One honest gesture leads to another

12/28/05

BARNEY BRANTINGHAM

When Norman and Romaine Jacobs became engaged 46 years ago, Norm couldn't afford an engagement ring.

So his father gave him his own ring and suggested that Norm remove the center diamond and use it to create an engagement ring.

He did. Later, he was able to buy a new one for Romaine and replace the stone.

He's been wearing his father's ring for over 20 years and as you can imagine, it has great sentimental value. But about two months ago, he lost it.

He and Romaine "were devastated," he told me.

They searched everywhere and finally gave up. Just before Christmas, the San Fernando Valley couple made one of their regular weekend visits to Santa Barbara, staying at the Montecito Inn, as usual.

Their BMW was dirty and when Norman asked the valet where to get it washed, he pointed across the street to the 76 service station. The next morning, the car washed, Norman and Romaine drove to Summerland to visit an antique shop.

"As we got out of the car," Norman told me, "on the dashboard there was the ring."

They raced back to the 76 station and found the young man who'd washed the car.

"Did you see a ring?" Norman asked.

"Yes," the man replied, in broken English.

Curious, Norman asked, "How come you didn't keep it?"

"I knew that this ring had to be important to someone," the man replied.

Overcome with emotion, Norman hugged him and offered a reward. He refused. Norman insisted and finally the honest man accepted it. Norman didn't say how much.

Norman's a pretty honest guy himself. He'd collected insurance after the costly diamond ring was lost. Some people might have been tempted to just keep quiet and keep the insurance payoff.

But not Norman. "I'm going to return the insurance money," he said.