Morris tribune., 1914-02-20

This fact having been communicate
ed by the embassy to the baron, one
OF the clerks Of the legation called at
his hotel and accompanied him to the
jewelers.. Won Hemmerstein received
the ruby in a leather box lined with
velvet and. calling a cab, drove to the
pawnshop of Jules Pombeau, where
he pledged it for a loan of a thousand
francs.
A few days later Won Hemmerstein
called again at NJ. Cheseul's shop and
confided to him that he was about to
be married and it had occurred to him
that two rubies, of the Size and shape
and hue of the one he had purchased,
would make pair of earrings suitable
for a gentleman's wedding gift to his
bride. Did the jeweler have such an
/, other ruby in stock?
| M. Cheseul had only one or two 9TH
er stones that would come near to
matching the first, and in all there was
| some slight variation. The baron APP
peared disappointed. and the jewel
err bent on making a double profit,
agreed to try to find match for the
! ruby in the stock of some other jew
/ eler. But he explained that to find
/ perfect mate would require consider
/ able labor and the second gem would
! be worth much larger sum than the
/ first Won HemmerStein asked him to
! fix price for the mate, and after some
! deliberation he named 10000 francs.
| Won Hemmerstein did not seem
| staggered at this figure, saying that
he would give it provided perfect
match were obtained, and the jeweler
called his attention to the fact that
| the two together would command
much higher price than separately
! The baron gave the order, and NJ
! Cheseu began a hunt all over Paris
( for the second ruby
! A great many valuable gems are to
be found in the hands of pawnbrokers,
and among others to whom the jew
! eler applied was NJ. Pombeau, one Of
| the principal members of that trade
| in Paris. That he would do so was
| expected by Won Hemmerstein and
| was a part of his plan. A few days
! after ordering the second gem he call
| ed at NJ POmbeau's shop and said he
would redeem his pledge He laid down
/ the thousand francs borrowed on it.
and the broker handed it back to him.
by the bye, baron" said Pombeau,
would you like to sell that stone?'
''No, indeed l value it very highly.
1t has been in my family hundreds of
years"
II have a brooch into which it would
fit nicely. On this account, if you
were willing to part with it. | would
| give you a good price for it.
what do you call good price,"
! Pombeau would not mind giving To-
600 francs for it. Won Hemmerstein
sneered at this and started to leave
the shop. Pombeau called him back
and said that the ruby to him would
be worth 10000 francs. This seemed
to arrest the baron's attention. Aft
er some dickering he sold the stone
for $1,000 francs and received the
money for it on the spot.
Calling a cab, he drove at once to M.
CheseuPs shop and asked if they had
found a mate to the ruby No; they
had not had time. They had sent out
a minute description of it and were
expecting replies. The baron said that
was fortunate. He had changed his
mind He had determined on a more
magnificent present for his bride than
the twin rubies. And, now that his
mind was made up, he would pay for
the stone he had bought. SO he pro-
duced bank notes to the amount of TO-
600 francs and took a receipt.
BY this ingenious device he had real
lied 11,0O0 francs, or $1,000.
But that the baron was a gentleman
sequel. With the 1000 francs that
he had made he returned to Monte
Carlo and by one of the most remarka-
BILE runs of luck ever known there won
back all he had lost and 1000 per cent
in addition. When he left Monte Carlo
he went direct to Paris and on arriv-
ing there made straight for POmbeau's
pawnshop. The pawnbroker met him
! as though nothing disagreeable had
happened.
q have been regretting parting with
the ruby sold you and would like to
buy it back said the baron
Il do not wish to sell it.
''Not for better price than you paid
me?"
Il do not say that l will not sell
anything own at price"
Let me see; think you paid me
$1,000 francs. How would $4,000
francs suit your"
The pawnbroker was perplexed. He
had been done once, and now he fear
ed to be done again. He baked at
the offer.
Well" said the baron, turning
away, IF you conclude to sell the gem
address me at the Circle Francois Ma
tional Good morning"
This was enough to decide the pawn
broker, who regarded a bird in the
hand worth two in the bush He call