The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1897-07-27
THE LOST JEWEL.

am come to marry delicate little daisy
of French girl like Pearl Trillard? Well,
it's quite a story.
had just come home from two years
soiourn In the diamond fields of Port Ma
tai. All the diamonds that ever glittered
in the valley of Sindbad the Sailor would
not make such place as that endurablc.
] hadn't any home TO speak of, and yet |
was homesick the whole time was at Port
Natal.
At first had no great luck to speak of.
The fields were crowded with seekers as
eager dnd persistent rs myself, and after
four or five months / began to feel almost
like dospairng.
But l resolved to stay ON, and it was
well that l did, for on Friday, May II.
1870, found great stone that looked like
a rough, dirt incrustcd pebble ut first, bat
the second glance told me it was diamond
ouch as Is found only once in years.
silently dropped it into my pocket and
strobe off homeward, slouching listlcssly
along, as l always did.
"Hellol" cried wiry little Cape Cod
man. "Dcnsley's played out. Why, Dcns-
Icy, it amt noon yet by the best chronom-
etcr in Boston"
81 don't care" said I. 81 am going
home"
"Pshaw! Thought you had more pluck.
Faint heart never won big diamond yet.
Don't give it UP, man."
But l went bach; to the colony, wonder
ing that they did not hear the confused
beating of II? heart, which seemed to fiji
the tropical silence with noise like re-
vcillc.
When / was alone, 1 drew out the great
(, Cat,
portions. ! danCed-I sang, in short.
had been seeking it score of years. ] had
found it it last
We'll, 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 l wore under
nCath the linen one.
1t seemed rather necessary that should
civilizc myself a little, SO dropped into
the first furnishing store which lay in my
way.
The young girl behind the counter struck
my eye pleasantly, as IL flower or sunset
or n 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
that seemed to weigh her small head down
with it's heavy duskinCss.
was clumsy ana did not know what
wanted. Pearl Trillard did. She told me
plainly what was necessary and what was
not. So | bought my outfit and paid for
it and went home with IL part under my
arm--thc rest was to be sent home--with
! Pearls black almond shaped orbs still
haunting lie.
| 1t was January, and fire. had just been
| lighted on the hearth of the room had en-
| gagged.
| l sat down in front of it when supper
was over and took out my rOcketbook-to
! the inner compartment OF which, since my
arrival in port, | had transferred the little
channels leather sack which held my for
tune-t0 have II look at che precious stone.
There WIS no sack there.
! searched through and through the
faded leather flaps of thewCrn rocketbook
l shook out the skirts of my coat. | even
got down on my knees to search the flool
taCle Were gone.
For IL minute or two it seemed as if the
whole room was in whirl around me.
My heart stopped pulsing, my blood grew
chill ard IL deadly sickness stole through
my whole being.
The diamond-thc diamond for which
had toiled and striven and waited and suf
fered-the diamond, it was gone.
l believe | was for the moment insane
l rose and staggered blindly toward the
pistol which l 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 OF
the panels Of the door, suppose / mus
have answered. Come I'M" for the dool
was pushed open, and Pearl Trillard stood
there, with II little boy-her brother, MS
learned-at her side.
81 found little paper parcel on the
counter this afternoon after you had lt.J
SIR" she said. "There is only little cle,.l
stone in it, butt
And then-so Pearl has subsequently
told mel fell like log to the door.
She nursed me through the fever thC
followed. There was no one else to do it
and but for her care l never should have
been alive to tell this story.
And she fully believed that part of m!
fevered faith was the faith that the "littl'
stone," as she called it, was diamond.
1t was not until after our marriage tina
she saw it, cut and polished and glitterini
az if II thousand splintered rainbows wer
prisoned in its sparkling facets l my
self, who was used to diamonds, scarcel,
recognized the radiant jewel, and Pear
uttered cry of rapturous admiration.
And the money for which that solitair
sold bought me this western farm, ant
that's how it all happened