The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1917-04-20
A SHABBY
NOBLEMAN
BY ALAN HINSDALE

A gentleman dressed very plainly
indeed, shabhily stepped into jewel
er's store in New York and asked with
British accent to see some pearl
necklaces
The clerk went To safe. took out
several trays and placed them on the
counter.
These necklaces are very expen
sive," he said. "Of course so large a
number OF real pearls cost money. But
this one" handing out single string
Of very small jewels. rs cheaper. The
I price is S3.1Ua.
The man did not seem shocked al
the enormous price named by the clerk.
but after close inspection of the ar
| ticleS. holding them within few
inches of his eyes. ON which lie wore
( glasses evidently 10 correct near
slghu. he handed them back to the
+ clerk. saying: Il can do better in Lon
/ don. Let mo see some earrings"
The clerk put away the trays and
7 brought forth others containing ear
rings The customer. as in the ease
before. examined the more expensive
articles ana asked the price of pair.
, each having Il single PENDANT of dia-
mond a> large A. good sized pea
4 The price Was Si.5nU
You are nearer reasonable price
on these" said the customer. They
are very pretty"
The clerk had shown the man Jewels
I far beyond the price he supposed from
his appearance he could pay Indeed
he fancicd the party simply desired to
feast his eyes upon them. TGe diamond
earrings were apparently nearer his
caliher. Perhaps sale could he effect
ed. After holding them near and far
and catching the light on the diamonds
I he asked the clerk if he could send
/ them To his hotel. He would like his
The gentleman gave his name, George
Throckmorton. and his hotel, at the
same time taking out n cambria hand
kerchief and wiping his glasses With
/ the handkerchief came n letter which
dropped on the floor
/ The clerks back was turned at the
I time for he was putting away the
jewel trays. and when he again faced
the counter "A fashionably dressed man
was there holding out the letter the
other had dropped.
THE man who just left you dropped
| this" he said.
| The clerk took the letter and natural
! ~ looked at the address 1t was the
Earl of Boyingstone. - hotel New
York, Z. A.. and bore London
poStmark
That's singular" said the clerk to
/ the man who picked up the letter
What's singular:"
Why, that the fellow should be II
nobleman' His clothes are worn
shiny"
Don't you know" replied the other.
examining the address, that those
| English lords wear seedy clothes? It's
an affectation But you should see
their lackeys. all velvet and gold, with
| powdered wigs and silk stockings.
Sometimes their shoe buckles are sci
with real Jewels
You don't mean it," said the clerk
i've heard 1t said that the members
! Of the house OF lords are the worst
dressed men TO he found in any legis-
lative assembly ! happen TO know
that the Earl of Boyngstone Is one of
I b. 81. IL, "A
The clerk put the letter In his pocket,
and when he sent the earrings and the
letter to the earl's hotel sent also a
message that there was 10 per cent
discount on the necklaces, which he
had not mentioned The Countess Of
BayingStone admired the earrings and
the earl asked the man who brought
them If draft on London for the
price would be accepted In payment
The bearer telephoned the firm, and
since the clerk had reported that
! George Throckmorton was also Earl
Of Boyingstone the partners consulted
as To whether they should do so UNI
usual thing as he requested The
clerk was called In and told that the
customer had refrained from buying
the pearl necklaces not because they
We're expensive but because he said
he could do better In London. IF
there was anything wrong with him.
added the clerk. lit would seem that
he would have chosen the jewels in
volving the greater amount"
The junior member of the firm said
that II he could have a look at the
purchaser he could rate him correct
ly; he would know gentleman by
instinct. II was agreed among the
partners that this man should 90 to
the hotel and give the answer.
The junior member of the jewelry
firm. in order to excuse the visit, said
that he had come TO say that IL Mr.
Throckmorton fancied any Of their
necklaces il could he had for less
money than the clerk had named But
the earl said that his wife would not
need jewels in America, and he would
not purchase anything more than the
earrings at present This statement
renewed all doubt as to the genuine
ness Of the transaction the earl's draft