Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1891-01-16
THE DIAMOND CUTTER.
BY HELEN FORREST GRAVES.

BY HELEN FORREST GRAVES.
*'He S an lmpostor," said Mrs. Bagley,
<'that's what he is! 1t don't take no
second sight to find that out!"
"He's not" said Miss Dodd. scDo
you think there is no truth in physioe-
nomy|
otis an old DODGE" said Mrs. Bagley,
quivering with indignation, until every
fold in her fat double chin shook amain.
@'I've often read of it in the papers, and
I should think, Martha Dodd, that you
were old enough"
''Not SO old as you be-" bristled Miss
Dodd. eff you come to that, there's
eight good year between US yet, Jane
Bagley."
"Well, we'll" said Mrs. Bagley, re-
treating before this weIl-organized at
tack, "that amt nothin' to signify!'
"No," said Miss Dodd, magnani-
mously. cage is neither here nor there
What mean is that he's got a good face. y
$50 much of it as amt covered by that
mop of heathenish beard" SAID Mrs.
Bagley.
''And the garden needed a half days
work awful bad, and fifty cents and a
meal O victuals won't break neither of
us, went on Miss Dodd.
'Oh, if you've mind to put it that
wayw said her sister.
And so the matter was settled.
"Give it to him on the barn-door step, :"
Mrs. Bagley urged. 'tIn a tin platter.
And let him stir his coffee with a stick.
/ won't risk Grandmother Dodd's fiddle
stemmed spoons with no tramps. And
tell him not to he all day eatin' it,
'Time's money, when you're payin' for
it, Bagley used to say"
Miss Dodd, however, piled a liberal
ration of cold fricasseed chicken, cucum-
Der pickles, home-baked bread and sweet
yellow butter on the tin pie-dish, and
sweetened the coffee literally before she
carried it out to the old man with the
Objectionable beard, the dusty shoes and
the well-worn clothing, who was humbly
waiting in the shadow of the old apple
tree by the barn.
''He looks just exactly like one O.
them old picters of apostles in the fam
lily Bible" said Miss Dodd, as she
came back with the empty platter and
cup.
Mrs. Bagley rolled her eyes upward.
''My goodness me. Martha" said she,
eff that amt up and down blasphemous,
/ dunno what is.
81 didn't mean it that way" said Miss
Dodd. 'But he has u mild eve, and he
thanked me as pleasant as a basket of
chips. And just look at the way he's
pullin' them frost bitten lima beans out
of the ground!'
81 hope he won't carry our best spade
and rake away with him." sighed Miss
Bagley.
"Guess there's no danger of that"
cheerfully spoke Miss Dodd "He's a
diamond cutter"
''What?" said Mrs. Bagley.
''By trade" said Miss Dodd. "That's
what he told me, anyhow. 1t was pretty
hard work to understand what he said,
but made out somehow"
"Where does he carry his diamonds?"
gasped Mars. Bagley.
La! he don't cut diamonds for him
self, said Miss Dodd, laughing. "That's
"AAU hO OOCo III Ills udl1Vo COuQCrV-Or
what he did until big diamond syudi-
cate in London bought up all the pre-
clous stones last spring, and threw six
thousand diamond cutters out of work
in Poland and Belgium and them furrin'
parts"
"Bless mel" said Mrs. Bagley.
"And he come to this country because
be heard, poor creetur'! that everybody
made fortunes here, went on Miss Dodd,
making a maelstrom of silver white soap
'uds in the big tin dishpan, and i'm
nerslng the knives and forks therein
with gentle clatter. "And now he's |
got to his last crust and his last penny.
md there won't no one listen to his story.
And he's had dogs set on him for
ramp, and been threatened with con-
stables and no end of trouble. [ did !
eel sorry for him."
''Did you, auuty? That is Just like |
Tou, you dear!'' cried sweet voice.
so do Il"
Miss Dodd staggered beneath the un-
hug and kiss of a round checked |
eighteen -year-old girl, who had come
'reezlly into the sink-room, flnging her
lat and sacque this way and that.
"Child,' said she, ''what do you
NOW about it2"