The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1900-08-24

Who can bring them back again
w. Schel in the Saturday Review.
|BERNSTEIN'S BOUQUET
AS I dropped into my stall at the
| Gaiety one evening, after three-yeurs'
| absence from England, cordial voice
| hailed me. and l found myself shaking
hands with Winstanley, my old school
and college chum.
Come in to see the Delacour. I sup
pose:' he inquired, after the first tx
| changes were over.
don't know the lady, l replied; you
forget l have only just come back from
the Wilds OF South American
"Whew!!' he whistled gently; "why,
she $ the talk Of the town, and she's per-
fectly ripplng!
The rising Of the curtain put an end to
| our remarks, but, prepared as | had been
was staggered when the Delacour en-
ttled, clad in most bewitching costume
OF pale pink. She was an exceeding
ly-pretty woman of medium height,
plump and pleasing figure with a merry.
Saucy face, and beautiful brown, glossy
hair.
But her diamonds.
and | fairly gasped when | saw these
They looked genuine and, if so, were
, Morth "a at the very lowest computation
''Great Carbon:'' I whispered to Win
stanley: are they real?'
know their history. It's Il curious one"
Before the actress had taken her first
encore l had fallen in love with her-and
her diamonds.
Never had I seen such magnificent
display. They shonc in her dark hair.
t!hey, gllttered on her shapely arms and
hands. they coruscated round her neck,
and they. formed cleaning, scintilat-
ing, brilliant cuirass about her corsage.
| She and they were worth going Il thou
sand miles to see.
When the show was over I dragged
Nlnstanley off to my rooms, planted him
III an easy chair. put out the usual crea-
ture comforts and demanded the history
of the diamonds.
well. old chap" he began. Shilling at
NY eagerness, have you ever hcaru Of
Bernstein ~
"What? The sextuple millionairc:" I
crled, for even in South America one
hears Of millionaires like Bernstein.
1.-THE same" responded Winstan1ev.
well, the diamonds came from him.
-O-oh:' l cried, disappointed and disil-
Not bit," he said. warmly. ::The De.
1a rH:9, as good as she is pretty, and if
}oui only nave PATIENCE
rupt again"
IVY hen | left college, resumed Win.
Staniey, "! went, as you know. out to
South Africa in search of sport. a fter
some magnificent shooting, chance took
me to Kimberley. which at that time. was
III ITS infancy: There | struck up an ac-
ready accumulated pretty handsome
fortune. by |. D. B.--you know what |
mean?'
| nodded assent. having already seen
something Of illicit diamond buying il
Brazil
was not 4 bad chap-outside business
and was universally respected as one of
the cleVerest of the many clever rogues
VINO formed the early population of the
blue clay town. In the early days I. D.
r. was carried on fairly openly, but
shortly. after my arrival a change came
over the scene. The government woke
up; new and stringent laws We're passed
The old and more or less ycnal officials
were replaced by smart, trustworthy
men, with a commission on results, and
III short things were made very uncom-
Portable for the l. D. 3. \ good many
retired from the business in disgust,
while not few took up an involuntary
residence on CapetoWn breakwater, but
Bernstein held on, and continued to add
to his store. [ need hardly say that he
did not do this without interference from
the police. but he was too clever for
them, and the most they could do was to
prevent him getting the stones out of the
country.
Of nh -; >%1>s
even Bernstein began to grow desperate
He had about 100000 worth of dia-
m0nds on hand. but try as he would he
could not get even small parcel away.
and once or twice was within an ace OF
being caught.
"Shortly, after this a comic opera com
pany paid us a visit, and among the
artists was the Delacour. It was the
first company to visit Kimberley. and
naturally they had royal welcome and
a good time generally. No one came in
for more admiration than the Delacour,
and among her suitors was Bernstein
but after a few days fairly rapid f1irta-
ignored him most pointedly. Bernstein
did not seem to mind very much. and
bore the subsequent chaff with easy in
difference.
AT last the night came for the fare
we'll performance, and there was a scene
| VI euCuuSldSlu. w le1 Tie
Delacour finished her great song the air
was thick with bouquets and other floral
offerings. had dropped into Bernstein 5
box rather late, and was therefore not 4
little surprised when Bernstein produced
a magnificent bouquet from under his
chair and flung it on the stage l don't
suppose a dozen people noticed his action
and the few who did smiled cynically
and opined that 'Berney' must be losing
his head to go chucking his money about
like that. for dollhouse flowers cost mon
ey in Kimberley, and his failure to fine
favor in the lady's eyes was we'll known
II was present at the station next day
when the company started for Cape
Town, en- route to England. and whe1
| noticed that the Delacour was carrying
Bernstein,,s bouquet which l recognized
by its ribbons, l. twigged his little game
but | did not say anything.
The tees were there, of course, ant
gave. the company's things a good over
hauling, but they were not hard-hearted
and several small narcplS ronracopt;n<