, 1886-07-31
THE DIAMOND DOLLAR.

magazine IN her zap ana smiled NJ ner
gray bearded mentor on the opposite side
of the street car. She smiled with her
whole face-dimpled chin, red cheeks,
full lips; even the eyes behind the con-
yex glasses of her pince nez twinkled.
''Thank you," she said, shutting the
book softly, Il know it. i was merely
CHANGING at the pictures"
Then she turned her amused glance
toward the front part of the car, and met
the eyes Of the driver staring straight ut
her. His face lighted up when her glance
met his, and with his rough glove he
patted the left side of his coat, as though
it shielded something which concerned
her.
The car was one Of those little wheeled
boxes locally known as the Pound Gap
Bob-tails, " which ply between Cincinnati,
o., and its Kentucky suburb, Newport.
The driver, sole autocrat, dividing his
time among the mules. his passengers and
the small boys who everywhere mark bob
tail cars for their own, was mufiled to the
mouth in an old oilskin coat, bclted Mt the
waist with n leather strap. His cap was
pulled down to shield his face from the
rain, into the teeth of which he was
forced to drive, and when he entered the
car to collect the fares his heavy cowhide
boots completed a grotesque picture. which
would have attracted attention even in
Castle Garden. Evidently he cared less
for style than for comfort.
"What is the fare to Newport"
s'Ten cents, please"
/ started at the musical voice, and
looked at the man closely.
"Wh-a-ty' | said, mot Ferguson, of
The Gazetteer
'Same party, dear boy, same party"
He laughed in the honest, whole-souled
way that | knew so well, rang the bell of
his punch twice, smiled Mt the pretty girl,
who seemed to enjoy my surprise, and
then clattered out to his place ut the
brake, where 1 presently joined him.
"This is rough, Ferguson, deuced
rough-S12 II week and seventeen hour
a dayl Can't you do better than thisS''
"Classical occupation, dear boy. One
of the children of Greek mythology, you
will remember, aspired to drive n car-his
fathers car, but while his route was
trihe dryer than mine"-
sit was not necessary for him to make
d guy OF himself in cowhide boots. That
girl inside is laughing Mt you.n
81 know it. She always does when she
rides with me-
He looked through the glass door of the
car, and again patted the side of his coat
when he met the young woman's eye.
The gesture seemed to please her.
"Another case of the maiden and the
coachmnn,n remarked Ferguson as he
slowed up to take on n passenger. Evil
IDENTIFY he had lost zone OF his high spirits
since he had driftcd out of journalism into
street car service. But seriously now,
don't you know hery''
'No, l cannot say that l do" l said,
severely.
ssThat's Virginia.
l looked again at the girl. She was as
charming n specimen of young woman
hood us Is often met with even in the cul-
tured parts Of Kentucky. The i~nfantile
checks and dimpled chin toned down the
severity of her eyeglasses, and from the
brown plume in her hat to the narrow toe
of her shoe she was what is popularity
known as stylish" Du Maurier might
have copied her pose for that of one of
his high-brcd women.
Eyes, sir, that's Virginia. You have
laughed Mt my verses TO her for three
years, and II we drop all the passengers
before the end of the route Is reached l
will take you inside and present you.
She knows you by name already. l
have talked with her about you n hun
dred times. She likes that little story Of
yours, The Cruise of the Mermaid, inn
menscly, and always looks up your col
umn the first thing in The Clarion.''
Then he seemed to drift into another
line of thought.
"Yes, sir, it is rough he said; eight
teen hours n day, seven days in the week,
is too many hours for q man to work;
but, thank God, l am donel This is my
Inst trip. / have something herc'-he
tapped the left side of his oilskin coat
again-"which has put me on my feet.
Virginia aud | had several blocks, alone,
together, this morning, and she knows.
That's what we are SO gay about. You
remember that Diamond Dollar"
Did | remember it, 1t was that 'Dia-
mond Dollar that cost Ferguson his desk
on The Gazette. Not more than two
months g he was rs dapper, well
dressed and apparently as successful "A
man as there was in the Cincinnati repor-
torial fraternity. His duty was the cover
ing Of the news along the river fronts of
the Kentucky towns facing md above
Cincinnati, and, being n graceful writer,
he managed to get in n column or two of
breezy special matter on miscellaneous
subjects each week, every column of such
matter being II clean addition of So to his
not princely salary.
1t was . o'clock one Thursday night
when word came over the telephone wires
from the fire chieftain's Office that the
towboat Greyhound was burning at her
landing, three miles above Newport. In
fifteen minute came the supplementary
report that her entire tow Of seven barges
was doomed, and that John Stacey and
'Stumpy,n the cook, were missing-pre-
sumably burned with the wreck.
"Fergu.on can have two columns for
that complacently remarked the city
editor. "Here, Newport, get n rig; jump
out there; find Ferguson me help him.
Get in ms much ms possible before IL,
and, If 1t promises good matter after that,
wire the facts. We will dress them up"
At 1880 o'clock l was again Mt the
Office with the skeleton article. The fire
had taken place early in the afternoon.
Three lives and 500, 900 worth of property
were lost. | had seen nothing OF Fergu-
son.
But while | was making n hasty oral
report TO this effect Ferguson strollcd into
the office. lie was at peace with himself
and the world, and his stlff, white collar
lifted itself Immediately above his black
tie and unruflled shirt front.
Nothing moving" he said, airily, as
he placed the days report oil the EDITORS
desk. Everything dead along the river
to-day
"No fights nor ~lresy'' asked the city
editor in his blandest tones.
"Nothing; but here Is n little special
that will look well in the Sunday supple
ment. l have been up at the library look
ing up points for ii all afternoon. With
n scare head-frst line, THE Diamond
Dollarv-it will prove ms good matter as
nctunl news, and"
"There is no actual news, them
"Nothing Of importance"
By this time the telegraph man, the
managing editor, half Of the local force,
and even one or two Of the BREWER writers,
had dritted into the city room, where they
noatcd about airlessly, waiting for the
explosion that was to lift the unfortunate