The daily Alaskan., 1909-10-26
A DEAL IN DIAMONDS
The True Story of an Ingenious
 SWindIe In London.
A CLEvERLY WORKED GAME.

DINIIIAIl HI 'NAHHHatNNNf NsaNiNa NisNA AttAAs
 Tho Easy Manner In Which Count
 saeha Got Something For Nothing.
 Count Sacha Roublctsky was on his beam ends in London. To the world he was still a dashlug young noble man. son of am immensely wealthy Russian prince, but in point of fact he was financially ar his last gasp,
 He wanted a thousand or so for nothing. That was che problem he de- bated as hc sat lu his lodging smoking cigarette after cigarette. At last he rose with a satisfied smile. Next morn Ing Count SacHa called on Messrs. Sparkle E Shine. the well known Bond street jewellers He explained who he was and that he had come to select some icwelry for his sweetheart.
 From the g'jueriug tray he selected a beautiful stone, price G500. He then explained that. his rcmiJtunces being delayed. he was not in a position to complete che purchase at the moment and. In any case, he wished first to submit the stone to his sweetheart's approval
 He added sugycIy thut as he was un- known Co Nessrs. Sparkle X Shine he could not rNpcc, them to part with the gem without making inquiries, but they were at liberty to apply to the Russian embassy for any information they desired concerning him. He would return thc following day and, everything being satisfactory, take the diamond.
 To this the jewellers agreed aud, in- Quirlug Ut the Russian embassy, were Informed that Count SUcha was un- quesuuuab'y the son of a wealthy prince and that they would probably be safe in giving him credit for even more than Che amount mentioned.
 They dII not know at the embassy that Sacba had been disowucd by his father. uud they were agreeable to the counts own suggestion that a member of the embassy should attend at the Jewellers next day to identify him. This was done. and Count S0cha re- cclycd Che diamond. The same day ha called ut a big pgwubrokcr's and, mentioning airlly Jb0t he was in tenn porary difficulties. pledged the diamond for the small sum of $50.
 The next day found Count Sacha again ut Nassrs. Sparkle X Shines. His sweetheart. he said. was enchant- cd with the diamond, but nothing would satisfy her now but that she should have another diamond abso- Iutcly matching the first
 The jewellers explained that to match such stone would be a matter of great difficulty and the price of the second gem would be enormously in- creascd-lu short. for such a pair of twin diamonds they would have to charge E&.O00. Count SUch0 shrugged hls shoulders. The price was stif. but he could deny his sweetheart nothing. Would NIcssrs. Sparkle & Shine please at once set about procuring the second diamond?
 The jewellers, being unable to match the diamond themselves, wrote to the leading dealers and plwnbrokers de- scrIblng the stone they wanted and IntImaGng that they were prepared to go as tar as E2OOO for a perfect speci- men. Among those they wrote to was the puwubroEcr with whom Count Sa- cha had pledged the original diamond, which was just what that ingenious rascal expected.
 X few days later Count Sacha called at the pawubrokcr's to redeem his dla- moud The pawnbroker had had Messrs. Sparkle E Shines letter, and, remembering the beautiful diamond pledged with him a day or two before, he had examined it aud found that it met all of Sparkle & Shines require mCuts.
 The count redeemed the stone, and then Che pgwubrokcr inquired whether by any cb0ucc he would care to sell it.
 Oh. no, It was a family heirloom His customer would not dream of part Iug with it.
 That was a pity, said the pawnbro- kcr. He had chuuccd to show the dia- moud Co his wife, and she had taken Q violent fancy to it-s0 much so that he was prepared to give a fancy price. He offered $500.
 Count Suchu laughed and shook his head. One thousand pounds? Oh, mol He really did not want to sell 1t. An offer of EI.GOO, however, made him he's ltate. At last, after prolonged charer- Ing. Count Socha passed back the dia- moud to the puwuDroker and received EL5OO In exchange. Once outside he Jumped into a cab and drove as fast as he could to Mcssrs. Sparkle & Shines
 Arrived there. be explained, with many regrets. that his sweetheart had changed her mind She no longer wanted the second diamond. Had the Jewellers yet found it? No? An, that was well! Still, he feared he had put lhem to much trouble However, he was glad to say his rcmittances had