Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1895-05-23
A LOST DIAMOND.


How did such great rough monster -
! am come to marry delicatc little daisy
of a French girl like Pearl Trillardf Well,
It's quito story.
had just come homo from two years
sojourn In tho diamond fields Of Port Ma
tai. All tho diamonds thnt ever glttcrcd
I'm the valley OF Sindbad tho Sailor would
not mako such n place as that cndurableJ
hadn't any home TO speak OF, and yet
was homesick the whole time was ut Port
Natal. ,
At first had no great luck To speak OF.
The fields were crowded with seekers as
eager and persistent an myself, and after
four or five months I began TO feel almost
like despairing
But ! resolved To stay on, and IL was
well that I did, for on Friday, May IL,
1870, found great stone that looked like
. rough, dirt incrusted pebble mt first but
the second glance told me It was dis-
mond such as is found only once In years.
Silently dropped 1t into my pocket and
strobe of homeward, slouching listlessly
along, as always did. I
"Hellor' cried wiry little Capo Cod
man. "Dcnsley's played out. Why, Dens-
ley, 1t amt noon yet by the best chronome-
ter In Boston,
II don't care" said I. IT am going
home"
"Psbawl Thought you had moro pluck.
Faint heart never won big diamond yet.
Don't give 1t up man." /
But went back To tho colony, wonder.
ing that shey did not hear the confused
beating OF my heart, which seemed to Ill
the tropical silence with noise like re-
veille.
When I was alone, I drew out the great
stone and Toasted my eyes on its fair pro
portions. / danced-I sang, In short. !
had been seeking 1t n score of years. had
found II Mt last.
Well, said nothing OF my discovery and
came back to the states, with the diamond
In little leather sack, stitched on the
waist of the flannel shirt wore under
meath the linen one.
1t seemed rather necessary that should
civilize myself little, SO dropped into
the first furnishing store which lay in my
way.
The young girl behind the counter struck
my eye pleasantly as u flower or u sunset
or star sown sky might have done. She
was tall and slight, very pale, with great
almond shaped eyes, u mouth like scarlet
coral and an abundance Of dead black hair
tHtU SccIucu 10 weigh UCiiu uOWU
with its heavy duskness.
was clumsy and did not know what
wanted. Pearl Trillard did. She told me
plainly what was necessary and what was
not. So I bought my outfit and paid for it,
and went home with part under my arm
the rest was to be sent home-w tn
PEARLS black almond shaped orbs still
haunting me.
1t was January, and fire had just been
lighted on the hearth OF the room / had
engaged.
L sat down in front OF 1t, when supper
WAS over, and took out my pOcketboOk, to
the inner compartment of which, since my
arrival In port, had transferred the little
chamois leather sack which held my for
tune, to have look at the precious stone
There was no sack there!
/ searched through and through the fad
ed leather flaps of the worn pocketbook. ]
shook out the skirts Of my coat even
got down on my knees to search the floor
beneath, but the diamond and its receptacle
were gone.
For minute or two 1t seemed as II the
whole room was in whirl around me. My
heart stopped pulsing, 4y blood grew chill
and deadly sickness stole through my
whole being.
The diamond-the diamond for which
had toiled and striven and waited and
suffered-the diamond, it was gone!
believe / was for the moment insane
rose and staggered blindly toward the
pistol which always carried in the breast
pocket of my outer coat with some vague
idea of putting an end to the life which
had been such an utter failure.
When there came soft little knock on
the panels of the door, suppose i must
have answered, "Come in!'' for the door
was pushed open, and Pearl Trillard stood
there, with u little boy-her brother, as
learned--at her side.
Il found a little paper parcel on the
counter this afternoon after you had left
SIR" she said "Thero is only a little
clear stone in it, butt
And then-so Pearl has subsequently
told me- fell like log to the floor
She nursed me through tho fever that
followed-there was no one else to do it,
and but for her care never should have
been alive to tell this story.
And she fully believed that a part of my
fevered faith was the faith that the little
stone" as she called 1t, was n diamond.
1t was not until after our marriage that
she saw 1t cut and polished and glittering
as IL thousand splintered rainbow were
prisoned In its sparkling facets. I, myself,
who was used to diamonds, scarcely recog
nized the radiant jewel, and Pearl uttered
q cry Of rapturous admiration.
And the money for which that solitaire
sold bought me this western farm, and
that how 1t all happened. Globe.