Evening star., 1922-10-29
Amazing and Mysterious
/. Fortunes of a Young
7 Married Couple.

Il
mored, crowded house. AS
the lights jumped and the sea OF stir
ring heads and bright clothes leaped
from darkness, I saw across the audi
torium the conspicuous white hair ana
black eyebrows of Dion France. the
great Jeweler. I am a connotsseur OF
stones in modest way. and france
ans I have that and other things In
common. Tonight also there was IN
my pocket late acquisition. I found
my way to his box.
France examined my opal a mo-
nent and gave it his valuable indorse-
ment. Then his mind shot back to its
present interest. He nodded toward
the stage.
What do you think of the playf
Not bad so far. It's pearl story
YOU know. Pearls are great adven-
turers-none greater. Why, I sup
pose" he want on, with his typical.
infectious, intense interest in his own
idea-''why l suppose that you
could choose at random one pearl
from any of the valuable strings | see
in this audience, and If you could give
it the power of telling its experience,
YOU would have such a tale of pirates
md harems. of ancient Assyrian kings
and Scythian slaves in chains, of lux
ury and horror. and Persian beauties
and Chinese torture, and South sea
hidden treasure-such heap OF wild
intrigues as would have made Dumas
green with envy. Some of them are
nearly as old as the planet, those lit
tie globes shining on decorous neck
Town there. Mrs. Lounsberry Blakes
neck, for example, tenth row on the
right. She has a fine string, and
don't doubt that half of them have
seen things which would make fat
Mrs. Blake howl to hear about"
1 had never thought Of that. ut
must be true" said. Pearls aren't
lost, l suppose"
Lost? Oh, yes, often lost" Mr..
France corrected me. But only to
the owner. Through devious paths
hey turn up again. They're the wan
iering Jews of still life. They never
lie. Mostly one can't be recognized
N q new incarnation. but sometimes
u whole string keeps it's IDENTITY.
Iven in my own lifetime I've seen it,
That Riedesel string-Barones Ried-
sci of revolutionary fame-remen-
ner? She had fine pearls, astonishing
hes. In her husbands family. Likely
ONE old German baron swooped down
from his castle in the middle ages
and lifted them from a worthy mer-
,hant and his train, who had earlier
n Bagdad. The Reidesel stones came
20 American in the revolution and de-
scended at last to Mrs. Gardiner
Narick."
IT know her" 1 put in.
Certainly" said France DO you
know her pearls?"
NO acknowledged reluctantly
| am proud of my eye for Jewels
You wouldn't have seen them"
France explained. unless you've
known her a good while. She's had
hem back only a month. They were
zone seven years. That's one of my
tories. Do you want to hear it?''
Il do l settled into my seat.
But the curtains going up" Mr..
France objected. We'll see how they
work this out. The jewels come on
gow, believe. Stay here and I'll tell
YOU the Riedesel incident after this
ct"
The curtain of Act II went down. -
IT want to hear the story" spoke
s it fell.
Surely. And I see Mrs. Gardy
arick down there wearing the pearls.
hat is to say She's in the fifth
ow to the right. See her? Look at
ne string as 1 tell you the tale. 1t
.hould add an interest"
DION FRANCES voice Of full vital
- ity. intangibly suggesting the
poured out in unhurried, unhalting
low the groundwork OF The follow
ng account, which 1 have filled in
rom other sources. and which / give
mplified and as it must probably
.Iave happened:
On morning of early December, in
heir apartment on a Park avenue
leventh floor, the Varlcks break
asted in dining room where an
last window was gay with plants and
I bird sang and mahogany glowed
md silver shone. Varick was trifle
'ilent, but Justine, his wife, talked
long, and the meal proceeded cheer
ully from grapefruit to marmalade.
'rhen the two strayed into the library.
arick began those preliminary move
inents which every woman knows as
ieralding departure for the office.
Didn't i leave my papers on the
iesk here?" Everything on the desk
) shunted back and forth.) Mary
Snn really must not touch my pa
pers. Oh, here they are" Then:
Goodbye, darling" A kiss on the
wing.
But, "oh. Gardy, you can't go yet"
Justine protested. You said you'd
ook at my F7orentine dress for the
McKeans' ball. It's tonight
oh" The manly instinct to get
ut of 1t, whatever it may be. Then
arick realizes that there IS no
arthly reason why he should not
yait five minutes or even fifteen to
,onsider the Florentine dress.
"All right, dear. Hurry along. I'm
Worried about some business today,
ut there's time"
Ten minutes later Varick was
ware of a rustic Of stiff silks and
ooked up to see his wife, magnificent
brocade and ancient lace. glittering
18th Jewels from head to foot.
"Gee!' He stared. where did you
;et all those diamonds and rubies?"
Mostly out of little embroidery
hon" Justine laughed. "I had the