Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1884-11-06

Kimberley with view to his profas-
sion, and had then, rs is the case with
all the world that goes to Kimberley,
! gone into diamonds. Diamonds had
| become more to him than either briefs
or pleadings He mad been there for
| fifteen years, and had ruined himself
and made himself half dozen times.
| He had found diamonds to be more
| pleasant than law, and to be more COM
| patible with champagne. timed lob
sters and young ladies. He had mar
ried wife, and had parted with her.
and taken another mans wife, and PAID
| for her with diamonds. He had then
possessed nothing, and had Afterwards
coma forth thlrd-part owner OF the
important Stick-in-the-Mud claim,
which at one time was paying twelve
] per cent per month. 1t must be I'M
derstood that the Stick-in-the-Mudc claim
was an almost infinlteslmal portion OF
| soil in the Great Kimberley mine It
/ was but the sixteenth part OF an origi-
nal subdivision. But from the center
of the GREAT basin, or rather bowl,
which forms the mine, there ran up two
wires to the high mound erected on the
circumference, on which continually
two iron cages were travelling up and
down, coming back empty, but going
ND laden with gemmiferous dirt. Here
Travelled the diamonds of the Stick-in-
/ the Mud claim, the owner OF one-thlrd
of which, Mr.. Fitzwalker Tookey, had
| come home with John Gordon.
Taking first general glance at al
| fairs in the damond-tields, L doubt
whether we should have been inclined
to suspect that John Gordon and Fitz-
walker Tookey would have been likely
to come together as partners in dla-
mond speculation. But John Gordon
| had in the course of things become
owner of the other two shares, and
when Fitzwalker Tookev determined to
come home he had done so with the
object of buying his partners interest.
This he might have done at once, only
that he suffered under the privation of
an insulficiency of means. He was a
man of great intelligence, and knew
well that no reader mode to wealth had
! ever presented itself to him than the
purchase of his partners shares. Much
was said to persuade John Gordon. but
/ he would not part with his documents
without seeing security for his money.
| Therefore Messrs. Gordon and Tookey
put the old Stick-in-the- Mud into the
| hands of competent lawyers, and came
| home together.
liam not at all sure that lshall sell, :"
John Gordon had said.
But [ thought that you offered it. :"
eyes; for money down. For the
sum named l will sell now. But if
start from here without completing the
bargain, shall keep the option in my
own hands. The fact is. do not know
whether [ shall remain in England or
return. If l do come back l am not
likely to find anything better than old
Stick-in-the- Mud" To this Mr. Tookey
assented, but still he resolved that he
would 90 home. Hence it came to pass
that Mr.. Fitzwalker Tookey was now
in London. and that John Gordon had
to see him frequently. Here Tookey
had found another would-be partner,
who had the needed money, and it was
fervently desired by MIR. Tookey that
John Gordon might not go back to
South Africa.
The two men were not all alike in
their proclivities; but they had been
/ thrown together, and each had learned
much of the inside life of the other.
The sort of acquaintance with whom a
steady man becomes intimate in such a
locality often surprises the steady man
himself. Fitzwalker Tookey had
the antecedents and education OF
a gentleman. Champagne and lobster
suppers-the lobster coming out of tin
cases-diamonds and strange ladies,
even with bloated cheeks and strong
language, had not altogether destroyed
the vestiges of the Temple. He, at
any rate, was fond of companion
| hiC
glish regrets, and John Gordon was
not inclined to shut himself up alto
gether among his precious stones, and
to refuse the conversation of man
who could talk. Tookey had told him
of his great distress in reference to his
wife, .sBy George! you know, the
cruelest thing YOU ever heard in the
world! was little tight one night,
and the next morning she was off with
Atkinson, who got away with his
pocket full of diamonds. Poor girl!
she went down to the Portuguese set
Element, and he was nabbed. He's do
ing penal service now down at Cape
Town. That's kind OF thing that
does upset fellow" And poor Fitz-
walker began to cry.
Among such condolences Gordon al
lowed it to escape from him that. were
he to become married in England he
did not think it probable that he should
return. Thus it was known. at least to
his partner that he was going TO look
for wife, and the desire in Mr..
Jockeys breast that the wife might be
forthcoming was intense. ''Well.' he
said, Immediately on Gordon's return to
London.
s.What does 'well' mean?''
'Of course you went down there to
look al. Ter the lady?"
Il have never told you so'
.'Rut you did-did YOU not?''
Il have told you nothing ABOUT any
lady, though you are constantly asking
questions. AS fact, l think / shall &C
back next month"
ITO Kimberley?''
81 think so. The stake / have there
is of too great Importance to be aban,
doned."
: Il have the money ready to pay ovel
absolute cash on the nail. You dom,
call that abandoning it?''
'.The claim has gone up in value
twenty-five per cent, as you have al
ready heard.''
Eyes; it has gone up a little, but not
80 much as that. 1t will come down as
much by the next mail. With diamonds
YOU never can stick to anything
"That's true. But you can only &C
by the prices as you see them quoted
They may be up twenty-five per cent
again by next mail. At any rate, an
going back"
THE dickens YOU are,''
ssThat's nv present idea As Iik.