The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1910-01-28
CHAPTER VII.

Mr.. Pinney's shop, the old jeweler
meant to have good look at the
ruby the Greek had brought him, and
was going to weigh it, not merely as
a matter of business, for he weighed
every stone that passed through his
hands from crown diamonds to sparks,
but with genuine curiosity, because in
long experience he had not seen
very many rubies of such a size, which
were also of such fine quality, and he
wondered where this one had been
found.
Just then, however, two well-dressed
young men entered the shop and
came up b him. He had never seen
either of them before, but their looks
inspired him with confidence; and
when they spoke, their tone was that
of English gentlemen, which all 9th
er Englishmen find it practically i'm
possible to initiate, and which had
been extremely familiar to Mr.. Pin
ney from his youth. Though he was
the great jeweler himself, the wealthy
| descendant of five Of his name in sue
| cession, and much better off than half
his customers, he was alone in his
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
chesters pearls at her grace's house
in Cadogan Gardens as was always
done after the season, and 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 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 a civil and leisurely man
ner, sauntered out, took a hanson
few steps farther down the street,
and drove away.
The little paper twist containing Lo-
gotheti's ruby was still exactly where
Mr.. Pinney had placed it on the coun-
ter, and he was going to examine the
stone and weigh it at last, when two
more customers entered the shop, evil
IDENTIFY foreigners, and moreover of a
sort unfamiliar to the good jeweler,
and especially suspicious.
The two were Baraka and her inter-
prefer and servant, whom Logotheti
had called a 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 u.s.
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 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 real Moslem at
IL 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, turned came |
back and slipped it into bis waistcoat |
pocket. Then he went and got the !
little japanned stronghold with a pat |
ent lock. in which he kept loose stones, I
some wrapped up in little pieces of /
paper, and some in pill boxes. He
brought it to his customers, and
opened 1t before them.
They stayed a 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