The Grenada gazette. (Grenada, Miss.) 1885-18??, 1885-12-12

remember I don't set up for generous
l dothis because you're my luck"
"God knows, I never have been m,
own" said the young man.
sit looks like ycu haven. been," sal,
MIR. Baker. whats your nameP"
Smith," said the other. ''Johl
Smith"
Billy Baker winked and nodded.
"As good as another" he said
There, go and order yourself a first
class suit of clothes; and tell 'em t.
send the bill to me-Mr. Baker, Goa
Oil Billy; the richest man in Oil City
You're my secretary"
So the man who at dawn had beef
without hope, was placed by Provi
dence in o situation which was envia
BILE. He ought to have been grateful
He was only glad; and already, SO grea
was his longing for wealth, he began tt
envy his b%enefactor, who dismissed hin
with a wave Of his hands that made thu
diamonds fash again.
Those three diamonds would make
me rich," he said to himself.
1t was a queer kind Of luck that Coal
Oil Billy had taken to his bosom, had
be but known it.
l know nothing OF the work in Wall
street; of all its respectable gambling;
of the way men are ruined and made
rich there. l can only tell you that
Coal Oil Billy became q sort Of king in
that region, and that he was followed
by a train Of spectators, and made, in
his own person, a sort of trap or bait
for others. That, ignorant of the work
he was at, his great wealth had mys-
FERROUS power. That shares in a GER
tain mine rose and fell at the sound of
his name. That, without actually hold
ing money in his hand, he threw mill
ions about broadcast. Ask Wall street
what it means. do not know.
The Secretary had his little ventures,
and made a thousand dollars and
banked it; but was not happy. In
a safe of the room of his master was a
strong box full of gold. On his fingers,
on his breast, shone a fortune in dia-
monds. The thief's soul longed for
booty. Honest service, honest labor
pleased him not.
Often when Coal Oil Billy slept,
snoring wonderfully, the thin face of
John Smith bent over his bed. If he
had but slept so soundly that the dia-
mond could be taken from the thick
fingers, and the great throat where
they remained all night, they would
have been slipped off. But a touch
walked the man, and a pistol lay under
his pillow, and he was not intemper-
ate in his drink, though he was fond of
both wine and brandy.
At last, one night, MI. Baker came
in in a strange mood. He was silent;
he drank more than usual. He slept
heavily, A touch did not arouse him.
The Secretary felt that something
queer had happened, and the thief saw
his opportunity.
Sleeping in an adjacent room he
came and went at will. At his first
journey he transferred the sleeper's
pistol to his belt Assured that he was
safe, he touched the diamond at bis
employers throat. and it fell into his
hand. He drew the ring from the left
little finger without arousing his vic
tim. He drew the other of-not so
skillfully.
Coal Oil Billy started to his feet, and
sent a crashing blow into the thief's
face, and grappled with him at the
same moment; but the man was ready
He drew his pistol and fired. The
firm hold relaxed with a groan. Baker
fell heavily across the bed, and John
Smith fed.
In his own room he washedthelblood
from his face, stitched the diamonds
into his coat, and quietly left the hotel.
Fifty thousand dollars lay within
that black cloth lapel, if the estimate
that had been made of the diamonds
was correct. He was rich. No thought
of the kindness of his patron troubled
his conscience. Indeed, he had none
to trouble. The thief by nature is the
lowest order Of man. A gorilla has
more feeling, more sensibility.
To sell the diamonds and go to Eu-
rope was his dream-so easily realized,
as it seemed to him, with a change of
costume and a false mustache.
He lay in hiding for q few days, un-
til his bruised face was well. in a
clearinghouse, and then re-
assuming his good clothes, he made
his way to a diamond merchant. On
the card he sent in he had written a
name, which he had picked at
random from the list of arrivals on a
steamer from Europe. He left
the merchant to believe that he had
that had escaped the duties of
Custom House, and exhibited one of
his diamonds.
1T is a very splendid and expensive
he declared, "as you will see at
q glance
The Jewish diamond merchant shot
a keen glance from the black eyes
under his white eyebrows, and carried
the diamond to the light.
He returned with it in a moment
and placed it at his elbow.
f-LttJ L. . x.. ~ r..