Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-08-16

thinking about that dlanOnd. l didn't care even to please Obermuller. I just wanted the feel of that diamond in my hand. I wanted it lying on my own neck-the lovely, cool shining, rosy thing. It's like the sunrise, Mag that beauty stone. It's just tiny pool | of water blushing It's
 How to get it! How to get away with it! On what we'd get for that l diamond, Tom and I-when his time 1 is up--could live for all our lives and whoop it up besides We could live in Paris, where great grafters live and grating pays-where, if you've got wit and 95O,OO0, and happen to be darn sight prettier," you can just spin the world around your little finger!
 But, do you know. even then I couldn't bear to think of selling the pretty thing? It hurt me to think of anybody having it but just Nance Olden.
 But I hadn't got it yet
 Gray has dressing-room to herself. And on her table-which is big box, open end down-just where the three | sided big mirror can multiply the | jewels and make you want em three times as bad, her big russia-leather 1 silver-mounted box lies open, while she's dressing and undressing. Other times it's locked tight, and his lord ship himself has it tight in his own 1 right hand, or his lordship's man, Top ham, has it just as tight. How to get that diamond! There was hard nut for Nance Olden's sharp teeth to crack I only wanted that-never say I'm greedy, Mag Gray could keep all the rest of the things-the pigeon in rubies and pearls, the tiara all in diamonds, the chain of pearls, and the blazing rings, and the waist-trimming all of emer- aids and diamond stars. But that dia- mond, that huge rose diamond. 1 couldn't, just couldn't let her have it.. l And yet didn't know the first step 1 to take toward getting it, till Beryl Blackburn helped me out. She's one ! of the Charities, like me-a tall bleached blonde with a pretty, pale face and gold-gray eyes. And, if you'd believe her, there's not a man in the audience, afternoon or evening, that isn't dead-gone on her.
 Guess who's my latest" she said to me this afternoon, while we four Charities stood in the wings waiting "Topham-old Topham." It all got clear to me then in min- ute.
 "Topham-nothing!" sneered "Beryl Bighead, Topham thinks of only one thing-milady's jewel-box. Don't you fool yourself" "Oh, does he, miss We'll just to prove it, he let me try on the rose diamond last night. There!"
 Its easy to say so, but I don't see the proof. He'd lose his job so quick it'd make his head spin if he did it."
 Not if he did. but if they knew he did. You'll not tell?"
 Not me. Why would I? l don't believe it, and I wouldn't expect any body else to. don't believe you could get Topham. to budge from his chair in Gray's dressing-room if you'd"
 'What'll you bet?"
 "I'll bet you the biggest box of choc- olate creams at Huyler's."
 "Donet III send fer him. tonight, just before Gray and her lord come, and you'll sec"
 How'll see? Wherell be-"
 Well, you be waiting in the little hall right off Gray's dressing-room at 7:3o tonight and-you might as well bring the creams with you"
 Catch on, Mag? At 7:30 in the even- ing I was waiting: but not in the lit tie hall off Gray's dressing-room. hadn't gone home at all after the afternoon performance-you know we play at three, and again at S:30 had just hidden me away till the rest were gone, and as soon as the coast was clear 1 got into Gray's dressing-room. pushed aside the chintz curtains of the big box that makes her dressing-table and waited.
 Lord. how the hours dragged, I hadn't had anything to eat since lunch and II caf darlar and da rlyar in ,bora