San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1889-12-14
THE DIAMOND BUTTON
FROM THE DIARY OF LAWYER AND THE
NOTE BOOK OF A REPORTER.
By BARCLAY NORTH.

Copyrighted, 1889, by o. NJ. Durham Published
by special arrangement through The American
Press Assocation.)
heard that notice OF a claim TO Persons
estate on behalf of James Preston has
been made before the surrogate What
is there in it,
The old man looked at him sharply
and not with pleasant expression.
who are your"
Bryan, of The SOL"
"Ob, reporter, hey" replied the old
man, with grin and an expression of
relief. "You reporters are very sharp
The notice was only filed within the
hour"
"Oh, yes, we lay pretty close for the
news. But what is there in it?''
"WeIl, think there is a good deal in
it, or the notice wouldn't have been
filed. A lawyer would naturally say
that after he had taken up a clients case,
wouldn't he? However, the matter is
not in such form yet that can talk about
it, especially without conference with
the counsel who bears the leading part.
can say this, that the notice was filed
merely as a precautionary step, don't
care to say anything about it or have
anything said now. If you will promise
to say nothing now, when the matter
comes up I'll give you the inside of it ex-
clusively. That's what you young meD
want-a beat-isnt it?''
Eyes. that's what we are always look
ing for" replied Tom. "Tll keep my
promise, if you will ! know there will
be great story. The old man Pierson
lived double life
"What do you know about it," in
quired the old man fiercely.
mot very much, to be sure ! know
he used to pass under another name at
one time"
"You do? What name?"
Fountain, coolly replied Tom. This
was reckless and audacious assump-
ton upon the part of Tom. He knew
nothing of the kind.
Fountain, did you say" queried the
old man, knitting his brows, deeply in
terested. when, and how long ago."
"Oh, that is my secret"
What else do you know about Pier
SOM"
That's about ali. learned it by &C
cident. know why he assumed tit
was because he wanted to marry a wo-
man under that name"
The face of the old man took on
an expression of serious alarm. Tom
watched him narrowly.
"Ah, had he any children?" asked the
old man.
Eyes, think So A son and daugh-
ter"
"A daughter" repeated the old man.
and now he seemed puzzled. II think,
Mr.. Bryan, you have information of
great value to us-more value than you
know. Cannot we go to some quiet
place where we can. exchange conf
dences? | should not be surprised if
your information were worth paying for
handsomely"
Tom felt that he was getting into shall
low water, for he had been drawing upon
his imagination for his facts, led to go
on from the evident alarm he was caus-
ing the old man.
1t was not his purpose to go further,
so he said:
Il am always on the make, if l can do
it squarely, Mr.. Parker. | have no OBJ
lection to giving you all the information
possess on the subject. But cannot
go now; | have an important engage
ment at which am already overdue"
Can we not meet this evening"
Encouragement again"
Tomorrow, then. No, not tomorrow.
have engagements out of town. This
is Thursday; make it Monday next, at II,
at this spot"
''All right. This place is convenient
for me-"
lone moment, Mr.. Bryan. Do you
know where the son-Fountain, you
KNOWS now
Il do not know, but l could obtain
knowledge easily, think"
Very well. Don't fail me on Mon
day"
Tom hurried away, glad to escape, for
from sense of pure mischief he had
been led into this encounter.
"TH have to concoct story" he said
to himself, land meet the old man on
Monday. may learn something of
value. But what was it in my lie that
disturbed him so? Let me see; he is
making a claim on behalf of that old
drunkard on the ground that the old sot
is a brother of the late Pierson. Now. if
that is so, one of them bears an assumed
name. Which? From his disturbance
when said Pierson had once been known