The Canton times. (Canton, Miss.) 1893-1906, 1896-03-27
The STORY OF AN [. D. B,

"Well, old man," said an unfamilia
voice, as was waiting for my train a
Liverpool street, you're not day Older
Going home to tea in the same ole
steady fashion? What, don't you kno,
Inc? | should have known you any
Where!"
With puzzled eyes turned and stare.
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 peopl,
stared at us, which as staid city man
hating to be conspicuous, very mucl
disliked. Consequently it was in NJ
friendly fashion that eyed the stranger
who thus noisily claimed acquaintance
Don't You remember Harry Down.
ham," he said, at last, "who worked
under you in that dug-hole of an office
long ago-where 1 suppose you're still
grinding on in the same old way:
Shake!" he added, peremptorily, thrust
ing out a 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 OPP
posite each other in a well-known
restaurant.
Yes, l did now remember him. But
he was changed indeed from the slim
young fellow who had been the fightiest
clerk in the Office, and whose short
coInings 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
~ remarked.
"They weren't so far wrong" he an
swered, carelessly. 81 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-
lnce who disappears in impecunious
'uise, and turns up years afterwards
with all the external signs of wealth
which Downham showed in rather too
pronounced fashion for good taste.
where ha re you come from?" said,
ookiDg at his bronzed face curiously.
"From South Africa. Landed at
southampton two days ago. Am 60
ng back? No, sir, not much. 1t
couldn't be healthy. The country's
DO hot-in all senses. I've made my
lie, and am going to settle down in the
outh of France, where my sisters been
wing as a governess for years. Poor
irl, she'll know what leisure and lux
ry are now; and there's charming '
lace I've bought there. Climate and (
just suit me, for my chest, ,
g as look, sometimes gets wrong.
What have done in South Africa?
II sorts of things. But my last and
ost, or rather sole, successful part was {
lat of an I. d. B." c
I looked at him in some perplcxity, e
r what he meant l could not guess. 4
He watched me with an amused smile. t
lou seem puzzled, old man," he said. d
It's nothing to do with dynamite Il u
a nervous mani. Not
It what explosions of sort are some a
mes its consequence. thought you f
ew what those mysterious initials fl
can't. They're as plain in South Il
RIGA as A B G in your foggy island. Il
D. b. means an illicit diamond buyer. h
illicit diamond is one which has h
IN conveyed-good word that, 1
isn't it?-from the n
ne in other than legal fashion. And II
,re's deal of Legality, let me tell b
u, in diamond digging. There's big IN
fl of officials to look after it. Illicit
monds are usually found and dis in
'ed of by the Kaffirs employed in I'll
mines-though by no means only by
sold much below their value n,
-well-speeulators like myself, who bi
e their chance in view of the big m
At" w