Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1905-09-23

to lose his stock and get cuffed into the
bargain for rescuing a girl from an over
turning carriage.
Then his mind reverted to his fixed
resolve TO hang himself, and his stoid
preparations for the last act in his young
life's tragedy. Was that where the dream
started, or was the whole thing definite
reality, needing only stout heart and
uDtaltering purpose to carry him through
triumphantly Yes. That was it. BE
strong and brave and all will be well
with YOU" Surely his mother had looked
| beyond the grave when she uttered her
| parting words. Perhaps, if he lay down
and closed his eyes, he would see her. He
always hoped to see her in his dreams,
but never was the vision vouehsafed to
| him. Poor lad, he did not understand
that his sleep was the sound sleep OF
| health and innocence, when dreams, II
| they come at all, are but grotesque dis
/ tortions of the simple facts of everyday
! existence. Only once had he dimly imag-
ined her presence, and that was at a mo-
ment which his sane mind now refused to
resurrect.
Nevertheless, he was tired Yielding
| to the conceit, he stretched himself on
the wooden couch that ran along one side
| of his narrow cell
Some one called to him, not unkindly.
Now, youngster, jump up. The van
is here"
He was led through gloomy corridors
and placed in receptacle just large
enough to hold him uncomfortably i'll a
huge, numbering vehicle. He thought he
was the only occupant, which was true
enough. the prisoners van having made
a special call for his benefit.
After a rumbing Journey through un-
seen streets, he emerged into another
walled-in courtyard He was led through
more corridors, and told to skip lively"
up a winding staircase. At the top he
came out into big room, with we'll
like space in front of him, filled with a
huge table, around which sat several gen
tlemen, among them Mr.. Isaacstein, while
on an elevated platform beyond was an
elderly man, who wore eyeglasses and
who wrote something in book without
looking up when Philips name was called
out.
4 police inspector, whom Philip had
not seen before, made a short statement,
and was followed by the constable who
effected the arrest His story was brief
!
that Mr.. Wilson, of Grant 4 Sons, Lud-
gate Circus, would he called at the next
hearing. as he-the Inspector would ask
for a remand to enable inquiries to be
made. Meanwhile. Mr. lsaacstein, of
Hatton Garden, had made it convenient
to attend that day, and would be pleased
to give evidence if his worship desired
to hear him.
Certainly" said Mr.. Abingdon, the
magistrate. This seems to be some
what peculiar case, and | will be glad if
Mr. lsaacstein can throw any light upon
it."
But NJ. Isaacsten could not do any
such thing He wound up a snccinct ac-
count Of Philips visit and utterances by
declaring that there was no collection of
metcoric diamonds known to him from
which such a remarkable set of stones
could be stolen
This emphatic statement impressed the
magistrate.
let me see them" he said
The parcel was handed up to him, and
he examined its contents with obvious
interest.
"Are you quite sure of their meteoric
origin, Mr. Isaacstein?" he asked.
YES"
uan you form any estimate of their
probable value?'
About f5O.OO0.'
The reply startled the magistrate, and
it sent a thrill through the court
Really! So much!" Mr.. Abingdon
was almost scarce.
IF. after cutting. they turn out as
well as | expect. that is a moderate esti-
mate of their worth"
Il take it, from what you say, that
meteoric diamonds are rare?"
Isaacstein closed his throat with a pre-
monitory cough and punched up his
shoulders. A slight wobble was steadied
by his stumpy hands on the rail of the
witness box. He was really the greatest
living authority on the subject, and he
knew it.
1T is a common delusion among dia
mond miners that diamonds fall from the
skies in meteoric showers" he said
There is some sort of foundation for
this mistaken view. as the stones are
found in volcanic pipes or columns OF
diamantiferous material, and the crude
idea is that gigantic meteors fell and
plowed these deep holes, distributing dia
monds in all directions rs they passed
But the so-cailed pipes are really the
vents of extinct volcanoes. Ignorant
people do not realize that the chemical
composition of the earth does not differ
greatly from that of the bodies which
surround it in space, so that the same
process of manufacture under high tenn
perature and at great pressure which
creates diamond in a meteor has equa
powers here. In a word, what has hap
pened in the outer universe has also hap
pened at Kimberley. Iron acts as the
solvent during the period of creation, Sc
to speak Then. in the lapse of ages, il
oxidzes by the action of air or water
and the diamonds remain"
The magistrate nodded.
There are particles of mineral hat
looks like iron among these stones?" he
. said.
The question gave lsaacstein time t.