The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1906-01-12
A Diamond Transaction
IOriginal.l


in fashionable club in Paris talking
over the revolutionary movement in
Russia. Count Macmillan de Bian-
court expressed the wish that the
movement would not end till every
bureaucrat in the empire had been
swept away.
why, count" said one of the party,
do you wish our allies such misfor-
tune! 1t is not many years ago that
you were hand in glove with one of
the cars suit
The count smiled a peculiar smile.
You don't know the incidents OF that
intimacy" he said, NOR does any one
else. have kept them locked up, fear
ing to give them on account Of the
high standing Of the parties concerned.
Since they are not SO powerful as they
were, l don't mind il 1 let you into
the secret
Every man drew closer, eager with
curiosity.
Just before the cars visit to Paris
when the treaty was signed" the count
continued, Il had chance to buy a
large diamond from South Africa for
much less than it was worth. Whether
the man who offered it to me came by
it honestly l don't know to this day.
for ready money. 1 mortgaged my es-
tates that had been in the family for
centuries to buy it and made the DEAL
''Soon after 1 bought the stone along
anne the czar. 1t occurred to me that
1 might sell my diamond to his majes-
ty. In this club 1 met, among others
of his suit, Prince Dalgourki. He was
a blOated aristocrat who had lived like
the rest Of the Russian royalties, by
plumber. 1t did not take me long to
indeed, he grasped it at once with
great avidity. I took the gem to his
rooms for his inspection. He told me
that he would speak to the car about
it and the next day sent me note to
bring the diamond to his rooms again,
when a lapidary appointed by his maj
esty would inspect it.
"The lapidary was there when l ar
rived and, taking out his glasses, COM
menced to examine the stone. Instead
merchants of Paris he was rather a
disreputable person. kept my eye on
the stone, not losing sight of it for
moment, till / heard a crash directly
behind me, when | instinctively turn
ed. A cabinet containing bric-a-brac
had fallen forward. 1 turned again to
the diamond. I did not see it, but did
see the lapidary standing, a revolver in
each hand, with his back to the door,
'EXcellencies,' he said, follow me
at your peril He covered us with his
weapons, backing into the hall, where
he was out of sight l made a motion
to follow, but the prince held me, say
ing: Your life, m'sieu 1t is worth
more to you than a mine of diamonds
Almost from the first | detected in
mOnd from my possession to that Of
Prince DalgOurki. Had it not been
necessary for him to overturn the
cabinet to attract my attention from
the diamond I might have been de-
ceived. AS it was, l was confident
that the prince either had or would
have my diamond.
Il kept track Of diamonds offered for
sale in Paris till after the czar'S de-
parture. The stolen gem did not ap-
pear. 1 resolved to recover it or die in
an attempt. Instead of putting the
police Of Paris to work on the case I
went myself to st. Petersburg. Dis
guising myself as diamond merchant,
| went about the gem stores Of the
capital looking for an extra large dia-
mond suitable for royalty. 1t was
not long before l got on the track of
a stone which answered the description
of the one had lost.
$50 unblushing was Dalgourki, so sure
of his position, that he was attending
to the sale of the gem himself. A dia-
mOnd broker told me that the owner
would not let it out of his sight, and
if l cared to see it [ must go to his
house. l went to a palace and found
Dalgourki My disguise was complete,
and he did not recognize me. told him
that | was but an agent and if he
would give me a price l would tele-
graph my royal master and get an i'm
mediate reply. He gave me figures
so per cent above what the article was
worth, and | retired.
Il made several visits to his home
and took note Of the room in which he
always received me, including access
and egress. At last ! accepted his
terms and made an appointment to
take the stone and pay in accepted
drafts on my sovereign. The sover
eign desiring that he should not be
known in the transaction, we were to
be alone.
''The diamond was on table before
us. took out my wallet and, picking
out black substance the size of a
pea, threw it into an open CRATE. 1t
exploded. Nihilists were everywhere
in the capital, and the prince turned
white as a sheet He found voice
Il