Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1909-12-30

shop that morning The truth was
that his only son, the sixth Pinney
and the apple of his eye, had just
been married and was gone abroad
for honeymoon trip, and the head
shopman, who was Scotch, was having
his months holiday at Ayrshire, and
the second man had been sent for, to
clean and restring the duchess of Bar
chester's pearls at her grace's house
in Cadogan Gardens, as was always
done after the season, and a couple of
skilled wOrkmen for whom Mr.. Pin
ney found occupation all the year
round were in the workshop at their
tables; wherefore, out of four re-
sponsible and worthy men who usual
ly were about, only the great Mr.. Pin
ney himself was at his post.
One of the two Well-dressed custom
ers asked to see some pins, and the
other gave his advice. The first
bought a pin with small sapphire set
in sparks, for ten guineas, and gave
only ten pounds for it because he
paid cash. Mr.. Pinney put the pin into
its little morocco case, wrapped it up
neatly and handed it to the purchaser.
The latter and his friend said good
morning in Q civil and leisurely man
ner, sauntered out, took a hanson a
few steps farther down the street,
and drove away
The little paper twist containing Lo-
gothetis ruby was still exactly where
MIR. Pinney had placed it on the coun-
ter, and he was going to examine the
stone Id weigh it at last, when two
more Gust 0mers entered the shop, evil
IDENTIFY fore 'gners, and moreover of
sort unfamiliar to the good jeweler,
and especially suspicious
The two were Baraka and her inter
prefer and servant, whom Logotheti
had called Turk, and who was real
ly Turkish subject and a Mohamme-
dan, though as to race, he was a half,
bred Greek and Dalmatian. Now
Dalmatians are generally honest,
truthful, and trustworthy, and the low
class Greek of Constantinople is US
ually extremely sharp if he is nothing
more definitely reprehensible; and
Baraka's man was a cross between
the two, as | have said, and had been
brought up as a Musulman in a rich
Turkish family, and recommended to
Baraka by the Persian merchant in
whose house she had lived He had
been originally baptized a Christian
under the name of Spiro, and had
been subsequently renamed Salim
when he was made a real Moslem at
II years old, so he used whichever
name suited the circumstances in
which he was placed At present he
was Spiro.
The interpreter spoke broken but
Ineligible English. He called Ba-
raka his master and explained that
the latter wished to see some rubies, if
Mr., Pinney had any, cut or uncut The
young gentleman, he said, did not
speak English, but was a good Judge
of stones
For one moment the jeWeler forgot
the little paper twist as he turned
towards his safe, pulling out his KEYS
at the same time. To reach the safe
he had to walk the whole length of
the shop, behind the counter. and
before he had gone half way he re-
membered the stone, tJfrned came
back and slipped it into his waistcoat
pocket. Then he went and got the
little japanned strong box with a pat
ent lock, in which he kept loose stones,
some wrapped up in little pieces of
paper, and some in pill boxes. He
brought it to his customers, and
opened it before them.
They stayed long time, and Spiro
asked many questions for Baraka
chiefly relating to the sliding scale of
prices which is regulated by the
weight of the stones where their quail
ity is equally good, and Baraka made
notes OF some SORT in a little Eng
fish memorandum book, as if she had
done it all her life; but Mr.. Pinney
could not see what she wrote He was
careful and watched the stones when,
she took them in her fingers and held
them up against the light, Or laid
them on a sheet Of white paper to
look at them critically.
She bought nothing, and when She
had seen all he had to show her, she
thanked him very much through Spiro,
said she would come back another
day, and went out with leisurely,
oriental gait, as if nothing in the
world could hurry her Mr. Pinney
counted the stones again, and was go
ing to lock the box, when his second
man came in, having finished string
ing the duchess pearls. At the same
moment, it occurred to Mr. Pinney
that he might as we'll go to luncheon,
and that he had better put Logotheti's
ruby into the little strong-box and
lock it up in the safe until he at last
had a chance to weigh it. He &C
cordingly took the screw of paper
from his waistcoat pocket, and as a
matter of formality he undid it once
more
"Merciful Providence!" cried Mr..
Pinney, for he was religious man.
The screw of paper contained a bit
of broken green glass. He threw his
keys to his shopman without another
word and rushed out into the street
without his hat, his keen old face
deadly pale, and his beautiful frock-
coat flying in his wake.
He almost hurled himself upon
quiet policeman.
Thief" he cried 1.-TWO foreigners
in gray clothes-ruby worth ten thou