The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-11-17

chair, she gasped for a drink of water. When
she had recovered her composure. she said
eagerly: .And would you care TO pay me
twenty thousand guldens for the pearl? II
so, l will obtain a written permission from
the owner TO sell it,
Now it was my turn 10 be perplexed. i
should like to- 1 said slowly, but
SO you fooled me? L thought az much
cried the girl, fumbiing in her pocket for a
piece of paper to wrap up the pearl. 1
can't say that 1 am obliged to you for
wasting my time She was about TO leave
the store in a huff when L caught her by
the arm. Let me finish 1 said; there is
but one firm in the country that could buy
your pearl, Schneiders. in Vienna, court
jewellers to His Majesty the Emperor
Francis Joseph
You mean to say that there isn't a
jeweler in Buda-Pesth rich enough to &C
quire this jewel?'
Some undoubtedly have money enough,
but a treasure of that style and value can
be handled only by parties dealing with
royalty, as very few private people would
care to spend the price the jewel ought to
bring
Smart and alert as she was. it didn't
take the young woman long TO see the
strength of this argument. She changed
her tone: If you will write down the ad-
dress of the Vienna firm l will call at the
store tomorrow. I had intended TO visit
the capital anyhow, as I have other bust
ness there 1 did as she requested, and in
recognition of my services she handed me
her card and walked on out.
MAY BE A CLEVER SWINDLER.
"Her card read Caecilie Roth Grosswar-
dein. The pasteboard was cheap, the type
nasty, but taking everything into consid-
Grafton might Tot all be part of a plot?
The romances and reports Of great jew
elry robberies 1 had read from time TO
time told of just such things. I remem-
bered now tina the Royal Library con-
tanned a translation of Her Majesty's
Tower" by William Hepworth Dixon, and
in my eagerness to go and consult the
precious volumes 1 could hardly await my
masters return.
'Ah there it was black on white. Talbot
Edwards, deputy keeper of the English
crown jewels, under whose administrator
part of the regalia was stolen, allowed him
self TO be hoodwinked by just such a
rustic guy as Caecilie made out to be. One
Qdy d COAAlAy PdSbOIs 0ISSSS0 III DdAA0 dAAu
cassock with a wife to match him, knocked
at Edwards door and asked with many
bland smiles if he might see the royal
scepter and the royal crown-he was no
other than Blood. robber, murderer and
general c~racksman, and his alleged wife
Tom Hunts lieutenant. They wermed
themselves into the senile Talbot's graces
by plausible talk-just as the maid from
Grosswardein had done. L skipped a page
or two and read on Blood joined in shout
ing stop the rouges, until the men in chase
Of him came streaming from the Tower
bridge. Stop him. shouted Beckman.
Whom, the Clergyman asked the crowd
in wonder. The same cried the captain
fercely. Blood, now near his horses, turned
on his pursuer and discharged a pistol in
his face. 1t missed and Beckman had the
parson by the throat. A fight for life fol-
lowed. The crown of England tumbled in
the mire and several OF the gems fell out.
The iamon was afterwards picked up by
an apprentice boy. Some of the stones were
never found. The pearl
Further I read not. The pearl, why
my employer kept an advertisement in his
desk wherein the English treasury offered
a reward of $500 pounds for the return of
a certain black pearl, stolen, from the
Tower jewel house, some hundred and
fifty years ago. Back TO the store L went
and examined the half blurred paper giving
a minute description of the rare gem.
Size, color, luster, all fitted the pearl
| Caecilie had offered for sale exactly. Nc
doubt. L was on the track Of the long lost
jewel. If 1 kept by head only twenty-four
hours I MIGHT pnaKa NV forfr,na
HE WENT TO VIENNA.
"In the course of the evening meal / told
my master that my Aunt Marie was dying
in Vienna, according to a letter received
that afternoon.
Your aunt Marie?' he said with a
smile, isn't that the old woman who prom
ised to leave you 1000 guldens?' i
couldn't deny it and he continued: If tina
be the case, you must go to Vienna this
very night in order to f~orestall possible
competition by other loving relatives"
But L haven't a kreutzer.'
Never mind, he said generously, I will
advance you the money, and if you return
an heir l shall make you my partner
Half an hour later 1 was on my way 10
the station, the English treasury procla-
nation safely tucked away in an inside
pocket. Arriving towards Z a m, 1 re-
luctantly gave myself time TO swallow a
cup of coffee before calling at the great
jewellers, whose address / gave TO Caecilie,
and. as luck would have it. the head OF the
firm happened TO be in before his accus-
toned hour, and, being a very kindly man,
received my story with good grace.
Whether you guessed right or wrong.
he said. nothing Will be lost by following
up the trail. For the present remain on
watch in my private office Cfrom where one
may overlook the whole store without be-
ing seem, while / give the necessary in
structions TO the clerks. A ring OF this bell
should inform them that they must be on
the alert. and that no one in the store is
allowed to leave until further orders. II
the Grosswardein young lady shows VI
she shall be made to explain 10 the proper
authorities where she got the jewel. pro-
yided it is genuine, as you think
THE GEM is GENUINE.
AT exactly ten minutes past IL the door
OF the great store, Auf dem Graben, opened
and in walked my acquaintance OF the day
before. queer hat, lowered parasol. Gret-
| chen pocket and all. Ny hand trembled as
1 struck the bell just loud enough TO catch
iCONTINUED ON PAGE ?. COL. %