San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1888-02-03

a form as this need not lose 100 carats.
Heavens!' he exclaimed, turning to us,
"you have the greatest treasure in the
world"
"Give me your hand, Thorne; hold
me-" said Van HOeck in a low voice, and
speaking thickly.
turned quickly, and caught him as
he reeled forward; for he had tainted,
either from the want OF food, from in
tense excitement, or both.
CHAPTER III.
When Van Heeck recovered, and the
baronet heard of our long fast, he took
us at once into the dining room, and had
us served with the best he could give. 1t
was a repast'to recompense us for our
long privations, and for time we fam
ished wretches forgot our treasure in the
keen, animal pleasure of satisfying the
craving of hunger. Sir Edmund sat at
the table with us, directing the servants.
who surely had never before waited upon
such strange company. One could see
that it was a real delight to this large
hearted man to see us eat and drink.
Miss Lascelles herself waited upon Van
Hoeck, attending to his wants with fem
mime tact and delicacy; his affliction APP
pealed to her womanly sympathy.
She was a tall and graceful girl, with
her fathers fair complexion, bright,
mirthful eyes, that added to the happy
expression of her face, and beautiful soft
brown hair, that took golden lights and
chestnut shadows in its undulation. She
looked you in the face with fearlessness
only possible to those who are perfectly
healthy and perfectly honest. To the
charm of physical beauty was added a
faultless manner-the complete self-com-
mand and unfailing grace inseparable
from lady of birth and education. She
was as courteous to us, who must have
seemed the veriest out-casts of society,
as though we were her equal. A true
lady can never be ungracious.
Her presence had an indescribable eff
feet upon my senses-the effect of fine
music after discord; | was conscious of
return from savagery to civilization.
But it was not until my gross appetite
was satisfied that became susceptible to
the new delight.
The baronet spoke not one word about
the diamond during dinner, but when it
was all over he said:
"Well, now we will go back to the IL
brary, and you shall come with us. Edith,
IL Will 10
you, for we have marvellous matter to
talk about"
In the library Miss Lascclles seated
herself beside her father, while we three
men sat facing them on the other side of
a small round table, on which l placed
the diamond. At little distance from
us there was lion skin on the floor, and
on this the Kid threw herself, and as she
lay there looking toward us, with her
chin resting in the palms of her hands
and her elbows planted in the fur, we
saw scarcely anything of her but her
great lustrous eyes, because of the
shadow thrown by the lamp-shade.
snow let us understand the position of
things to begin with, said Sir Edmund,
taking cigar, after handing the box to
us.
"This will explain a good DEAL said 1
putting In his hand the copy of our agree
ment.
He held it that his daughter might
read it with him, and having come to
the end said:
"Might ask which is the Judge"
That's me-" said Brace, with some
ance Committee in So"
Located as such for twenty years,
born in Cornwall"
''And Jan Van Hoeck?"
That's Israel" responded the Judge,
indicating Van Hoeck: land darkness
fell upon EN-" he added, explanatively.
During a short space of his eventful
career Brace had earned precarious ex-
istence as a travelling preacher.
sgrban upr Rarnar,l rbnrpn " tho
baronet said to me, ''and Lola is"
1.-The Kid" said Brace: cher mother
was greaser-a Mexicai," he explained
to Miss Lascelles. The dinner had warm
ed his spirits and loosened his tongue,
and he continued: 1--WE were drawed to-
gether at Cape Town by an advertise
ment in the paper. Our afflicted brother
wanted to stake his little pile upon
mining venture. He had studied the
thing scientifically; he had laid out a
kinder chart i'll his head, pricked down
where the great finds had been made,
sorter reasoned out the cause thereof,
end sot his mind firm as big find was
to be made in certain spot known only
unto himself. We conversed, and he
perceived without much difficulty, as he
he'd found the right sorter partner in me,
end he kinder left it with me to find a
third party to jine in the venture. /
spotted out Gentleman Thorne here
among a dozen. | liked the shape of his
chest and shoulders; liked the look of
his face; / see that though he was outer
luck, he was gentleman, every inch of
him; and l tell you, miss" he said, adj
dressing Miss Lascelles, THAT though j
amt no gentleman myself, back blood
and breedin' ag'in all creation. A man
like Gentleman Thorne, who has been
KEEP clean in his infancy, fed wholesome,
trained up in public school, and been
learnt to respect hisself and God AL
mighty, has better temper, more endur-
ance, more pluck and fightin' power to
overcome and win, than a dozen of the
muckers that bounce about bein' workin'
men," He paused moment to lei mis-
words make due impression, and then
continued, "GviIIieman Thorne had no
experience, but he had hundred pound
to put into the concern, and that fetched
Israel Just as much as his looks fetched
me. Israel had three hundred, | he'd
nothing in the shape of dollars, but l
threw in the Kid, which, being female,
was calculated to be useful unter us in
the nat'ral order of things. What we
he'd we lumpt in, and by written agree
ment drawed up mutual, we undertook
TO play it out to the bottom dollar and
the pint of starvation. We worked. sir
Io he G,ahHHsd'