Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1898-10-04
The Diamond Dog|
BY George Griffith.
Copyright, isas by GEO. GRIFFITH.

found two more queerly dssociattu
knights OF industry than the jew OF
Whitechapel and the Celestial OF Singa-
pore who were sitting together over a
bottle of brandy in little bnck room
behind a tin cody store in Old De
Beers road, Kimberley, late one night in
the early eighties, yet it was no very
uncommon thing here in this vortex OF
cosmopolitan villainy into which the
magical glitter of the diamond, more
fatal in its fascination even than the
CLINT OF gold, had gathered together
men Of all colors and creeds from the
remotest ends of the earth.
Something was evidently exercising
the mind of the Jew very considerably.
for his prominent eyes kept wandering
restlessly about the little room, his
aeshy, pendent under lip trembling ev-
cry now and then with the movement OF
his heavy jaw his fat, lavishly jeweled
fingers kept alternately drumming on
the dirty table and wandering aimlessly
through his black and rather greasy
locks
The Chinnman sat with his long
nailed fingers intwined on the lap OF
his ample blouse and looked ut him
placidly out Of his bright, inward slant
ing little eyes Neither had said any.
thing for some little time. Each was
ponderire very important problem in
his own way.
A shaggy. long haired, disrepu,abIe
looking mopgrcl, which seemed to com.
bine some half dozen varying strains In
his nondescript lineage, seemed to be
doing the same thing as be lay on q
trowsy sheepskin near the table, with
his wickedly clever face between his
paws. aud every now and then blinked
up mt his beathen master rs though
wondering whether he had found any
solution to the problem yet.
"Itsh no good. Loo" half whispered
the Jew. at length breaking the pause,
and bringing his fingers down from his
hair To the table for something like tho
twentieth time. 'the old plants will all
be PLAYED out now that this internal
new law ish passed. The gonivabs will
be harder TO get than ever, and look at
the rishk-l5 years on that blathted
breakwater, just for being found with u
few little klips on you. The game ain
going 10 be- worth the candle any more,
if we don't find some new way OF get
ting them out that the tees won & tum.
BILE to Ii 'ud be worth fortune to q
man who could hit on real brand new
fake Just now, that it would, and II we
can, get one the industry's going TO be
ruined, and that s all there ish TO 1t. y
The Chinaman looked at him stolidly
while he was speaking. and then, with
q broad. wooden smile, which crinkled
his eyes up into two little Sits, he nod.
ded his head after the fashion OF one Of
his own idols, and said sententiously
and with the air Of one who knows
what be is talking about:
"All light, Missa Lonefelt, no need
muchee scratch head over dat. kaifir
boy plenty clever yet, alice same muchee
searchee, no good Plenty new fake too.
Dodgee tecman easy all same's before.
You hab no got go workee yet. Missa
Lonefelt.
III you've thought Of q good new
fake, one that'll work. mind. and that
the tees arn't likely to get on to for a
bit. I'm the man to 60 shares with you
on it, and III make it pay you well,
Loo, will, s'wslp me. You know me,
Loo, and we've done business together
before now. and I've always treated you
fair and square, haven't II IL it's a
likely lay, it's worth twenty-no, III
make it tifty-there's fifty down to let
ME into it. and the usual terms after
ward. That's good enough, amt iti l
can't speak no fairer than that, can l.,
Loo old pal:''
The jew spoke eagerly. almost caress-
ingly. TO the yellow heathen whom he
would have passed by without wink
in Main street. There he was Augustus
Lowenfeldt, licensed diamond broker,
stock and share dealer, and all the rest
Of il, u man with Il reputation To lose.
as regulations went then in Kimberley,
and with future before him, but here
in Loo Chai's back sitting room he was
lust what the heathen was. neither bet.
ter nor worse, an |. B. d., fence, y
as they would have called him in his
native Whitechapel, and like him a
potential felon. and so there was no
need for any overstrained etiquette be-
tween them.
Added 10 this, no knew that his
boys must by this time be getting a
very nice little collection Of gems to-
gether for him. and he felt very nat
aral anxiety about them now that this
dete,table new law had about doubled
both the legal power Of search and the
penalties for being found ont
Loo Cbai's almond eyes wandered
slowly from the dog to the Jew, and his
head began to wag again, but this time
the other way, and after little pause
he said slowly and meditatively:
Fifty pound tlen per cent not good
enough dis time, Missa Lopefelt, not
by big heap. / hab got thought here
and he tapped his shaven skull gently
with one of his long nails-"which
make velly big chop-tlen. twelve,
maybe twenty thousand pound allie
same time, and no chance catchee. Him
worth pay for, eh, Missa Lonefelt:"
"Ten thousand at go-maybe TWEEN
ty, exclaimed the jew, leaning forward
with twitching lips and eyes all aglit-
ter. whats your price, Loo! Give 1t
name, and if ! can meet you will.
swelp me! You know I've always been
fair and honorable with you-
"Me sell you one piecee doggie five
bundled pounds"
As Loo Chat impaired this apparent.
ly irrelevant piece Of information ne
slowly waved one hand toward the mon.
grel on the shsepskin and smiled bland.
" as he added. "And vely good chop,
too, t'ink.
"What! Five hundred pounds for q
blooming tike, aud a precious ugly one
at that What's the good Of pulling my
leg like that when we're supposed to be
talking strict business? What the
blathes do want with your dOg?"
Mr. Lowenfeldt asked the question
with an air of disgusted Indignation.
Of which the placid heathen took not
the slightest notice. He simply picked
the cur up ON to his lap and said in
tone of calm and almost dignified re-
proof:
"Me no pullee leg by talkee bizness,
Missa Lonefelt. Dis doggie no velly
handsome, maybe, but he worth heap
,,,ouav nIlaa sama Him what vou cal