West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1888-02-16
THE DIAMOND CRESCENT.

The day was bitter cold. and the
crowds hurrying along Broadway turned
neither To right nor TO left in their haste
to reach home and the comforts of the
freside.
was sitting in my office on the
ground floor, watching the restles people
and philosophizing as / have a habit of
doing upon the differences in human
cond ton, when my attention was sud-
denly arrested by n child wearing unon
her breast superb diamond crescent of
purest water and brillancy. Before I
had time to formulate any opinion as fo
how so magnificent jewel could have
come into the possession of a child. or To
wonder why its parents or guardians
permitted 1t to wear such valuable
trinket upon the public streets an officer
had the little one in his grasp.
Looking at it nationally, nothing
would have seemed more probable than
that the child was thief, for did NOT
fail to notice in my first glance that her
garments, although scrupulously neat
were far from expensive, nevertheless an
unaccountable excitement took posses.
sion OF me, and Irushed to her assistance
demanding of the officer authoritatiyelv'
Upon what charge do you make this
arrest9'
Instinctively recognizing a friend. the
termed child besought me not to allow
the officer to take her to Jail.
look at that pin, the little thiefw
the officer said roughly, making a move.
ment to drag the child away.
stop L commanded, Indignantly
now, Tor had made up my mind that
the child should at least have bearino
'Who says she is thief"
81 say so, returned the officer sbarnlv
know em, these street gamins, and a
precious lot they are! She's a regular
one, this one is.
''Indeed, sir, am not thief Oh 7
am not, / am not ] didn't mean TO do
wrong. wanted TO find my own mana
that Miss Adele says the crescent will
surely find"
The officer laughed coarsely. "That
Is hne, isn't itf Highly dramatic for one
30 young. You see 1 know EN-; they
come in all ages from"
"Offcer,"l interrupted him. for a
crowd was gathering now, despite the
biting cold, and did not mueb eniov
my position as one Of the central figures
''step with me into my Office while we
hear the little ones story. / am con.
vinced that you have no more riorbt IN
arrest this child because she wears a costly
ornament when walking quietly alons,
the public street than you would have to
arrest the wife or daughter Of n million.
aire under like circumstances. Yop
know who am, and il the facts do not
corroborato the story this child tells +
promise to deliver her over to You in tho
next few hours"
"All right" said the officer. ntake
her; you'll be wiser in The next twenty.
four hours, lll wager"
And so ] was, but not Just ne the Of.
hcer anticipated. The child told me n
singular story between her sobs. and
facts proved 1t strictly true. Indeed. as
had the little one i'm my Office before
the FIRE, warm and comfortable cxccpt
Tor the effects OF her fright. 7 had timc
10 see that her features and expression
were th0se OF young princess of the
blood, clear-cut exquisite and truthful
She was as far removed from the vouth.
ful unfortunates brought up in vice and
crime as is heaven from earth.
The gist OF her story was that She wa.
n great mans daughter, and the only way
she would ever find her papa was bv the
crescent, which he would recognize She
lived with Miss Adele, q music teacher.
and they had very little money. Miss
Adele had cried that morning because
their coal was nearly gone and she had no
money TO buy more.
'When Adele had gone out put tie
crescent on, aud g inc 90 find papa. for 7
knew that if De saw that he would buv ug
some more wood and coal " the child
conhdod 20 me earnestly
] hailed q cab az The conclusion OF the
tale and took the child TO fhc.ttsc Z apd
number given me- tal. graceful
woman Of twenty-five or thcicabout vel
coined us with emotion.
"Why, my dear Eva, she cried. clasp.
ing the child 20 hen. "whcro have Won
bccni / have been almost crazy with
anxiety about you"