Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1891-01-16

old man out there" cried Mary Moore,
piling her strap of books on the shelf,
for she was the district school teacher,
and had just returned from her work.
''He says he IS Belgian, and he looks
as if he'd just stepped out of picture
frame. I'd like TO paint his picture if l
had time. See how hard he is work
ing!" leaning her elbows on the window
sill and staring out, like a vignette
framed in scarlet--unner leaves.
81 dare say he knows we're all loolSo
at him" dryly observed Mrs. Bagley.
"a diamond cutter" thoughtfully ut
tered Mary. Doesn't it sound roman
tic2"
az s'pose," said Mrs. Bagley, &" it's as
easy a story to invent as any other"
But the majority was undoubtedly
against her, and when the night fell in a
brisk thunder-shower, and Mary went
out to the barn with lantern to invite
the poor old foreigner to share their sup
per and occupy a seven-foot-square bed
room at the end of an unused wing of
the farmhouse, Mrs. Bagley was COM
PEELED reluctantly to accord her consent.
81 dare say we shall all be murdered
in Our BEDS" said she, mournfully. "But
my opinion never did go for nothing in
this family. Have your own way, all of
you, and see where it will bring you!"
Old Hermann Ernst, however, was as
meek as a child and as harmless as
cricket. and extremely helpful withal.
He worked diligently at the long neglect
ed farm chores, mended the broken gates,
replaced missing fence pickets, patched
the well-chain and made himself useful
In all directions.
ga regular old TRIUMPH said Harry
Valance, who was engaged to marry
Mary, as soon as that imperious young
damsel should consider that she had
laid up enough money for her household
plenishing. 1.-The very person, I should
think, that your aunt needs about the
place. And he works very cheap, you
say?"
Fifty cents a day.: said Mary,
Struggling her shoulders. ''But Aunt
Bagley considers that ruinous price"
''He's not a young man." observed
Valance.
The next evening, when Mary was
looking over her little store of orna-
ments, she came across a dull white
stone, set in curious cable of furnished
metal. She took it up and looked ear
nestly at it.
81 wonder what old Hermann would
think of it," unused she. "I've always
felt curious about this old ring that be-
longed to my fathers uncle. I'll ask
Hermann. If it should be real gem
thought, of course, it isn't!"
The old man eyed it keenly, turning
it this way and that. Then he lifted
his faded blue orbs to Mary's earnest
face.
sis it a real diamondg" she queried,
eagerly.
Zone hardly knows" slowly spoke
Ernst. 81 wish, for, the fraulin's sake,
that it was. have not my instruments
here, nor my testing glasses. If the
fraulein does not object, will take it
to the jewelers. in Hungerford, and to-
gether we can tell"
To this Mary promptly consented;
and not until he had gone, did she divulge
this little plan to her aunts.
"Hell never come back said Mrs.
Bagley, with gr Dan. "Your diamonds
gone forever"
eff it is diamond" said Mary
cit amt, ard 1t never was" shrewdlv
spoke Miss Dodd.
Old Hermann trudged through the sun
and the dust to Hungerford, carrying
Moore's old ring in his
pocket.
"There is a jeweler there" he said to
himself, land I may get work And the
money my brother CARL has left me-the
money that came in a lawyers letter,
this morning from Bruges! 1t is not
fortune, true, but it will help. had
thought | would cease from toll and live
at my ease; but am quite strong yet
and who am l, to sit with folded hands,
while there is work to do in the world?
And the dear young fraulein has been
good to me, and she would not take
ong to give it to her! Hoch! she shall
'all into the trap old Ernst will set for
her. She shall marry and be happy"
The jeweler at Hungerford asked the !
diamond cutter good many questions. |
''You're the very fellow I want" said
lie. give an order from the ladies at |
Grange to reset parure of |
7ery fine stones, and 1 begrudge to share
ny profits with those constituencies fell
ows in New York. You can do fine
vork?"
GAS fine as any man" cried OLD
ernst, with professional PRIDE.
every well. I'll give YOU a trial. If