The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-04-12
THE LOST JEWEL.


am come to marry a delicate little daisy
of a French girl like Pearl Trillard? Well,
It's quite story.
had just come home from two years.
sojourn 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 endurable.
hadn't any home to speak of, and yet 1
was homesick the whole time I was at Port
Natal
At first had no great luck to speak of.
The fields were crowded with seekers as
eager and persistent as myself, and after
four or five months began to feel almost
like despairing.
But I resolved to stay on, and it was
well that I did, for on Friday, May II,
1870, found great stone that looked like
a rough, dirt incrusted pebble at first, but
the second glance told me it was diamond
such as is found only once in years.
Silently dropped it into my pocket and
strobe of homeward, slouching hstlessly
along, as always did.
''Hellol" cried wiry little Cape Cod
man. "Densley's played out. Why, Dens-
ley, it amt noon yet by the best chronom
eter in Boston,
81 don't care" said L ST am going
home"
"Pshawi Thought you had more pluck.
Faint heart never won big diamond yet.
Don't give it up, man.
But went back to the colony, wonder
ing that they did not hear the confused
beating of my heart, which seemed to fill
the tropical silence with noise like re-
veille
When I was alone, drew out the great
stone and Toasted my eyes on it's fair pro-
portions. I danced-I sang, in short. I
had been seeking it a score of years. I had
found it at last.
Well, 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 wore under
meath the linen one.
1t seemed rather necessary that should
civilize myself little, so dropped into
the first furnishing store which lay in my
way.
The young girl behind the counter struck
my eye pleasantly, as flower OF a sunset
or star sown sky might have done. She
was tall and slight, very pale, with great
almond shaped eyes, a mouth like scarlet
coral, and an abundance of dead black hair
that seemed to weigh her small head down
with its heavy duskiness.
was clumsy and 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 a part under my
arm-the rest was to be sent home-with
PEARLS black almond shaped orbs still
haunting me.
It was January, and a fire had just been
lighted on the hearth of the room I had en-
gagged.
sat down in front of it when supper
was over and took out my pooketbook-to
the inner compartment of which, since my
arrival in port, had transferred the little
channels leather sack which held my for
tune-to have a look at the precious stone.
There was no sack there.
I searched through and through the
faded leather flaps of the worn pocketbook.
I shook out the skirts of my coat. even
got down on my knees to search the floor
beneath, but the diamond and its recep-
tacle were gone.
For a minute or two it seemed as if the
whole room was in whirl around me.
My heart stopped pulsing, my blood grew
chill and deadly sickness stole through
my whole being.
The diamond-the diamond for which
had toiled and striven and waited and sui
fered-the diamond, it was gone.
believe I was for the moment insane.
I rose and staggered blindly toward the
pistol which 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 a soft little knock on
the panels of the door, suppose I must
have answered, Come imp for the door
was pushed open, and Pearl Trillard stood
there, with a little boy-her brother, as I
1earned-at her side.
81 found a little paper parcel on the
counter this afternoon after you had left,
SIR she said. "There is only a little clear
stone in it, butt
And then-so Pearl has subsequently
told mel fell like a log to the floor.
She nursed me through the fever that
followed. There was no one else to do it,
and but for her care I never should have
been alive to tell this story.
And she fully believed that a part of my
fevered faith was the faith that the ''little
stone, - as she called it, was diamond.
1t was not until after our marriage that
she saw it, cut and polished and glittering
as if a thousand splintered rainbows were
prisoned in its sparkling facets. I my
self, who was used to diamonds, scarcely
recognized the radiant jewel, and Pearl
uttered cry of rapturOus admiration.
And the money for which that solitaire
sold bought me this western farm, and
that's how it all happened. Exchange