The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1912-11-22
GyN FLETCHER ROBINSON

case, as proud as O young husband
of his first baby, and sent 1t round the
table.
81 was sitting on julius left. Be
tween us was fat old boy, who was a
stranger to me. He took long stare
at the stone, whistling softly between
his teeth, before he passed 1t on. 1t
went from hand to hand, never out of
sight, so far as could notice, until 1t
came to Sir Andrew Carlton, who fam
cies himself an expert on gems. They
stalls, the play Is finished to the wo-
men sitting behind her, for they can't
keep their eyes off her pearls. Sir
Andrew pulled out a magnifying glass,
and began examining the diamond.
"T congratulate you. Taubery,' he
said. after about a minute. You have
acquired historical stone!'
"Old julius leant back, with smile
halfway round his head. but he didn't
say word.
""This stone,' said Sir Andrew, in
the heavy, pompous way that he has,
tapping 1t with his magnifying glass
to attract attention, this stone is the
celebrated Hyderapore diamond, to
which first historical reference is
made in the year 1884. 1t was cap
tured by the Rajah of Hyderapore
from ruling chief In the Deccan after
a battle, in which four thousand men
lost their lives. In 1850 1t was stolen
from the rajah's palace by Spaniard.
who escaped to Bombay, where he was
robbed and murdered. The stone dis
appeared for about sixty years.
at subsequently came into the
possession of one of the East India
company's agents, who was stabbed to
death in his bungalow near Calcutta
about 1850. The diamond, which is
held to have inspired the attack, was
saved from the robbers by the appear
ance of his guests and servants. The
widow brought it to Europe and sold
II to. the Due d'Alembert, who lost his
diamond and incidentally his life In
the French revolution. 1t turned up
again at the court OF Napoleon ILL.,,
being then in the possession OF Henri
Marvin, the well-known financier. Un-
til today I thought 1t was still in his
family.
-.It 10 one Of the very few large dia-
monds that 10 absolutely without a.
Jaw. and its value in the open market
today would be approaching thirty
thousand pounds. Any one who takes
an interest In historical stones might
be tempted to give even higher
price,. for there has been enough blood
split over It, gentlemen. to fill the
bath Of it's fortunate possessor.'
He laid down the diamond on the
table and looked at his host with q
malicious grin. But all connoisseurs
are alike; they are as covetous OF
each others pet treasures as so many
cats.
"All the time that Sir Andrew had
been speaking. the fat fellow next to
me had been snorting and swelling
until. pom my soul, l thought he was
in for stroke of apoplexy. l am the
best-tempered of men, but have my
limits, and the old grampus was one
of them.
"'Are you in pain. sir?' / asked him.
"'Yes, / am, SIR he said, In such a
high, squeaky voice that all the table
could hear him. I object to listening
to the definitions OF so-called experts.
who cannot tell a diamond from a
glass marble. Experts? Humbugs,
that's what I call them!'
DO you refer to me, Professor En-
dicottT began Sir Andrew. leaning
forward, with a very red face.
"'Most certainly do
""Then / must ask you for an ex-
PLANTATION or an immediate apology
IA man who can make so ludicrous
an error deserves neither the one nor
the other cried the professor, In great
excitement. That stone has been in
the possession OF the Princes of Pava-
loff for three hundred years. Prince
Peter. the present head OF the family.
kindly allowed me to examine 1t when
I was In Moscow in 1894. l was not
aware that he had sold 1t. I trust,
Mr.. Taubery, that you obtained 1t from
q respectable source; II not, I should
be no true friend did / hide from you
my belief that It had been stolen
"If man had said such deucedly
insulting thing to me should have
knocked him down there and then.
would, pom my soul. without thinking
more about It. But julius lay back IN
his chair. smiling all over his face.
suppose those collectors get accus-
toned to each Others little ways;
they're a queer lot, anyway.
,"'You can be quite easy on that
point. Professor Endicott.' he said.
Prince Peter was. unfortunately. in
voived In the late Dolorouski conspir-
acy, but had time to slip across the
Russian frontier before the police
could arrest him. I bought the dia-
mond from his agent in Paris.'
"'You Interest me deeply. Mr.. Tau
berry, struck In Sir Andrew, speaking
very softly. though we could all see he
was in a devil OF a rage. Even was
not unaware of the existence OF the
Pavaloff diamond. II my memory does
not fail me, II is slightly disfigured by
q flaw on the eighth facetT
-