The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1896-03-27
THE STORY Of AN |. d. B.


IiverDooI street. you're not a day older.
Going home to tea in the same old,
STEADY fashion? What, don't you know
met | should have known you any
wherei"
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 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 you remember Harry Down
ham," he said, at last, ''who worked
under you in that dug-hole of an office
long ago-where | suppose you're still
grinding on in the same old way!
Shake!" he added. peremptorily, thrust
ing out a huge sunburnt hand with
which be grasped mine till my fingers
were crushed. Nov you must come
and dine with me- Your wife? oh! she
won't mind your playing truant for
ouce:" and in a short time my master
full acquaintance and were seated OPP
posite each other in well-known
restaurant. q s. :
Yes. did now remember HIM But
!. she-~,vas. eiiangeu indeed from the slim
: Soung 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 a complimentary kind, as | candid
" remarked. II a1s
."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
nv adventures? though your rigid re-
spectability may be somewhat rudely
shocked"
OF course | assented. One always has
a certain curiosity about an acquaint-
ance who disappears in impecunious
cuise, 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?" 1 said,
looking at his bronzed face curiously.
From South Africa. Landed at
Southampton two days ago. Am 60
ing back? No, sir, not much. 1t
wouldn't be healthy. The country's
too hot-in all senses. I've made my
pile, and am going to settle down in the
.,e,1,
living as a 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 |, ID. B."
| looked 'at him in some perplexity
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 q
started-being a nervous MANI. Not
but what explosions of sort are some
times it's consequence. | thought you
knew what those mysterious initials
meant. They're as plain in South
Africa as a B c in your foggy island.
]. D. B. means an illicit diamond buyer.
An illicit diamond is one which has
been conveyed-good word that,
Shakespearean, isn't it?-from the
mine in other than legal fashion. And
there's a 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
-well-speculators like myself, who
take their chance in view of the big
profit
"What?" | gasped. Then you have
actually bought--stolen property"
WELL" he said, coolly 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 reversions for a 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
speedy demand for them. for trifle. the
sellers being quite ignorant of it.
Haven't you heard of such things?"
did not reply. was toomuch upset.
Here was |. head clerk of many years.
standing. dining and drinking cham
payne 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
imagine I'm soliloquizing.
why should the mining companies
have the monopoly of all the diamond
yielding districts?' he continued, in
fierce tone land | thought it best to
drink my champagne since the bottle
was opened. and say nothing-these
adventures sometimes carry revoIvers,
believe). There's big profit in these
things. The law is very stringent, and
there's great difficulty in passing the
stones from the finder to the |. ID. b.
But the profit tempts people-and in all
classes, too. let me tell you-to engage
directly or indirectly in the traffic.