The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1917-01-31
A STOLEN
GEM
BY ALAN IilNSDALE

4 When Edward Worthington, million
aire and globe trotter, was in India he
bought a large ruby, not knowing Its
value.
When Worthington reached London
he submitted his purchase to a pre-
cious stone expert, and the report was
surprising. 1T Is pigeon blood red
ruby almost perfect in color and trans
parency and worth anywhere from a
hundred to hundred and fifty thou
sand dollars"
1t was evident from this that the
ruby had been stolen, and Worthington
would have liked to return 1t to its
owner; but, In the first place, he did
not know who was the owner, and, In
the second, he was obliged to sail with
| out delay for America.
| On the steamer coming over he car
ried his ruby on his person by day,
| pinning 1t In his inner vest pocket,
| folding the vest carefully and putting
1t under his pillow at night. One after
noon, having spent the day on deck,
he went to his stateroom, and, having
put his key In the lock and taken 1t
out, he noticed bit of something
| white on It, Examining 1t thoroughly,
he found the substance to be wax.
Worthington pondered long as to his
discovery, for he suspected at once that
some one was In possession Of the Sc.
cret of his having the ruby. He had
told no one OF his purchase, and no
one had seen 1t except the London
gem expert. How, then, could any one
know that 1t was In his possession?
He did not care to part with the
jewel by having 1t stolen from him.
The price he had paid for 1t. the fact
that he had unwittingly bought
stolen property and that he was de-
sirous of returning 1t to its owner con-
strained him to be on his guard with
Ii. 1t occurred to him to turn 1t over |
for safe keeping to the purser OF the |
ship, but that officer would ask him |
its value, and he did not wish to i'm |
part this to any one. Fearing that IL /
he kept 1t on his person he would be
murdered for its possession, he con-
Guided to hide 1t.
Going to the ships carpenter he Dor.
rowed few tools and, returning to
his stateroom, took up a board In the
door. placed the ruby, wrapped in cot
ton, In the cavity and replaced the
board. Returning the tools, he borrow
ed some varnish and revarnished the
disturbed place. While doing this work
he made sure that no one was In any
of the adjoining staterooms.
Having thus put the gem where he
was sure II would be safe, he felt
easier, though be was careful not to
go TO lonely parts OF the ship and bar
ricaded his stateroom door at night,
for he thought one who was after the
ruby might think 1t was kept on bis
person.
At the end OF the voyage while the
ship was being locked Worthington
remo the board under which he
had ced his gem and was thunder
struck to see the place empty.
He was more discounted at not be-
ing able to return 1t to its owner than
at the loss of the price he had paid for
II. But what engaged his whole at
tention was how could the thief have ]
known where he had hidden 1t.
He thought Of calling for search G
If all on board. but abandoned the 9
dea as futile. There seemed nothing q
% do but pocket the loss and think no 8
more about 1t.
The morning after Worthington's ar :
ival at his home In New York he was 4
old that a visitor wished to see him.
rhe person proved to be Of dark color
md cast of features common In In
liza. He was well dressed and appear
d to be an upper caste. Advancing
o worthington, he handed him check
or $4,000.
"Mr. Worthington." he said, "a ruby
vas recently stolen from the rajah of
,ingpure, in India. by one Of his sery-
nts and sold to you for the amount of
bis check. The thief was arrested,
and told what he had done
18th the gem. which is one of the
Arrest In the world. His highness the