A £16,000 NECKLACE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20222, 7 October 1927, Page 6

A £16,000 NECKLACE.

ACTRESS AND SHERIFF. PEARLS TAKEN FROM NECK. Eaquel Meller, the exquisite Spanish chanteuse, has been in great trouble and suspense over a £16,000 pearl necklace, says Mr C. do Vidal Hunt, writing from Paris. A JTronch sheriff's officer actually dared to remove the precious thing from her beautiful neck while she was still in bed, claiming that pearls always look their best when properly paid for. It was a sad scene in the senorita s hotel apartment in the Place Vendome, But the official was obdurate. He hot only took tho valuable necklace, but everything else that was of value before poor little Raquel had a chance to hop out of her gold and ivory bed and into a pair of translucent black-and-silver pyjamas. She was in an awful predicament. She needed her clothes so much, and her rings, and bracelets, and dainty lingerie. But the deputy sheriff had no ear for her supplications. Tho trouble started some months ago, when Raquel Meller was buying pretty frocks and things for a tour m America. One day, a week or so before sailing, she saw a wonderful pearl necklace in one of the shops in the Rue do Paix. Being young and beautiful and rich, there was no reason in tho world why Raquel should not possess so rare a jewel. Tho price—2,OCX),000 francs (about £16,000) —did not seam to matter, especially since the jeweller offered to part with the pearls on time payments. This pleased the senorita very much. She agreed to send a cheque regularly every month, and walked off with the beautiful necklace strung round her neck. She was the proudest woman in Paris, and every other actress turned green with envy. Then came several exciting weeks in New York and Boston and Little Rock, Arkansas. No wonder the poor little thing forgot to send her cheques as had been agreed upon. Anyhow, when Raquel returned to_ Paris the other day and began to sing in one of the lesser music halls. Monsieur tho jeweller got busy in his own way, and sent a sheriff with a court’s order to “ seize everything and leave nothing behind.” The French law is pitiless. “I AM THE LAW.” The dainty Raquel was still immersed in tho fragrant'silks of her gold and ivory conch of repose when tho dreadful “ buissier ” plunged into the room and put his sucriligeous hands on everything that looked like ready money. He stuffed about 3,000,000 francs (about £24,000) worth of frocks and hats and lingerie into a large wicker trunk, and was looking for more when the beautiful sleeper opened her green-brown eyes to twice their normal size. “Wat may you be doing there?” Raquel quavtered. “ Are you a burglar or something?” “I am the law,” quoth tho man. Please permit mo to unfasten that pretty necklace.” The terrified Raquel was speechless. She was petrified. In a moment the officer had helped himself to the precious string of pearls. He thcii proceeded to show his letters of credit, a duly signed order of the court, his birth certificate and sundry other papers necessary to establish his identity in the. circumstances. The man was acting in good faith. He carried off everything she had, leaving her not even tho price of a frugal breakfast. Ho was very sorry and very polite but he had to perform his duty. LAWYER TO THE RESCUE. No sooner had he left the room than Raquel came to her senses. She telephoned to her lawyer, Maitre Jean Weil, who immediately went before a high magistrate in tne Palais dc Justice and demanded a hearing. . ‘lt is an outrage,” tho lawyer declared. “to try to collect a debt in this manner. Mv client is a wealthy woman, whose various Holdings in Franco are a sufficient guarantee for tho payment of a paltry £16,000, She hasn’t a thing to wear, your Honour, and there is no telling what will happen if her clothes are not restored to her before the curtain goes up to-night.” The magistrate thought a moment, and then solved tho problem satisfactorily. He ordered the necklace to be placed in the safe keeping of an administrator and all the other belongings of tho actress returned to her forthwith. The question of the unpaid debt, it was stated, would bo settled promptly. Maitro Weil and the attorney for tt:o jeweller, Maitre Robert Dolloniann, anticipated no further complications