Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1896-05-07
THE STORY OF ANLD.B.

"Well, old man." said an unfamiliar
voice. as was waiting for my train at
Liverpool street, you're not . day older.
Going home to tea in the same old,
steady fashion? What, don't you know
me? / should have known you any
where!"
With puzzled eyes turned and stared
at big, bronzed bearded man whom /
had no recollection of having seen be-
fore. He laughed loudly at my per
plexity-so loudly that several people
stared at us, which as q staid city man,
hating to be conspicuous, l very much
disliked. Consequently it was in no
friendly fashion that eyed the stranger
who thus noisily claimed acquaintance.
Don't yoM remember Harry Down
ham," he said, at last, "who worked
under you in that dug-hole of an office
long ago-where I suppose you're still
grinding on in the same old way /?
shake!" he added, peremptorily, thrust
ing out huge sunburnt hand with
= which he grasped mine till my fingers
were crushed. "Now You must come
and dine with me. Your wife? Oh. she
won't mind your playing truant for
once;" and in a short time my master
full acquaintance and were seated on
posite each other in well known
restaurant.
Yes, l did now remember him. But
he was changed indeed from the slim
Young fellow who had been the fiightiest
clerk in the Office, and whose short
comings had, after innumerable grumb-
lings on the part of the firm, led to his
dismissal. Occasional surmises had
since been INDUCED in by his former
comrades as to his career, none Of them
Of complimentary kind, as candid
ly remarked.
"They weren't SO far wrong" he an
swered. careleHely. II was never fit for
humdrum life and bricks and mortar.
The wild freedom of uncivilized regions
was my ideal. Would you like to hear
my adventures? though your rigid re-
spectability may be somewhat rudely
shocked"
OF course assented. One always has
certain curiosity about an acquaint-
ance who disappears in impecunious
guise, and turns up years afterwards
with all the external signs of wealth
which Downham showed in rather too
pronounced fashion for good taste.
where haze you come from?" said,
looking Mt his bronzed face curiously.
From South Africa. LANDED at
Southampton two days ago. Am 60
ing back? No, sir, not much. It
wouldn't be healthy. The country's
700 hot-in all senses. I've made my
pile, and am going to settle down in the
south of France, where my sisters been
living as q governess for years. Poor
girl, she'll know what leisure and lux
ury are now; and there's charming
place I've bought there. Climate and
surroundings just suit me, for my chest,
big as look, sometimes gets wrong.
what have done in South Africa?
All sorts of things. But my last and
most, or rather sole, successful part was
that of an I. ID. u"
looked at him in some perplcxity,
for what he meant could not guess.
He watched me with an amused smile
"You seem puzzled, old man." he said.
Its nothing to do with dynamite Il
started-being a nervous MANI. Not
but what explosions of sort are son.o-
times it's consequence. l thought you
knew what those mysterious initials
meant. They're as plain in South
Africa as A B C in your foggy island.
!. ID. b. means an illicit diamond buyer.
An illicit diamond is one which has
been conveyed-guod word that,
Shakespearean, isn't it?-from the
mine in other than legal fashion. And
there's deal of legality, let me tell
you, in diamond digging. There's big
staff of officials to look after it. Illicit
diamonds are usually found and dis
posed of by the Kaffirs employed in
the mines-though by no means only by
them-and sold much below their value
neutrality-suspicious. like myself, who
take their chance in view of the big
profit"
'WhAt?'' gasped. "Then you have
actually bought stolen property"
"Well," he said, ooolly refilling our
glasses, 'that's perhaps your way of
putting It here. It's not ours in South
Africa. Besides, think I've heard even
in this respectable city of money lend
ers buying reveIsions for o mere song,
and spectators purchasing stocks and
shares from respondent holders. know
ing secretly that those stocks and
shares were going up in a day or two
with a bound. Also Of houses and land
bought, from private knowledge of q
speedy demand for them, for trifle, the
sellers being quite ignorant Of it.
Haven't you heard OF such things?"
Ibid not reply. Twas too much upset.
Here was /, head clerk Of many years
standing, dining and drinking cham
pagne at the cost Of an illicit diamond
buyer.
However" he resumed, somewhat
tartly, II don't ask for your approval;
/ simply wanted to amuse you with the
story of my adventures; SO you may
i Imagine I'm soliloquizing.
''Why should the mining companies
have the monopoly of all the diamond