The Bottineau pioneer. (Bottineau, N.D.) 1885-1895, 1895-01-26
H DIAMOND MAKER.

Some business had detained me In
Chancery Lane until 8 in the evening,
and thereafter, some inkling Of a head
ache, / was disinclined either for en-
tertainment or further work. So much
Of the sky as the high cliffs Of that
narrow canyon of traffic left visible
spoke of a serene night. and I deter.
mined to make my way down to the
Embankment, and rest my eyes and
cool my head by watching the varie-
gated lights upon the river. Beyond
comparison the night Is the best time
for this place; a merciful darkness
hides the dirt of the waters Il the
lights of this transition age, red. glar-
ing, orange, gas-yellow and electric
white, are set in shadowy outlines OF
every possible shade between gray and
deep purple. Through the arches OF
Waterloo Bridge a hundred points OF
light mark. the sweep Of the Embark
ment, and above the parapet rise the
towers of Westminster, warm gray
against the starlight. The black river
goes by with only a rare ripple breaking
it's silence and disturbing the reflections
of the lights that swim upon it's sur,
face.
"A warm night" said a voice at my
side.
1 turned my head and saw the pro-
file Of aman who was leaning over the
parapet beside me. 1t was Il refined
face, not unhandsome, though pinched
and pale enough and the coat collar
turned up and pinned around the throat
marked his status in life as sharply as
a uniform. / felt l vas committed to
the price of a bed and breakfast if I
asked him.
1 looked at him curiously. Would
he have anything to tell me worth the
money, or was he the common incapa-
b~le-incapable even of telling his own
story? There was aquality Of intelli-
gence in his forehead and eyes, u q
that decided me.
'Very warm" said I, 'but not too
warm for us here"
ANU, liz Su1us I'll AoOAAAS "~ASS>
the water, ut is pleasant enough here
just now
"It is good" he continued after a
this in London. After M has been
fretting about business all day, 0
getting on, meeting obligations, and par
rying dangers, I do not know what one
would do if it were not for such paci-
o. o,a - IIn cnnlyo with VnnO
pauses between the sentences. "YOu
must know a little Of the irksome labor
Of the world, or you would not be here.
But I doubt, if you a be so brain
weary, and fOOtSOre as l am " %
Bah! Sometimes l doubt if the game
is worth the candle. 7 feel inclined to
throw the whole thing over-name,
wealth, and position-and take to some
modest trade. But I know if I abandon
nv ambitiOn-I should have nothing
days
He became silent. l looked at him in
astonisment. If ever I saw a man
III nelessly hard up, it was the man in
front of me. He was ragged, and he
was dirty, unshaven and unkempt; he
looked as though he had been left In
u uuSC Ulu 1Ol u WCCA. 1AAu AC was
talking to me of the irksome worries of
a large business. l almost laughed out
right. Either he was mad, or playing
a sorry jest on his own poverty.
IF high aims, and high POSITIONS"
said I, 'have their drawbacks Of hard
work aud anxiety, they have, their eom-
pensations. Influence, the power of do
ing good, of assisting those weaker and
poorer than ourselves. and there is even
a certain qualification in display
My banter under the circumstances
was in very vile taste. I spoke O the
spur of the contrast of his appearance
and speech. I was sorry even while I
was speaking.
He turned a haggard but very com
posed face upon me. Said he: II forgot
myself. OF course you would not I'm
derstand."
He measured me for a moment. "No
doubt it is very absurd. You will not
believe me even when I tell you. so that
it Is fairly safe to tell you. And it will
be a comfort to tell Sc me one. 1 really
have a big business in hand, a very big
business. But there are troubles just
now. The fact isl make diamonds"
II suppose" said I, you are out Of
work just at ~present?" .
II am sick of being d~isbelieved," he
said, impatiently, and suddenly unbut-
toning his wretched coat he pulled out
a little canvas bag that was hanging by
cord around his neck. From this he
produced a brown pebble. II wonder
IL you know enough to know what that
Isl" He handed it to me.
Now, 4 year or so ago, l had Occu-
pied my leisure, in taking a London
science degree. so that I have a smat-
tering Of physics and mineralOgy. The
thing was not unlike an uncut dia-
mOnd of the darker sort, though far
too large, being almost as big as the
top Of my thumb. / took it, and saw it
had the form Of a regular Octahedron,
with the curved faces peculiar to the
most precious Of minerals. I took out
my penknife and tried to scratch it
vainly. Leaning forward toward the
gas lamp. l tried the thing on my
watch glass, and scored a white line
across that with the greatest ease.
I looked at my interlocutor with ris-
ing curiosity.
ut certainly is rather like a diamond.
But, If so. it is a queen Of diamonds.
Where did you get it,"
4 tell you I made it," he said. 'Give
it back to me-"
He replaced it hastily and buttoned
his jacket.
II will sell it to you for f1OO," he
suddenly WHISPERED eagerly.
With that my suspicion returned.
The thing might, after all, be merely
a lump Of that almost equally hard
substance. corundom, with an acciden-
tai resemblance In shape to the dia-
mond. Or, if 1t was a diamond, how
came he by IT., and why should he Of
fer it at f1OO?
We looked into n another's eyes.
He seemed eager, but honestly eager.