The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-09-10
THE ACCURsED GEMS.

lowest drawer or my Strongfoom, sn!n-
ing from couple Of dozen Of prim1
leather cases, with light which is full
Of strange memories. | call them &C.
cursed because cannot sell them; yet
there are those with other histories,
stones about which the fancy OF 70,
of tragedy has touched with an, indeli-
BILE brand. 1t may be that the impulse
of sentiment, working deep down In the
heart Of the ostensibly commerclaI CHAR
acter, forbids me to cry some or these
vigor; it may be that the play of chance
moves the mind of the jewelbuyer to
prejudice against them. In any case,
they lie in my safe unhonored and un,
sung-and, lacking that which sewel
tion, are merely SO much carbon or min
eral matter giving light to iron walls
which give no light again.
For the stones which have no history |
I am not an apologist. Some day, those
excellent people who now decry them in
every salon where jewels are discussed, !
will give up the hope of attempting to
buy them cheaply; and [ shall make my
profit. Everything comes to. him who
can wait, and I am not in hurry. As
pivots Of romance or serious story, they
may well lie as they are while they
serve my memory in the jotting down OF
some of these mysteries.
And that they do serve it have no
measure Of doubt. Here, for instance,
IS little bag. OF. pearls and diamonds.
1t contains a black pearl from Koepang,
50 rich in silverv lustre. and so perfect
in shape, that it should be worth $500
in any market of Europe; couple OF
orient yet -pear-shaped, and therefore
less valuable as fashion dictates; five
old Brazilian diamonds averaging two
carats each: a number of smaller dia-
monds for. finish; and two great, white
of the bag. Those stones were bought
by the late Lord Maclaren month be-
fore the date announced for his mar
riage with the Hon. Christine King. He
had intended them as his gift to her,
handsome and sufficient gift, it must
be admitted, yet so did tickle fortune
work that his very generosity was the
indirect cause of a commotion in the
week of the wedding. and Of as pretty
social scandal as society has known for
decade.
The, matter was hushed un- Of course.
For six weeks, as wag said, it was a
nine days wonder. Aged ladies dis
cussed it from every point Of view, but
could make nothing of it. The society
about it. The principal actors held
west forgot, for a new, scandal
arose, and the courts supplied the
craving IS for ao, the do4htfu Whch
Yet I do not think that make q
boastful claim, in asserting that T
alone, beyond those Immediately con-
cerned,. became possessed Of full knowl-
edge Of the %. occurrence T., 1t was to TO- me e
the history Of it, and. despite my adj
vice to the contrary, laid it upon me
that should tell none in his lifetime;
He is dead now; and the publication Of
that is well worth Investigating. It
may also help me to sell the pearls
which is infinitely moro important, as
any unprecedented person will admit.
Here, then, is the story. had a
visit from the chief actor in it towards
came to tell me that he was to be
married quietly in the middle, of the
following month to the Hon. Christine
King, the very beautiful sister of Lore
Cantiliffe. She was then staying at the
old family place at St: Peter s. I'll, IN Kent
ding in view of the recent death Of he1
sister, whose beauty was no less re
markable than her own. Maclar
EMS visit was but the prelude to. tn
was made the easier since he had tn
ments. He had recently come from
America without a wife-mirabile dict
and there had seen a curious ancho
bracelet. The wristband of this baubl
was formed of a plain gold cable, tn
anchor itself of pearls and diamonds
the shackle consisted of small circl
of brilliants; the shaft had a pink pear
at either end; the shank had blac
pearl at the foot of it, and the huke
were Of white pearls with small dis
monds round them. I found it to b
rather vulgar ornament; but his hear
was set on having it, and it chance
that, I had the very pearls necees:sar.
I told him that I would make him
model, and send it down to his hotel g
Ramsgate within q week; and that,
he then thought the Jewel to be owe
snowy, we could refashion it. He lei
much pleased, returning by the Graz
week he had the model and I receive
his instructions to proceed with tt
work.
It, is necessary, I think, to say
word here about this curious characte
As th9 naa 1im IN his f foetieth h EsaH 1 ho
described in, a club, smoking,ro on!
being .'all hair and teeth" Ike
buzzard; and his best friend ie co, could n
Yet the women liked him--perhaps /
cause it was tradition, that
made love to every pretty girl in tow
and it was surprising beyond bell
that he reached MS fOrtleth year, a.
remained single. When he went
America in 1883 the whole of the prov
cts gave him six months Of celibac
but he cheated them, and return
without wife. True, copy Of
American society paper was pass
round the club, where the men lea!
with surprise that New York had
lieved this elderly Don Juan to be
gagged to Evelyn Lenox, s. the lady
the unlimited dollars as you
Barisbroke of the. Bachelors call
her; and had been very. ind
nant when he took passage by the T
tonic. and left her people. to Il
the filters of triumphant rivalry. F
for all that he was not married, q
could afford to laugh at the maligns
scribes who made couplets Of his S
posed amatory adventures in Bost'
and dedicated sonnets Of apology, g.
amore mea,' to E. i and
marrying mothers Of New York e
orally. Such a man cared little
the threats Of this young lady g bro
err. or for the common rumor that
was the most dashing girl in New
city, and would make things unpleas
. for him.. He had twenty THOUSAND
year. and for fancee one of the pre-
F est roses in the whole garden of K
5 What harm then could 8 broke
daughter, three thousand miles aN
X do to him7 or how mar his happlne
and ro1Ist n