Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1914-02-26


/ 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
( lac pledged it for loan OF a thousand
/ francs.
A few days later Won Hemmerstein
called again at VI. Cheseul's shop and
confded to him thrt he was about to
! be married and it Lad 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?
NJ. 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
er. bent on making a double profit
agreed to try to find a 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 thas
he would give 1t provided a perfect
match were obtained, and the ieweler
called his attention to the fact that
the two together would command a
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 be 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 mt 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 stoneP'
mo. indeed. | value it very highly.
1t has been in my family hundreds of
years"
II have brooch into which it would
fit nicely. On this account, If you
were willing to part with it. l would
give you a good price for it,
What do you call good priceW
Pombeau would not mind giving 10
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 21,000 francs and received the
money for 1t on the spot.
Calling a cab, he drove at once to NJ
Cheseuls shop and asked if they had
found mate to the ruby No; they
had not had time, They had sent out
a minute description of 1t 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 rub 5. And, now that his
mind was N lde 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 receipt
BY this ingenious device he had real
lied 1000 francs, or $1,000,
But that the baron was gentleman
of superior caliber is proved by the
sequel With the 1000 francs that
he had made he returned to Monte
Carlo and by one Of the most remarka-
BILE runs f luck ever known there won
back an he had lost and 1900 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
81 have been regretting parting with
the ruby sold you and would like TO
bhF Il hRNhs Nulu the bdIuh
Il do not wish to sell it."
Not for a better price than you paid
me?"
II do not say that will not sell
anything | own ut a price
Let me see; | think you paid me
$1,000 francs How would $4,000
francs suit you?'
The pawnhroker was perplexed. He
had been done once. and now he fear
cd 10 be done again. He baked at
the offer
We'll" said the baron, turning
away, III you conclude to sell the gem
address me at the Circle Francois Ma
ti0nal Good morning
This was enough to decide the pawn
broker who regarded a bird in the
hand worth two in the bush He call
eel the baron back and sold him the
stone. after an clearing 5000 francs
ON the transaction
From Paris Won Hemmerstein went
to Berlin. where he was received with
the usual eclat attending his return
by the emperor the nobility and the
common peoule He was as suuye az