, 1899-01-07
A ROUGH DIAMOND.

"Oh, Miss Elsie, Miss Elsie, the bank
has been robbed! Twenty thousand
pounds gone, missile! and poor master
away! Oh, dearl oh, dearl'
A step behind her and a low voice
spoke her name. She knew it at once.
1t was her good for nothing brothers..
"Why are you here again, Harold?"
she cried, when he was standing there
in front of her. when l gave you that
last money you promised to stay away
altogether, and try and get something
this time l canno help you. Why, why
do you come? Uncle John would be fu-
rious at finding you here"
but he is away, Elsie" the young
man answered b%reathlessly. "Girlie,
you must help me, just this once. l
promise solemnly never to worry you
againl"
you have promised solemnly before,
Harold" his sister said bitterly. 81
cannot help you, | say. We are all ruin.
ed. The bank has been robbed"
The startled look Oh his white face
caused her to cease speaking.
sis it true, Elsie?" he asked hoarsely.
"Has the bank really been robbed?"-
She told him what she knew, he lis
tening impatiently.
Il must have money, girliel' he
burst out. 81 must have it'll l must get
away from here tonight, and l don't
possess a single farthingl Quick, deari
Uncle left you some for housekeeping.
That will have to do"
II dom possess a single farthing, Ell
ther, " she persisted. "What is the mat
ter, Haroldf Why is it so terribly neo-
essary for you to leave Blackmore to-
night?"
Their eyes met-hers clear, straight
forward, honest; his weak and nervous.
"Uncle will he coming back to see
about the bank, Elsie" he muttered
queerly. "He must not find me here.
No, it would only add to the bitter
ness of his return. But what could she
do?
II have itp' the desperate brother
suddenly exclaimed. elsie, this news
about the bank robbery is still exclusive.
The editor of the Blackmore Times
would give you any Gum for it. He is
enterprising and always ready for ONE
thing startling at first hand. This is
nj only chance, dear"
But Elsie would not see it in that
light for a long, long time. 1t was not
until her brother had fully enlarged on
the grim necessity Of the case. not un-
til he had forced her to plainly under
stand the consequences IL he did not
have money at once, that she finally
consented to 20 to the editor of the
Blackmore Times.
Harold Maitland had o smart, cum
ming tongue. On this occasion he had
indeed used it well. AS he prophesied,
the editor literally grabbed at the
copy" especially after he had fairly
convinced himself that his would be
the first paper to publish the startling
news on the morrow. Elsie went weari-
ly home with the much needed money
in her pocket. Harold was waiting in
hiding for her and pounoed down eager.
ly on the gold.
An hour after his departure their IN,
cle's manager came to the house and
asked to see Elsie. When he was ad-
mitted into her presence, he noticed
with a sharp pang how wan and desc
late her little face had grown.
Poor child Such things as these
were hard for her to have to bear. How
he wished that he could save her all
care and annoyance in the future! For
with the whole of his stout, loyal heart
he loved her.
He showed her a telegram which he
had received from her uncle.
Returning at once, " it said. keep
news Of robbery out of the papers at
any price till l see you"
Elsie read the words, or, rather, they
chased each other before her dizzy,
aching eyes. She suddenly tottered for
ward and fell in a dead faint.
Next morning huge posters appeared
from the offices Of the Blackmore Times,
making public the robbery. Newsboys
shouted it frantically from one street to
another. Soon a big crowd had gathered
outside the bank, clamoriDg loudly for
the doors to be opened.
They wanted their money back, their
hard won earnings, and they meant to
get it. That exclusive news sold by
Elsie Maitland on the previous evening
to the editor of the Blackmore Times
had caused an appalling run on her un-
cle's bank.
The doors were opened at last. The
crowd surged in, presenting checks to
the full amount they had deposited in
the bank. They looked astonished when
the gold came over the counter in their
direction. Clearly they had expected to
be turned away penniless. They thanked
their stars for being the first. The bank
could not go on paying out for long, Of
that they felt sure.
At Doon Elsie and her uncle drove up
to the front entrance in an open car
riaee. He had insisted on her accom-
panying him, despite the fact that she
looked wretchedly pale and i'll.
All the way along they had seen those
hideous posters announcing the robbery.
"How did they get the news?" john
Rivers kept repeating. ELSIE, child,
now did they get the news! 1t is a mys-
tsry to me. II only 1t could have been
Ask YOUR