Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-11-17

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the greatest care. Still he did not
seem satisfied.
Let me have your lens, Mr.. Pin.
ney,' he said, land some electric light
and sheet Of white paper"
Mr.. Pinney turned up strong drop
light that stood on the counter, and
produced the paper and magnifler.
It's grand ruby" he said.
Il see it Is" Logotheti answered
rather CURLY
do you mean to say" asked the
surprised 1eweler. that you had
bought 1t without thoroughly examin-
Ing it sir-you who are an expert?"
NO, that's not what I mean," an
swered the Greek, bending over the
ruby and scrutinizing it through the
strong magniier.
Mr.. Pinney felt himself snubbed,
which had not happened to him for a
/! long time, and he drew himself up
with dignity. A minute passed, and
Logotheti did not look up; another
and Mr. Pinney grew nervous; few
seconds more, and he received shock
that took away his breath.
This is not my ruby" said Logo
theft, looking up, and speaking with
perfect confidence.
| "Nct-your-ruby!" Mr.. Pinneys
jaw dropped. "But-" He could get
| no further.
I'm sorry" Logotheti said calmly.
I'm very sorry, for several reasons.
But it's not the stone bronght you,
though it's just as large, and most ex-
traordinarily like it."
But how do you know, sir?" gasped
| the jeweler.
Because I'm an expert, as you
were good enough to say just now"
Eyes, sir. But I am an expert, too,
and to the best of my expert belief
this is the stone you left with me to
| be cut the day before yesterday. I've
examined it most thoroughly"
mo doubt" answered the Greek.
But you hadn't examined mine thor
J oughly before it was stolen, had you?
You had only looked at 1t with me, on
the counter here"
That is correct, STR" said Mr.. Pin
ney nervously. THAT is quite true"
Very well. But l did more than
merely look at it through lens or
weigh 1t. I did not care 30 much
about the weight, but I cared very
much for the water, and I tried the
ruby point ON 1t in the usual way, but
1t was too hard, and then scratched
1t in two places with the diamond,
more out Of curiosity than for any
other reason"
| You marked It, sir? There's not a
single scratch on this one! Merciful
Providence! Merciful Providence!"
YES" Logotheti said gravely. "The
girl spoke the truth. She had two
stones much larger than the rest when
| she first came to me in Paris, this one
and another. They were almost ex-
actly alike, and she wanted me to
buy both, but I did not want them,
and took the one thought little
| better In color. This is the other, for
she still had 1t; and, 30 far as know,
it is her legal property, and mine is
gone. The thief was one of those
two young fellows who came in Just
! when Mr.. Van Torp and went out.
! remember thinking what nice-looking
s boys they were!.
He laughed rather harshly, for he
/ was more annoyed than his considera-
ton for Mr.. Pinney made him care to
show. He had looked forward to CIV
ing Margaret the ruby, mounted just
as she wanted it; and the ruby was
gone, and he did not know where he
was to find another, except the one
that was now in Pinney's hands, but
really belonged to poor Baraka who
! could certainly not sell it at present.
much larger sum of money was
gone, too, than any 1nancier could
lose with equanimity by such a Pc
culiarly disagreeable mishap as be-
ing robbed. There were several rea-
sons why Logotheti was not pleased.
Il am deeply Inundated" said the
worthy old jeweler. 81 have not only
| Deen trlcked and plundered, but
have been the means of sending inno-
cent people to prison"
] "You had better be the means of
| getting them out again as soon as pos
sible," said Logotheti. and you
must also make an effort to trace
those young men who stole the ruby. -
Il most certainly SHALL" replied the
jeweler, land If it is not found we
will make it good to you, sir, what
| ever price you set upon 1T. l am
deeply Inundated, but nobody shall
say that Pinney G Son do. not make
good any loss their customers sustain
through them"
Don't worry about that, Mr.. Pin
ney," said Logotheti, who. saw how
much distressed the old jeweler really
was.
So they went out and hailed han.
som and drove away
| It would be tiresome to give a de-
tailed account of what they did. Suf-
ice is to say that the prisoners were