Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1892-04-07
question, for he did not reply imme
diately, and with reluctance directed
us to the High Street, and told us to
inquire there OF some one else.
CHAPTER II.

our appearance attracting good
deal OF attention, and creating some
amusement and speculation doubtless.
Persons on the opposite side OF the
road stopped to look across
at us, Others regarded us
asllant i'll passing, and turned
around to watch our progress, a few
children followed us, thinking maybe
that We were about to give some kind
OF S rect entertainment.
We found bank, and streamed in,
a small crowd collecting round the
door. as it swung to behind the Kid.
The clerks suspended t heir operations,
and looked at us in open-mouthed as
tonish!nent as we ranged ourselves
along he counter.
''ls the manager OF this concern in?"
asked the judge. Glands Off" he
added. in Il roar, as the Kid, slipping
! her 1.-the hand under the brasswork
! protecting rheCounter, began to finger
| the scales.
The Kid, unmoved, satisfied her
curiosity, then, withdrawing her hand,
| rested her elbow on the
counter, and, dropping her chin in the
palm. gazed at the clerks with stolid
Indifference
The manager is in; what do you
WANT" asked the clerk.
Let up, Israel" said the Judge,
falling back a step, and waving his
hand significantly toward Van
| Hoeck.
1--WE wish to negotiate a loan on
the security OF large diamond that
we have brought home from the
cape" said Van Hoeck.
Eight hundred and twenty carats,
fust water" added the Judge; the
verse;"
There was a whispered consulta-
tion amongst the clerks, and one
went into a private room at the
back OF the bank, from which he
presently returned with the mana
| ger.
81 am the manager; what do you
want?'
Van Hoeck repeated his statement.
"And what security can you give
me that the diamond is genuine, -
asked the manager with a pleasant
smile, cor that it is legitimately yours
to dispose Of"
"You will allow, sir, if any one he'd
! lost a stone OF this kind he would
i have made it on safe for us to walk
about with it IN daylight" replied
| the Judge. "and as for it's bein' genu-
inc, you kin hev the security OF your
own eyesight.'
81 do not profess to be a Judge of
diamonds, and I can have nothing to
| do with it," said the manager detini-
lively.
We strpamed out OF that bank as
we had streAmed into it, and tried
! the manager telling us that transac-
/ tions OF such {; kind were altogether
beyond the range OF his business; and
We found third, but the mHnager
was absent, and. by this time, being
I convinced that the plan we had pro-
posed was impraeticable, we put our
: heads together in counsel at the
/ corner OF the street to determine
| what course we should take.
| We were disguised Will SOuthamp-
! ton, and, had we possessed the means
we should have gone on at once to
London, where we might have found
some former acquaintance to help us
out OF our present difficulty. But we
had nothing in the world but the
things we stood upwright in,
and the great diamond. For
GU" smaller finds and our
implements we had sold at Natal to
make up enough to pay our steerage
home, and our spare clothes, our
knives, every available thing, we had
bartere,l away in our passage fOrfoOd
to supplement- the miserably insutiici-
ent steerage fare.
Eve kin not pawn the Kid" said
the Nudge. lend that's about the only
perkisir as we could we'll do without"
1t was now near upon three O'Clock.
and We felt the need OF food, having
eaten nothing since six, when our last
rations We're served out to US on the
Southern Cross. Our position was q
desperate one. With millions in our
possession, we might starve in the
street, or have to take refuge in the
workhouse. 1t was odd, indeed, and
very unpleasant also. At length. be
ing unable to see any way out OF our
difficulty, we made our way to Il pc.
lice station, and laid our case before
the inspector.
"Wc!, my good fellows" said he,
having heard us out, 81 don't see how
Pm to help you. The Mayor is the
proper person to 90 to, but he's away
Yachting. The only party 1 can think
OF" he added after Il moments reilec-
ton, "who might serve you, is Sir Ed
mund Lascelles. He's got kind ofmu
scum and buys up curlosities, Lknow;
and a kind old gentleman he is, too
Now, if he's at home
We asked him hurriedly where Sill
Edmund lived, and he replied that il
was out Lymington way-Monken
Abbey-ei-hy or nine miles, and any
one could tell us the way.
Well, there was nothing better to be
done; so we got the directo or to give
us a more definite direction, and then
started Off in search of the Abbey
The Judge swinging along ahead at a
good four miles an hour, the Kid had
to trot to keep up with us; but gave
her my hand, and she did not com