Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1894-03-16
CHAPTER II.


The clerks suspended their opera
mouthed establishment as we ranged
ourselves along the counter.
ais the manager of this concern
IMP" asked the Judge-"Hands OF, +"
he added. in u roar, as the Kid,
slipping her 1.-the hand under the
brasswork protecting the counter.
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.
1.-The manager is in, what do you
wantP" asked the clerk.
"Let up. Israel" said the Judge,
falling back a step. and waving his
hand significantly toward Van Hoeclh.
1--WE wish to negotiate loan on the
security OF large diamond that We
have brought homo from the cape"
said Van Hoeck.
Eight hundred anu twenty carats,
fust water" added the Judge; "the
grandest stone in this almighty uni
versew
There was q whispered consulta-
ton among the clerks, and ono went
into private room at the back of
the bank from which he presently re-
turned with the manager.
IL am the manager; what do you
wantPn
Van Hoeck repeated his statement
"And what security can you give
me that the diamond is genuine?"
asked the manager, with 4 pleasant
smile. cor that it is legitimate y
yours to dispose of"
You will allow, sir, II anyone had
lost stone OF this kind he would
have made it unsafe for us to walk
about with it in the dayEght," re-
piled the Judge, ''and as for its bein'
genuine, you kin hev tho security OF
your own eyesight."
II do not process to be a judge of
diamonds, and | can have nothing to
do with it," said the manager dedni-
lively.
We were disguised with Southamp-
ton, and, had we possessed the means.
should have gone on at once to Lon
don, where we might have Ound
some former acquaintance to help Us
out of our present difficulty. But we
had nothing-nothing in the world
but the things we stood upright in
and the great almond. For our
smaller finds and our implements We
had sold at Natal to make up enough
to ay our Storage home, and oar
spare clothes, our knives, every
available thing we had bartetel away
on our passage for food TO supple
ment the miserablY insufficient steer
age fare.
ave kin not pawn the Kid" said
the Judge, lend that's about the only
perkisit as we could well do with
out"
1t was now well upon three o'clock.
and we felt the need of food, having
eaten nothing since six. when our
last rations were served out to us on
the Southern Cross" Our position
was q desperate one. With millions
Al Jul lOoSOSSlOhs We ~ VOL y AL
the street or have to take refuge in
tho work house. 1t was odd, indeed.
and very unpleasant also. At length.
being unable to see any way out of
our difficulty, we made our way 10 q
police-station and laid our case be-
fore the Inspector.
We'll, my good fell3ys," said he,
hos vino haur1 nrts IL Il
how I'm to help you. The mayor is
the proper person to go to, but he's
away yachting. The only person
can think OF. he added, after mo-
ments reflection, "who might serve
you is Sir Edmund Lascelles. He's
got kind OF museum, and buys up
curiosities, | know; and L kind old
gentleman he is, too Now, if he's
at home"
We asked him hurricdly where Cir
Edmund lived. and he replied that it
was out Lymington way-Monken
Abbey-eight or nine miles, and any
one would tell us the way.
Well, there was nothing better TO
be done go we got the inspector TO
give us g more definite direction.
and then started OF in search
of the Abbey. Tho Judge swinging
along ahead at good four miles an
hour, the Kid had to trot to keep up
with us; but | gave her my hand,
aud she did not complaints was
not in her nature to show suffering
in the ordinary way.
1t must have been about 6 o'clock
when we found the park entrance to
Monken Abbey, aud there we were
stopped by the lodge-keeper, VIII o
refused to let us pass without per-
mission from Sir Edmund but when
he heard that we had been sent by
the inspector OF police at Southamp-
ton, he sent his wife up to the house,
to know If the baronet would see US
Our spirits rose at the first glimpse
OF the handsome, portly old gentle
man. There was benevolenco in tho
little carls OF his soft white hair,
and the promise OF kind treatment
In tho genial smile with which be
| greeted us.
..Well. T" said he, chcerfully. 'you
have something to sell me, have