The leader-enterprise. [volume] (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1912-1915, 1914-05-15
T0kN E STEVEN1SON
Copyright. 1913. by Burton E. Stevenson

Ii ! did, I'd go buy it. Thats what
want you to do for me It's a Boue
cIbiret- the most exquisite | ever Saw
Ii came from Paris. and it was ad
dressed to me. The only explanation
| cam think Of is that my shippers III
Paris made IL mistake, sent me Il cabi.
net belonging to some one else and
sent mine to the other person"
on had bought one, them
Yes. and ii hasn't turned up. But
beside this one it's Il mere daub My
man Parks got it through the customs
yesterday. AS there was II Boue
cabinet ON my manifest, the mistake
wasn't discovered until the whole lot
was brought up here and uncrated
this morning"
Weren't they uncrated in the Gus.
tomS?"
No. I've been bringing things i'll
for good many years. and the GUS
toms people know Fin not thief
Come in" he added. answering tap
at the door.
The door opened and Vantine's man
came in.
"A gentleman to see you, sir" he
said and handed Vantine a card.
Vantine looked at it little blankly.
Il don't know him." he said. what
does he want?"
He wants to see you. sir-very bad
should say. think he's a French
man. sir Anyway. be don't know
much English. Shall show him out
Sir!"
NO" said Vantine. after an instants
hesitation. Tell him to wait"
Il tell you. Lester" he went on as
Parks withdrew. when went down.
stairs this morning and saw that cab
met | could hardly believe my eyes.
thought l knew furniture. but | hadn't
any idea such a cabinet existed. The
most beautiful / had ever seen is at
the Louvre. 1t stands in the Sale
Louis XIV, to the left as you enter.
1t belonged to Louis himself. Of
course ] can't be certain without u
careful examination. but believe that
cabinet, beautiful as it is, is merely
the counterpart OF this one"
He paused and looked at me, his
eyes bright with the enthusiasm of the
cOnnoisSeur
"Boule furniture" he continued. "is
usually Of ebony inlaid with tortoise
shell and incrusted with arabesques in
metals Of various kinds The incrus-
tation had to be very exact. and to
get 1t so the artist clamped together
two plates of equal size and thickness.
one Of metal. the other Of tortoise shell,
traced his design on the top one and
then cut them both ont together The
result was two combinations. the orig
inal, with Il tortoise shell ground and
metal applications. and the counter
part. applique metal with tortoise shell
arabesques. The original was really
the one which the artist designed and
whose effects he studied The coun-
terpart was merely resultant acct
dent, with which he was not especially
concerned. Understands"
Yes, | think So" | said.
well. it's the original which has the
real artistic value. OF course the coun-
terpart is often beautiful. too. but in a
much lower degree
II can understand that" said.
And now, Lester" Vantine went on,
his eyes shining more and more. IF
my snppoSition is correct, if the Grand
Louis was content with the counter
part of this cabinet for the long gal
lery ut Versailles who do you suppose
owned the originate"
saw what he was driving at.
ii believe it belonged to Nine de
MonteSpan," he said.
Really, vantine." I exclaimed. II
didn't know you were so romantic
You quite take my breath awayT
He flushed little Mt the words. and
saw how deeply in earnest he was.
THE craze of the collector takes him
a long way sometimes he said.
What l want you to do is to cable my
shippers. Armand 4 Son. Rue du Tenn.
pie, find out who owns this cabinet
and buy it for me-"
Perhaps the owner won't SELL"
"Oh. yes, he will! Anything can be
bouGht-for a price"
You mean you're going to have this
cabinet, whatever the cost?"
II mean just that"
AT least you'll tell me where to be-
GIN" l said. II don't know anything
Of the value of such things"
"Well," said Vantine, suppose you