The Irish standard., 1909-10-23

produced the paper and magnifer.
Its a grand ruby" he said.
Il see 1t u.s." Logothet1 answered
rather cugtly.
DO you mean to say" asked the
surprised jeweler, that you had
bought it without thoroughly examin-
ing it sir-you who are an expert?"
mo, that's not what l mean," an.
swered the Greek, bending over the
ruby and scrutinizing it through the
strong magnitier.
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 a shock
that took away his breath.
This Is not my ruby" said Logo
theft, looking up, and speaking with
perfect confidence.
"Not-your-ruby!" Mr.. Pinney's
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 1 brought 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 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
oughly before it was stolen, had you?
You had only looked at it with me, on
the counter here"
THAT is correct, sir" said Mr. Pin
ney nervously. THAT is quite true"
Very we'll. But did more than
merely look at it through lens or
weigh it. did not care so much
about the weight, but cared very
much for the water, and I tried the
ruby point on it in the usual way, but
it was too hard, and then scratched
it in two places with the diamond,
more out of curiosity than for any
other reason"
"You marked 1t, sir? There's not q
single scratch on this one! Merciful
Providence! Merciful Providence!"
EYES," Logotheti said gravely. 1.-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 I thought little
better in color. This is the other, for
she still had it; aud so far as know,
1t 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-locking
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 1t at present.
A much larger sum of money was
gone, too, than any financier could
lose with equanimity by such a pc.
cultarly disagreeable mishap as be-
ing robbed. There were several rea.
sons why Logotheti was not pleased.
II am deeply Inundated" said the
worthy old jeweler II have not only
been tricked and plundered, but I
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 Nood to you, sir, what
ever price YOU set upon it. am
deeply Inundated, but nobody shall
say that Pinney & 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 a han.
som and drove away.
1t would be tiresome to give a de-
tailed account of what they did. Suf-
flee 1t to say that the prisoners were
set at large; Mr. Pinney restored the
ruby to Baraka, and all her other be-
longings were given back to her, even
including the smart gray suit of mems
clothes in which she had been ar.
rested; and her luggage and other
things which the manager of the Hotel
where she had been stopping had
handed over to the police were all re-
turned; and when spiro appeared At
the hotel to pay the small bill that
had been left owing, he held his head