The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1882-01-14

ject as gentle as May mornin'.
''But my new friend didn't like the idea
at all, kicked and cavorted like vicious
mustang, sayin' nothin' would induce
him 10 part with jewel given him by u
deceased mother ON her deathbed. / was
all timed streaked at this, you bet, and
couldn't help r.hectin' how curious twas
that them boys who care the least about
what their parents when livin' should be
so all fired sentimental about their wishes
when dead.
"However, didn't abandon my reso-
luton, and invited my new friends to
dine with me on the morrow. Meantime
l could neither eat nor sleep, thinkin' OF
that diamond, aud when It's proprietor
came 10 dinner next day lookin' mighty
down in the mouth, and tellin' he had
lost ten thousand dollars at faro, with a
cuss that won nineteen times runnin',
couldn't help chucklin' to myself, for 1
knew / had him then.
ITO be sure he put aside the diamond
question entirely at first, but on re tflectin'
that bis debts Of bonor must be paid, he
finally caved in parted with it, kissin' it
again and again, with tears in his eyes,
for ten thousand dollars cash, first maxi
in mu promise that I would give him the
option of repurchasing it at the same
price, addin' seven per cent. intert st for
the time had laid ont of my money. l
own felt pretty hunky over my bargain,
and before we parted proposed game
of euch:e. I must say, that ere game
was caution, and no mistake. 1t SEEM
ed square enough, but the cards ccrain-
ly did run agin' me in queer way. So,
after losing big pile, 1 thought it time
to give over, aud went to bed, consulin
myself with the fact that the diamond
was mine.
Next mornin' 1 kind O. weakened when
my friends didn't drop in to breakfast,
and / made tracks for d big lnpidary down
town, who, after examinin' the gem, told
me coolly that it was about the best bo-
gus diamond he had ever seen, but that
sham it was, and no mistake.
Il guess, sir, my language was pretty
plain, and l nigh cussed all the wool off
of my new oveIcoat. to think that /, Gen.
Galush Belcher, of the Golden State, had
been done by them New York beats, VIII,
suddenly an idea struck me all of heap.
inquired where the biggest diamond
merchant in the city hung out, and, af-
ter showin' him my bogus stone and
swearin him to secrecy, asked him if he
could find me real diamond like it.
HE promised to do his level best to
match it, and, sure enough. be did 70
within four hours. chargin' me Twelve
thousand dollars for the GEM 1 had it
set in the pin in place of the bogus stone,
and, putin the bogus in my pocket, ,
walked into the bar of my hetel. As I
had judged, there was more than two in
the little spec had suffer, d from. My
friend and his friend had made clean
tracks, but Narn't discouraged When l
heard the conversation still runnin' OF
diamonds.
"'Yes, Stree, says one cuss dressed
ont like thunder, 1 guess them big st nes
is mostly false casting ut the same time,
snaky glance of my pin.
"Bnt went on quiet, takin' my rog
and paying no attention. How, yer,
they wouldn't let me alone, and pres mt.
ly got up bet among themselves about
their stones, and pitched upon me as
umpire, for, says one young bloc d
guess that air stranger as wears the X oh
i-noor ought to understand the subject.
Il see my mice WIS takin' pibble, Sc
I says: 'Gcntlemen, dent know nothin
about small pertaters, them bits O. stonei
may or may not be genuine; but If yor
want to bet your bottom dollar on dia
monds, guess I'll take the pool
They kinder sniggered at this. anc
one Of tEem said, says he, Stranger,
guess that stone cum to big pile now
didn't it?'
Yes, SIR 1 answered. 'One Of you
elegant New York gentlemen sold noe ths
air gem for ten thousand dollars, cas-
down.
'At this they sniegered again, ard
lettih on that was riled, turned shar
on en-, and says I, L don't know, gentle
men. what you STE to sniRger at.
"The one of them-tbe softsst spoke
--sOys. quite solemn-like, says he: :
fear, sir, its no laughing matter for ycT
5 l reckon you dir stranger, and suspet
I same rascals in ihe city have stuck yo
with IN imitation stone
"At this pretended to get my daHd'
; mp, and swore pretty free that hougl
A the stone of . perfect gentleman, and La
, no end of trouble to get him to part wit
it, Wal, the upshot of the matter WI
t that they offered to bet thousand do
= lars that my diamond was bogus, snd II
matter TO be decided by any jeWtl'
: named by the proprietor Of the hotel, :
y Then fel; bad en-, and, trrnin' on ii
= sharp, says l, Lookee here, Pentlemei
D bets of thousand dollars aTegood euoug
: for 1mall game, but when my word
s Questioned and my properly run down,
back my bottom dollar or notLin' on II
J result
t "They KEEP their faces pretty s!raigh
. but see their eyes glistenin', and Ikne
e bad 'em sure.
= lone on 'em put MP ten Thousand I
once, another struck in and said. as
y didn't seem satisfied With small bets.
/, would back his friends opinion for fiN
Q thousand And as KEEP riled, an sal
l wasn't going to show MY pin und,
4 twenty thousand, they scraped mp eigl
a te Ii thousand among them. / covvre
I the money and banded it over with III
D pin and written memorandum TO ii
proprietor. A lspidary vas named an
n -