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

into my hand. The day had been a sorry
one for business; no light, no sun, no stay
of the doWnpour Of penetrating mist which
had been swept thru the city by the driv-
ing south wind from the late dawn to
the nook OF sunset. l had sat In my
private office for six hours, and had not
seen a customer. The umbrella bearing
throng which tpod the street before my
window hurried quickly thru the mud and
the slush, people who had no leisure
even to gaze upon precious stones they
could not buy. I was going home, In
fact as the one sensible proceeding on
such an afternoon, and had my hand
upon the great safe to shut it, when the
mirror above my desk showed mo the re-
Election of q curious-loolsing man who had
entered the outer shop, and stood already
at the counter.
At the first glance I Judged that this
man was no ordinary customer. His dress
was altogether singular. He had black
coat covering him from his neck to his
heels-a coat half smothersd in astra-
khan, and one which could have been made
by no English tailor. But his hands were
ungloved and he wore low hat, which
might have been the hat of an office
boy. ! could see from the little window
of my private room, which gives my eye
command of the shop, that he had come
on foot, and for lack of any umbrella was
pttiably wet. Yet there was fine bearing
about him, and he was clearly man
given to command. for my assistant
mounted to my room with his name at
the first bidding.
Does he say what he wants?" asked,
reading the large card upon which were
the Words
"sTENILoFF cARMALovITCH:"
but the man replied:
only that he must see you Immediately.
I don't like the look of him at ALL
rs Abel in the shop?"
He's at the door,
Very WE'LL let him come to the foot
of my stairs, and if ring as usual both
OF you come up"
In this profession Of jewel-selling-for
every calling Is profession nowadays
we are SO constantly cheek by jowl with
swindlers that the coming of one more
or less is of little moment in days work
AT my own place of business the mate
rial and personal precautions are SO or
ganized that the cleverest scoundrel liv-
Ing would be troubled to get free of the
shop with sixpenny worth of booty or
him. have two armed men ready at the
ring of my bell-Abel is one of them-an6
private wire to the nearest
police station. From an alcove well hid
den on the right hand Of the lower room
man watches by day the large case:
where the smaller gems are shown, and
by night a couple of special guards have
charge of the safe and the premises.
touch a bell twice in my room, and my
own detective follows any visitor wht
gives birth In my mind to the slightes
doubt. ring three times, and ang OBJ
Vious tmpostor Is held prisoner until thu
police come These things are done By
most jewelers. In the West End: there il
nothing In them either unusual or fear
full. There SO many protested swtnd
lers-so many wouldbe snappers- O
unconsidered and considerable trihes-
that precautions such as I have nance
are the least that common sense ant
common prudence will allow one to take
And they have saved me from loss, a.
they have saved others again and again.
I had scarce given my instructions t,
Michel my assistant-a rare reader of in
tention, and fine judge of faces-whel
the shabby genteel man entered. Niche
placed a chair for him on the opposit
side Of my desk, and then left the room
There was no more greeting between tn
newcomer and myself than mutual nod
ding Of heads; and he on his part fell a
once upon his business. He took q larg
paper parcel from the inside pocket of hi
coat and began to unpack it, but Their
was so much paper, both brown and tbs
sue, that ! had some moments of leisur
In which to examine him more closet
before we got to talk. set him down
my mind as g. man lowering on tn
boundary line Of the middle age, q ma
with infinite distinction marked in
somewhat worn face and with some
the Oldest clothes under the shieldin
long coat that I have ever looked upo1
These l saw when he unbuttoned the er
veloping cape to get at his parcel In tt
inner pocket; and while he undid it,
could observe that his fingers We're tn
as the talons Of bird. and that
trembled all over with the mere effort
unloosing the string.
The operation lasted some minutes f
spoke no word during that time, b,
ha M raH he oNiI oP
paper to tiny square of wash leathe
asked him:
Have you something to show mef"
He looked up at me with pair of II
tensely ridiculously blue eyes, al
shrugged his shoulders.
Should undo all these papers II hs
notr he responded, and I saw at on
that he was man who, from verb
point Of view, stood objeotionably upt
the defensive.
what sort Of a stone is TT" went ,
tn somewhat uninterested tone of voic
mot ruby, I hope. / have just bong
parcel of rubies."
BY way of answer he opened the litt
wash-leather bag, and taking up n
jewel tongs, which lay at his hand,
held up an opal of such prodigious 81
and quality that restrained myself wi
difficulty from crying out at the sight
1t. !, was a Cerwenitza stone saw at
BldnCS, alIlOSI q perfect circle In ShaI
and at least four inches in diamet
There was a touch of the oxide in
color which gave 1t the faintest susl
cion CT black in the shade of it's ligh
but for wealth Of hue and da
cling richness in It's general uu
ity, 1t surpassed any stone r ha
ever known. even that In the imper
cabinet at Vienna. So brilliant was it,
fascinating In the everchanging play
it's amazing variegations, so perfect
every characteristic of the finest HI
garian gem, that for some moments
the man hold it out to me- and said
word. There was running thru my mi
the question which must have arisen I
der such circumstances: Where had
got 1t from? He had stolen it, 7 &C
Guided at the first thought: and again,
the second. how else could a man "
wore rags under an astrachan coat hs
come to the possession of gem uI
which the most commercial instr
would have hesitated to set price?
1 had fully determined that was fl
to face with swindler, when his
clamation reminded me that he expec
~ me to speak
We'll" he said, fare you frighter
to look at it?"
He had been holding out the tongs,
which he gripped the stone lightly,
some seconds, and / had not yet "