The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-08-13

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wished to see me- had scarce time
to tell him that could see no one for
an hour when the visitor pushed past
him into the den, and sat herself
down In the chair before my writing
desk. AS in all business, we appreciate,
and listen to, impertinence in the Jewel
trade; and when observed the magnifi-
cent impotence of the young lady, asked
Michel to leave us, and waited for her
to speak. She was delicate looking
woman-an Italian, thought, from the
dark hue of her skin and the lustrous
beauty OF her eyes-but she was exceed
ingly shabbily dressed, and her hands
were ungloved. She was not woman
you would have marked in the stalls Of
a theater as the fit subject for an adj
vertising photographer; but there was
great sweetness in her face, and those
signs of bodily weakness and want of
strength which SO often enhance wom-
ans beauty. When she spoke, altho she
had little English. her voice was we'll
modulated and remarkably pleasing.
You are Monsieur Bernard Sutton?"
she asked putting one hand upon my
table. and the other between the buttons
of her bodice.
I bowed in answer to her.
you have met myhusband-I am Nine.
Carmalovitch-he was here, it Is fifteen
days. to sell you an opal. I have brought
| it again to you now, for I am sure you
wish to buy it,
"You will pardon me-" said. ''but I
am waiting for the history of the jewel
which your husband promised me. rath-
er expected that he would have sent it"
st know! oh, I know so well; and I
I have asked him many times" she an
swered 'but you can believe me, he will
/ tell of his past to no one, not even to me.
But he is honest and true; there is not
such man in all your city-and he has
suffered. You may buy this beautiful
thing now. and you will never regret it..
I tell you so from all my heart"
but surely, madam" said I, ''you must
see that cannot pay such price as your
husband is asking for his property if he
will not even tell me who he Is, or where
he comes from
Eyes, that IS it--not even to me has he
spoken Of these things. was married to
| him six years now at Naples, and he
has always had the opal which he offers
to you. We We're rich then. but we have
known suffering, and this alone Is left to
us. You will buy it Of my husband, for
you in all this London are the man to buy
/ it. 1t will give you fame and money; 1t
must give you both, for we ask but four
thousand pounds for it,
i started at this. Here was drop Of q
thousand pounds upon the price asked
AAASc1AA
I took up the gem, which the woman had
placed upon the table. and saw in a. mo-
ment. The stone was dimming. 1t had
lost color since had seen it; it had lost
too, I judged, at least one-thild of its
value. had heard the old woman's tales
of the capricious changefulness Of this
remarkable gem, but it was the first time
that had ever witnessed for myself such
an unmistakable depreciation. The woman
read the surprise in my eyes, and an
swered my thoughts, herself thoughtful
and her dark eyes touched with tears.
''You see what I see," she said. "The
jewel that you have in your hand Is the
index to my husbands life. He has told
me so often. When he is well, it is well
when hope has come to him, the light!
which shine there are as the light of hi
hope. When he is i'll, the opal fades
when he dies, 1t will die too. That il
what believe and he believes; It is wha
his father told him when he gave him
, the treasure, nearly all that was left O
a great fortune"
This tale astounded me; it betrayed alb
surd superstition, but it was the first IA.
of coherent explanation which had beef
thrown upon the case. took up tn
thread with avidity and pursued it.
'Your husbands father was a ricl
MANI" I asked. us he dead?"
She looked up with start, thel
dropped her eyes quickly, and mumble
SOmGInlnS. her hesitation WAS So LudIhS
that I put her whole story from me as
: clever fabrication, and returned again t
the theory of robbery.
Madam said, unless your husban
can add to that which you tell me, I sha
be unable to purchase your jewel.
: ooh, for the love of God don't say that!
. she cried; 1--WE are so poor, we have hard
+ ly eaten for days! Come and see Mon
= sieur Carmalovitch and he shall tell 70
all; I implore you, and you will neve
q regret this kindness! My husband is
= good friend; he will reward your friend
: ship. You will not refuse me this?"
- 1t is hard to deny a pretty woman;
: is harder still when she pleads with teal
= in her voice. told her that would 6
+ and see her husband on the followin
q evening at o'clock, and counseled he
a to persuade him in the between time
q be frank with me, since frankness aloE
- could avail him. She accepted my advic
~ with gratitude, and left as she had com
r. her pretty face made handsomer by i
, look of gloom and pensiveness. Then
q fell to thinking upon the wisdom, or wal
a of wisdom, in the promise had give
~ Stories of men drugged, or robbed, or mu
4 dered by jewel thieves crowded upon m
a mind, but always with the recollectic
"a that I should carry nothing to Boscob
"a place. A man who had no more upon hi
n than well-worn suit Of clothes and
a Swiss lever watch in a silver case, such :
II II carry invariably, would scarce be qua
q try for the most venturesome shophav
~ that the history of knavery has MAJ
ls known to us. I could risk nothing
II going to the house, I was sure; but
might get the opal, and for that longt
still with fever for possession whit
y could only be accounted for by the bea
ty of the gen.
=, Being come to this determination, lie
- my own house In a hanson cab on t
70 following evening at $50 o'clock, takil
:" Abel with me- more after my usual Gu
:, tom than from any prophetic alarm
- had money upon me sufficient only for t.
= payment Of the cab; and I took the e
~ treme precaution of putting aside the di
y mond ring that I had been wearing du
W. ing the day. AS I live in Bayswater,
n was but short drive across Paddingt
p Green and down the Marylebone road
e, Boscobel place; and when we reached t
n, house we found it lighted up on the dra'
4 ingroom floor as Abel had seen 1t at
re first going there. But the hall W
t. quite in darkness, and had
i'll ring twice before the shrill-voic
lg dame 7 had heard of answered
Ut my knock. She carried a frowsy cant
ID In her hand; and was so uncanny -1ooki
I'd that motioned to Abel to keep a wat
On from the outside upon the house befe
of I went upstairs to that which was a ty]
e. cal lodginghouseroom. There was a sta
IN estry'' sofa against one wall; half de
s. en- chairs in evident decline stood in hila
ng Gus attitudes; some seaweed, protected
hit no obvious reason by shades of glass; dec