Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-07-31

cided to give up my business 10 you.
/ shall leave enough capital with you
to enable you to carry the same
amount of stock have always car
ried. Before turning over the man
agement, however. 1 desire that you
prove yourself fitted to assume it,"
"Why, father, have I not been In
your employ four years? Am l not
considered an excellent judge Of gems?
What need / of proving myself fitted
10 manage the business?"
81 admit, Isaac, that as judge CT
gems, especially diamonds. you are a
better man than /. who have been in
the business more than forty years. 1t
is not having passed on you spurious
stones that fear, but the many tricks
that are perpetrated by swindlers on
jewellers. have endeavored to sharp
en- your wits by explaining to you the
different methods that have been at
tempted upon me, but my renutation
for shrewdness has been such that few
attempts have been made to get prop
erty from me without paying for II In
good money. shall go away on
trip, and during my absence you shall
have charge of the business. Since
you are q young man, the swindlers
will consider you one to be attacked
with a fair chance for success. If on
my return you have withstood their
efforts and have kept the business up
to it's present prosperous condition 1
win fI,ru If ovnr IN Won
Never fear. father. l will increase
the sales and will not get swindled
either. How long will you be absent?"
"Six months. think that long
enough for the test"
Nathan Mayer gave his son, Isaac.
power Of attorney to manage the busi-
ness, to sign his name to checks and
to use his capital: then the old man
went abroad for change. rest and rec
reation. Isaac was only twenty-five
years old, but was considered one of
the smartest young men in the jewelry
trade. He was very anxious to show
his father on his return that he had
mot only done a larger business than
the concern had ever done before, but
/ ilStu DlluG lO lOSSCS. RiNC LhOhthS Va
his trial passed, and so far he had
made good both his promises. There
had been but few attempts to get gems
from him without payment. and these
had seemed so palpable he wondered
that any one could have taken him
for such a fool as to be deceived by
them.
Two weeks before his father was to
return. in figuring his profits since the
old mans departure, Isaac Mayer no
ticed that they were $4,000 more than
those Of the previous six months. He
had hoped for an excess Of $4,000. He
determined to strain every nerve. tC
make up the remaining $500.
A few days later a gentleman who
from his appearance might haze beer
an English marquis. stepped into his
store and asked to be shown some
bracelets. The strangers daughter
was with him. She examined the jew
els with her father, and it was evident
that any purchase he might make
let set with ruby between two large
diamonds. worth $4,000, but her father
was unwilling to spend so much mon
ey for her in this way. Mayer heard
her appeals and the reply of her father
who told her that If certain securi
ties he had ordered sold in London II
case the market price on the Stock Ex
change should rise to certain fgur,
had been realized upon it would have
given him profit three times the cos
of the bracelet and he would gladly
buy it for her. Instead he purchased
one she fancied. set with a sapphire
worth $3.50. Drawing a check bool
from his pocket he wrote a check fo
the amount, saying that he would sent
some one. in whose knowledge Of gem
he had confidence. to look at the set
ting, and if he pronounced the sapphire
genuine Mayer was TO send the brace
let to his hotel The seller would hav,
ample time to discover If the checl
was good.
The next day man came into tn,
store. looked at the bracelet, pronounc
ed it genuine. the check was found (,
be good. and the bracelet was sent I,
the customers hotel.
A few days later the stranger
daughter entered the Mayer store. evi
IDENTITY in very high spirits. and toll
Isaac TO send the bracelet she ha,
coveted to her father at his hotel
'The, shares have been sold," she OK
claimed, bubbl!ng with excitement
Papa cot q cablegram from Londol
this morning"
The girl was very pretty and YER
, charming In her frankness. Sh
couldn't wait till the bracelet had bee
sent home, but must have a look at Il
When it was being shown her sh
manifested great deal of trepidatio
, lest the purchase should be deIaye
pending the sending Of funds fror
London. Another thing that trouble
! her WAS that her father had ono
bought Jewel and an inferior artiel
r had been substituted on delivery. Sh
|. feared there would be a lot Of re
tape about that Isaac assured ht
that all would go satisfactorily II sh
would be patient. and she departed al
: rarontly somewhat comforted.
The same afternoon Isaac took III
, bracelet himself TO the strangers b
!. tel. He found the gentleman SON