The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1894-10-06

upon an iron plate. And found three
big diamonds and five small ones. As
sat on the floor hammcring, my door
opened and my neighbor the begging
letter writer, came in. He was drunk,
rs he usually Is. 'Nerchist,' said he.
You're drunk, said /. 'Structive
scouudrel' said he. Go 20 your
father said /, meaning the father Of
lies. Never You mind said he, and
gave me a cunning wink, and hic-
couRhed, and leaned up against the
door post aud began TO babble OF how
he had been prying in my room, and
how he had gone 10 the police that
morning, and OF how they had taken
down everything he had To say
'sfiiwas IA gem, said he. Then / sud
denly realized / was in n hole. Either
should have Co tell these police my
little secret and get the whole thing
blown upon, or be Jagged as an an
archist. So went up TO my neighbor
and took him by the collar, and rolled
him about a bit, and then ! gathered
up my diamonds and cleared out The
evening papers called my den the
Kentish town bomb factory. And now
cannot part with the things for love
or money"
IF / go in 10 respectable jewellers
they ask me 90 wait, and 60 and whis-
per to n clerk Co fetch a policeman,
and then ! say cannot wait And
found out receiver OF stolen goods,
and he simply stuck 20 the one gave
him and told me to prosecute IL /
a = IL. n 81.
now with several hundred thousand
pounds worth OF diamonds around my
neck, and without either food or shell
ter. You are the first person have
taken into my confidence. But like
your face, and | am hard driven"
He looked into my eye.
1T would be madness" said /. "for
me 20 buy diamond under the circum-
stances. Besides, | do not carry hum
dreds OF pounds about in my pocket.
Yet / more than half believe your
story / win, II you like, do this
come TO my Office tomorrow
you think am thief he said
lxeenly. you will tell the police. l
am not coming into a trap"
somehow / am assured you are no
thief Here is my card. Take that,
anyhow You need not come TO any
appointment. Come when you viii.
lie took the card, and an earnest OF
my good viii
"Think better of IL and come"
said /.
lie shook his head doubtfully. II
will pay back your half crown with
interest some day-such interest
as will amaze you, said he Anyhow
you will keep the secret. Don't fol-
low me =
Afterward | had two letters from
him asking me 20 send bank notes
notes, not checks 90 certain adj
dresses I weighed the matter over,
and took what | conceived 70 be the
wiscst course. Once he called on me
when was out. My urchin described
him as a thin, dirty and ragged man,
with n dreadful cough. He left no
message That was the finish OF him
SO far as my story goes. wonder
sometimes what has become Of him.
Was he an ingenious monomaniac or
fraudulent dealer in pebbles, cor has
he really made diamonds. as hc as
serted? The latter Is just sufficiently
credible 20 make me think at times
that have missed the most brilliant
opportunity OF my life. lie may, OF
course, bc dead, and his diamonds
carelessly thrown aside-one. | repeat
was almost as big as my thumb Or he
may be still wandering about trying
90 sell the things. 10 Is just possible
that he may yet emerge upon society,
the serene altitude sacred To the
wealthy and the well advertised, re-
proach me silently for my want OF en-
tcrprisc. ! sometimes think | might
at least have risked Eve pounds.-Pall
Mall Budget