.
The jeweler "sized up the girl. Her
establishment was genuine, ~artless. 1t
was not tinged with the shadow of by
pccrisy.
"Where did you get that pearl2'' he
asked.
"That is perhaps an irrelevant ques-
tion," she answered smilingly. "But
to give you some sort of satisfactory
answer l will say l carry ON a little
pawnbroker business, out in the coun-
try, inherited from my father. A noble
man desires to pawn his pearl with me,
but demands much money. Please tell
me what it is worth, and 1 will pay for
the trouble"
81 cannot appraise it" said the jew
eler, regarding it with an admiring eye.
"Why not9 Why can you not fix its
value2" the girl rejoined in a vexed
tone.
"Well, WELL" the mar said appeas-
ingly. 81 only desired to express there
by that the pearl is beyond appraise-
ment because of its great rarity. Its
value belongs among the fancy
prices"
The young girl pondered a moment
then, regarding the jeweler attentively,
she asked:
"Can l advance 2, 600 forms on itf"
"Most certainly"
"And s. DOOR"
"Also {, OO0."
"And 10, DOOR"
The jeweler smilingly repeated,
"And 10, 00O."
The country beauty evidently became
feverish. Precipitation showed in her
face, and her youthful black eyes gilt
tered with a fire superior to that of the
costliest diamonds in the store. She
asked for a glass of water. The former
ly inattentive salesman rushed to get it.
"And will you pay me 10, 900 forms
for the pearl if l feel disposed to sell it
I am also authorized to sell it, she
said, with a certain show of suspicion,
fearful lest the jeweler was simply
hoaxing her.
NO
"Ah," she exclaimed, 81 OWNED
you were hoaxing mel"
"Oh, mol God forbid, the jeweler
responded evasively. "It is simply be-
cause 1 have no use for the pearl. There
is only n firm in Austria that would
buy 1.-THE jeweler for the court"
would you please furnish me with
his address"
"Willingly."
He wrote the address on a piece of
paper, which he handed to her she in
closed it in her reticule, drank the glass
of water courteously offered by the
salesman, and, in spite of protests,
placed a 8 form piece on the counter
to pay for the appraisement and went
out.
Twenty-four hours later the same
young woman, dressed, if possible, in a
more glaring suit, entered the store of
the ieweler of the court. The suit of
stores are situated Au den Graleen, the
most fashionable street of the capital,
Vienna. l (the ~reciter of this occur
rence) received her. l was the princi-
pal business manager. She showed me
the pearl. The attire of the woman was
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 if l re-
fuse to do it2" she exclaimed passion
ately.
"Your refusal would compel me to
call in a policeman" l rejoined dryly.
"All right she said; 81 go along
with you. if this is the custom in vi
n n when storekeepers are dealing
with their customers. Please call a car
riage."
"You must pardon me-" / 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 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 a noise in the
yard. Well knowing the man, she en-
tered and learned that all his posses
sions were being distrained for a debt
of IS forms. The young man called her
aside. secretly showed her the pearl and