The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1908-02-03
WHEN GEMS WERE
PRECIOUS.

[original.l
Mother, Carl says you told him
pretty story about some Jewels 70
lost when you were young lady
Won't you tell 1t to me?a
If you'll promise not to repeat IT."
The Countess OF Blumenstein too
her little daughter on her lap and toll
the story.
Twenty years ago" she said, "wheI
jewels were very expensive, they wer
much valued by those who could al
ford to own them. 1t was, / think. ii
the year 1906 that young lady OF tn
nobility whom we will call Berth
was appointed one OF the ladies' Il
waiting to the empress. Her majest,
possessed one Of the rarest collection
of gems in Europe. and Bertha wa
made responsible for them. Their
was 4 young man at court whom W,
viii call Macmillan. He was Of roy
~ blood through his mother, but no
through his father.
Now, Macmillan took very little IN
terest in court matters. He was ,
student always experimenting witt
liquids that he poured into little glas.
tubes and boiled and froze and did al
sorts Of queer things with. 1t was
about this time that new and funny
substance was discovered called ra
dium. IT had sort OF glow that new.
er died out Macmillan took great
interest In radlum and was constantly
trying its glow on different other sub
stances.
"0ne day Bertha--it was about two
years after she had been appointed
lady In waiting-went to the vault
where the empress jewels were kept,
and, 10 and behold. they were gone
that is, all except the diamonds. which
were In safe within the vault. she
tainted. but soon recovered and went
out. locked the vault and sat down to
think what she should do. 1t was
enough that the jewels had been taken
while under her care, but would she
not be held responsible as the their
While she was In agony as to what
In the world she should do Macmillan
was announced. In few minutes she
was pouring her troubles into his ear
Macmillan thought for long while
then told her to say nothing about the
theft All would depend upon the en-
press not calling for her lost gems
for some time. photographs Of them
were kept that they might be identl-
fed In case OF loss Macmillan took
these photographs and told Bertha that
he was going to put the best detec-
tive in Berlin on the track Of the jew
els. What are detectives? There are
no such persons now There used to
be, but there were SO many ingenious
detective story teIlers that they reveal
ed to the thieves all possible ways OF
tracing them. and the detectives ceased
to be of use.
well. Macmillan took two sets of
photographs away with him, telling
Bertha that II the gems were not called
for for month all would be we'll
1t happened that the empress was in
disposed about that time and attended
no state occasions. so she did not need
her Jewels. Bertha was in an agons
of suspense for the thirty DAYS: then
one day Macmillan came to see her
When they were alone he unrolled
and there we're the gems.
''Of course she was wild to know how
he had recovered them, and to her as
constituent he told her that they were
not the original gems. but others be
had manufactured. will try and ex
plain to you how he aid IL. He had
noticed that that funny substance call
ed radium impaired to the little glass
tubes he used a beautiful blue. This
led him to new experiment He took
certain crystals Of different hues. put
them away in the dark. and when, at
er several weeks, he looked at thel
what do you think? Why. the white
crystals had become yellow topazes
the blue crystals green emeraids, while |
the violet crystals had turned into blue
sapphires. He had made the discovery |
that has since led to the manufacture |
IF what used to be called precious
stones. To reproduce the gems shown |
IN the photographs he had crystals cut
ike the originals then exposed them
to the influence of iridium.
@It wasn't a week after this that one
IF the multimillionaires of America I
.ame to Berlin. At the same time came
/ princeIlng, a cousin of The emperor s
state dinner was given. the emperor I
that II was for the prince
ing. but 1t was really for the big Amer
can banker. The empress called for
III her Jewels. Bertha brought them to
Ter. and neither she nor any one else
tnew that they had been manufactured
rhe funny part Of It was TINT the great
,anker. who was a collector Of nllkinds
# rare articles. through medium. Of
cred the empress I'VE times the cost OF
ier Jewels. she sold them TO him. and
lie presented them TO an American mu-
cum. They are really a curiosity,
hough be didn't know it. for they were
he first manufactured real gems,
hough now there are millions OF them.
Ind because they are cheap people
ont wear them any more.
Meanwhile Bertha suspected one Of
be maids Of honor OF stealing the lost
ems. The girl finally confessed to
bertha and returned them. This was
fter the manufactured ones had gone
0 America. Bertha consulted with
faxl1nIIsan as to what they should do.
Il said their return would make
readful scandal and might create
"a fes8ang between Germany and