The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-03-06

Darkness had fallen from II dull and
humid sky. and the lamps were begin
ming TO struggle for brightness In Pie
cadilly. when the opal OF CarmaIovitcl
was arst put Into my hand. The day
had been sorry one for business. nc
light. no sun, no stay OF the GownpouI
OF penetrating mist which had beer
swept through the city by the driving
south wind from the late dawn to Tn,
mock OF sunset. | had sat IN my pri'
vate office for six long hours. and
had not seen n customer The UNI
brella bearing throns which rrod th'
street before my window hurried quick
ly through the mud and the slush, rs
people who had no leisure even TO gaze
[ was going home. IN fact, as the ono
sensible proceeding on such an after
noon. and had my hand upon the great
safe TO 1t, when the mirror above my
rious looking man vino had entered th'
outer shop. and stood already at the
counter.
AT the first glance I judged that this
man was no ordlnary customer: HI;
dress was altogether singular. He had
black coat covering him from his
in astrachan, and one which could have
been made by no english tailor. But
his hands were unsloved and he wore
a low hat, which might have been tho
the litue window of my private room
which gives my eve command OF the
shop, that he had come on foot. aud foI
lack OF any umbrella was pitiably wet
Yet there was a fine bearing about him
and he was clearly man given TO COM
nand, for my assistant mounted to my
room with his name at the first bid
Docs he say what he wants?'' asked,
reading the large card upon which were
the words
''STENILoFF CARMALoYITCH';
but the man replied
"Only that he must see you imme-
diately. l don't like the look OF him at
all"
rs Abel in the shop?''
Hes at the door
Very well; let him come to the foot
Of my stairs, and IL l ring as usual. both
OF you come up,
In this profession OF jewel selling
for every calling is a profession nova
days-we are so constantly cheek by
jowl with swindlers that the coming of
one or more or less is of little moment
In a days work. AT my own place OF
cautions are so organized that the clev-
crest sconudrel living would be troubled
10 get free of the shop with six penny
armed men ready at the ring Of my, oell
Abel is one OF thom-and II private
wire TO the nearest police station. From
an alcove we'll hidden on the right hand
day the large cases where the smaller
gems are shown. and by night couple
of special guards have charge OF the safe
and the premises. touch a bell twicr
lows any visitor who gives birth In my
mind TO the slightest doubt, / ring three
times, and any obvious impostor is held
prisoner until the police come, These
things are done by most jewelers. In the
West End; there is nothing in them
either unusual or fearful; There are
so many professional swindlers-so many
would-be snappers up of unconsidered
and considerable trifles-that precautions
such as l have named are the least that
common sense and common prudence viii
allow one TO take, And they have saved
me from loss. as they have saved others
again and again.
had scarcely given my instructions
to Michel my assistant-a rare reader
wi.en the shabby genteel man entered
Michel placed a chair for him on the op-
posite side OF my desk. and then left the
room. There was no more greeting be-
tween the newcomer and myself than
a mutual noddlng Of heads. and he on
his part fell at once upon his business,
lie took q large paper parcel from the
inside pocket OF his coat and began 70
unpack IT: but there was so much paper,
both brown and tissue, that l had some
moments OF leisure In which TO examine
him more closely before we got 10 talk
l set him down in my mind as a man
middle age. a man with infinite distinc-
tion marked in Il somewhat worn face,
and with some of the oldest clothes uH-
der the shielding long coat that ! have
ever looked upon. These / saw when he
unbuttoned the envelopng cape 10 get
at his parcel In the inner pocket. and
while he undid IT. l could observe that
his fingers were thin as the talons OF
bird, and that he trembled all over
with the mere effort of unloostng the
string.
The operation lasted some minutes.
He spoke no word during that time but
when he had reduced the coll Of brown
paper 10 a tiny square of washleather.
l asked him:
''Have you something to show me?"
He looked up at me with a pair of In
tensely, ridlcuously blue eyes, and
shrugged his shoulders.
SHOULD ] undo all these papers II I
had not?" he responded; and 1 saw at
once that he was man who from a
verbal point of view. stood objectionably
upon the defensive
What sort OF a stone Is it?" went on
in a somewhat uninterested tone of
voice. mot a ruby hope. l have just
bought a parcel Of ruDios."
BY way of answer he opened the little
washleather bag. and taking up my
jewel-tongs which lay at his hand. he
held up an opal OF such prodigious size
and quality that l restrained myself with
difficulty from crying out at the sight
of It. 1t was n CerwenitZa stone. saw
at a glance, almost a perfect circle In
shape and at least four inches in diame-
ter There was a touch Of the oxide in
It's color which gave II the faintest sus-
picion of black In the shade OF It's lights
but for wealth OF hue and dazzling rich
ness in Its general quality. It surpassed