The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1885-04-08
sANDYs DIAMOND.

"Now, Sandy, it's your turn; why
don't you read? have you lost the
place?"
Sandy Strengthened the tails OF hi:
ragged coat with an air of conscious
virtue; he was not given to losing
his place, whatever the others might
be. Now, Judas said this, not be.
cause he cared for the poor, but be-
cause he was a thief, and had the
bag" he read out in shrill treble
1T was an awful pity they let him
keep the bag, then" he added by
way of comment.
"Maybe they'd no ken he was a
thief" suggested his neighbor, who
was Sandy's chief friend and ally
"and maybe you wad have helped
yosrseta bit now and again, Sandy,
if you'd had as good chance"
Speak for yoursel, Sam Knox, q"
was Sandyis lofty letort. I'm no
thief, at any rate"
"Boys, attend to the lesson" in
terrupted the teacher, and the de-
bate had perforce to be postponed
for the present.
Sandy marched home after school
swelling with indignant pride, utter
" declining Sans usual escort. The
two were friends more from force of
circumstances than natural affinity.
Both earned scanty income in
London, carrying parcels and mes
sages from the railway to the differ
ent quays; but though they held
the same profession, and were COM
rades to a certain extent, Sandy by
no means considered Sam in the
light af an equal; his clothes were
many degrees more ragged, his
shoes thing of the past, or future,
and in point OF family connections
well, there could be no comparison
between Sans drunken father and
his own thrifty, hardworking moth
er. Decidedly Sam must be made
to understand that he was not to
disparage his .superiors in public
with impunity-
The GOODNESS lasted some days and
might have lasted much longer. but
for startling adventure that befell
Sandy. Trudging round the dock
at the edge of dusk one evening,
with a huge package for coasting
steamer, his foot struck against
something-something that glittered
in the dim light. "Justa bit of glass"
he said to himself, turning it over
with the toe of his shoe and then
he dropped his burden with crash
and swooped down upon his ''find."
1t was a ring, dull and tarnished
with mud, but neither crushed nor
broken, and the ''bit of glass" was
the stone. 1t cleaned out like the
windows on the opposite shore at
sunset. In his younger days, before
he became such practical person.
he had firmly believed that Paradise
lay over there he knew better now,
but for a MON ent as 1T lay on his
palm, he almost fancied it must
have come from that region.
Only for a moment; then Sandy
was his cautious little self again.
He rolled it up carefully with the
private store of half-pence that even
his mother, worthy woman, did not
know OF, shouldered bis package and
delivered it at the tiny booking Of
flee at the end of the quay, sturdily
argued out the question of an addi-
tional penny on account of its size
with the clerk, and got it, and then
he took himself to solitary corner
Of the dock wall AID sat down be-
hind a sugar cask to consider mat
tiers.
First and foremost, should be tell
his mother? /? He rather thought not.
Shesmight insist upon delivering i'll
up to the authorities, and taking the
chapce of possible reward and
Sandy had an exceedingly uncom-
Portable conviction that that was just
what he ought to do. Yet he re-
mem bered a boy-who found a pock-
etbook on the gangway, and the own
er only gave him shilling for it;
and another who found telescope
and got nothing. Sandy felt that for
tune lay within his grasp, and that
if he had TO barter it away for one
shilling, or even five, il would be
paying too dearly for principles.
He had heard of rings being worth
of pounds, and if this was
worth but one, or even, to be safer
still, fifty. The tide rippled in
below his feet UNDECIDED, the long
line of gas lampstwinkled like yel-
low stars in the black, restless river,
the keen wind vhistled through the
rigging behind Sandy saw and felt
nothing, wrapped in biissful visions |
Of that modest fly. u sc
zrfer two whole days be carried the |
secret alone, then bis responsibility |
became too heavy, and tacitly ig-
noling the differences, he waited on
The quay one dinner hour for Sam
Knox, binding him over to strict Sc
@eey, though on that head he had
mtk to fear, for Sam, whatever his
hi1ings might be, had never been
known to do shabby thing to q
friend.
Tam, I've got something to tell
YOU; I've had a find"
One bawbee or twa?" queried
1sm indifferently.
"Just wait till you get asight of
IT, It's worth more bawbees than
you eyer saw all your days.