The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-11-01
THE LOST JEWEL.

IioW uiu sucH BTtdb rouSH InUI1bter W.
/ am come to marry delicate little daisy
of u French girl like Pearl Trillardp 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 glittercd
in the valley of Sindbad the Sailor would
not make such place as that endurable.
l hadn't any home to speak of, and yet
was homesick the whole time WIS at Port
Natal.
At first I had no grcnt 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 resolved to stay on, and 1t was
we'll that l did, for on Friday, May II,
1870, found a great stone that looked like
q rough, dirt incrusted pebble at FIRST, but
the second glance told me 1t was diamond
such as Is found only once in years
Silently 1 droppedit into my pocket and
strobe of homcward, slauchfng listlessly
along, US always did. ="
"Hellor' cried wiry little Cape Cod
man. "Densley s played out Why, Dens-
ley, it amt noon yet by the best chronoln-
etcr in Boston,"
II don't care" said I. II nm going
home"
"Pshaw! Thought you had more pluck.
Faint heart never won big diamond yet.
Don't give 1t mp man."
But went back to the colony, wonder
ing that they did not hear the confused
beating of my heart, which seemed to fill
hn ct1 until tIya IN
veille.
Whom I WAS alone, I drew out the great
stone and Toasted my eyes on its fair pro-
portions. l danced-I sang, in short.
had been seeking it score of years. had
found it at last.
Well, said nothing of my discovery and
came back to the states, with the diamond
IN "A little leather sack stitched on the
waist of the flannel shirt l wore under
meath the linen one
1t seemed rather necessary that should
eivilize myself little, so dropped into
the first furnishing store which lay in my
way.
The young girl behind the counter struck
my ego pleasantly, MS Il flower or n sunset
or a star sown sky might have done, She
was tall and slight, very pale with great
almond shaped eyes, mouth like scarlet
coral, and an abundance of dead black hair
that seemed to weigh her small head down
with its heavy duskness.
l 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 part under my
arm-the rest was to be sent home-with
Pearls black almond shaped orbs still
haunting me.
It was January and 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 pocketbook-to
the inner compartment of which, since my
arrival in port, had transferred Che little
chamois leather sack which held my for.
tune-to have look at the precious stone.
There was no sack there.
l searched through and through the
faded leather flaps Of the worn pocketbook.
shook out tho skirts of my cont. even
got down on my knees, to search the floor
beneath, hut the diamond and its rccep-
tacle were gone
For q minute or two it seemed as If the
whole room was in whirl around me.
My heart stopped pulsing, my blood grew
chill and q deadly sickness stole through
my whole being.
Tho diamond-the diamond for which l
had toiled and striven and waited and suf-
fcred-the diamond, It was gone.
/ believe / was for the moment insane.
rose and staggered blndly toward the
pistol which ! always carried in the breast
pocket of my outer coat, with some vague
idea VI putting an end to tho life which
had been such an utter failure
When there came u soft little knock on
the panels of the door, suppose ] must
have answered, Come in'' for tho door
was pushed OPEN and Pearl Trillard stood
there, with little boy-her brother, as
learncd-at her side.
81 found a little paper parcel on the
counter this afternoon after you had left,
sir" she said. "There is only q little clear
stone in it, but
And then-so Pearl has subsequently
told mel fell like II log to the floor.
She nursed me through the fever that
followed. There was no one else TO do it,
and hut for her care I never should have
been alive to toll this story,
And she fully believed that 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
rs If u thousand splintcred rainbows were
prisoncd In its sparkling facets. l my
self who was used to diamonds, scarcely
recognized the radiant jewel, and Pearl
uttered cry of rapturous admiration.