Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1905-10-14

Philips face lit up with a strange light
as this protest left his lips The meteor
was his mothers bequest. She gave it TO
him, and she would safeguard it. Had
she failed hithertoS Was not all London
ringing with the news of his fortune.
yet what man or woman had discovered
the whereabouts of his treasure? In his
pocket he felt the great iron key of No.
3, Johnson's News, and he was as GER
tain now that his hiding place was un-
known as that his mothers spirit was
looking down on him from heaven, and
directing his every movement.
The jew, in spite or his own great lack
of composure, saw the fleeting glimpse of
spirituality in the boys eyes. Puzzled
and disturbed though he was, he made
another violent effort TO pull his shat
tered nerves into order.
There is no need to talk all day." he
said, doggedly. Now l am going TO tell
you something you don't know. If your
boast is justiied-if you really own as
many diamonds, and as good ones, as you
say you own-there must be q great deal
of discretion exercised in putting them
on the market. Diamonds are valuable
only because they are rare. There is a
limit to their possible purchasers. If the
diamond mines of the world were to pour
all their resources forthwith into the lap
of the public, there would be such a
slump that prices would drop so, 60, even
so per cent, Do you follow me?"
YES" nodded Philip.
A week earlier he would have said,
''Yes, sir" but his soul was bitter yet
against Isaaestein.
Very we'll 1t may take me months,
years, to realize your collection. To do
it properly | must have some idea of its
magnitude. If there are exceptionally
large stones among it, they will be dealt
with separately They may rival or
eclipse the few historical diamonds of
the world but their worth can only be
measured by the readiness of some fool
to pay hundreds of thousands for them.
See?"
Yes" nodded Philip again. His SEN
| tentiousness brought the man to the
point
therefore YOU must take me into your
confidence. What quantity of stones do
You possess, and what are their sizes? /
must know"
1saacstein, cooler now, pursed his lips
and pressed his thumbs together until
they appeared to be in danger of disloca-
ton. 1t was his favorte attitude when
engaged in a deal. 1t signifed that he
had cornered his victim. Philip, appealed
to in this strictly commercial way, could
not fail to see it was to his own interest
to tell his chosen expert the exact facts,
and nothing but the facts.
10 hon 81
and manner, hazarded an inquiry
What amount of ordinary diamonds
in their money value | mean, can Won
dispose of readily in the course of a
year, Mr.. Isaacstein ?"
"Oh, 100000 or 100000 worth; il
is a matter largely dependent on the con
dition of trade generally. But that may
be regarded as a minimum"
And the bigger stones, worth many
| thousands each2"
ut is impossible to say. Taking then
in the lump, at values varying from q
thousand each to fancy figures, perhaps
100000 worth"
ut would be safe to reckon on a quar-.
ter of a million a year, all told ?"
Quite safe"
Then Mr.. Isaacst ein / will supply
you with diamonds of that value every
year for many years"
The Jew relaxed the pressure on his
thumbs. Indeed he passed a tremulous
hand across his forehead He was beaten
again, and he knew it-worsted by a
gutter snipe in war of wits.
The contest had one excellent effect
1t stopped all further efforts on Isaac,
STEMS part to wrest Philips secret from
him. Thenceforth he asked for, and OBJ.
| tanned, such diamonds as he needed, and
resolutely forbade himself the luxury OF
questioning or probing the extent of hi:
| juvenile patrons resources.
But there was a long pause before he
found his tongue again. His voice had
lost its aggressivcness when he said:
an the police court / valued the dia.
monds you produced at $4,000. 1t does
not necessarily follow that I am prepared
to give such a sum for them at this mo.
ment. ! might do so as a speculation
but l take it you do not want me to
figure in that capacity. 1t will be better
for you, safer for me, if / become your
agent. / will take your stones to Am.
sterdam, have them cut sufficiently ia
enable dealers to assess their true worth
and sell them to the best advantage. NV
| charge will be 10 per cent and / pay all
expenses. Today | will give you ESQ
Tomorrow ] will take you to a bank and
place $4,000 to your credit. Meanwhile
l will give you receipt for thirty stones
weighing, in the rough, so many carats
and you, or anyone you may appoint
can see the sale vouchers subsequently
when l will hand you the balance after
deducting f5O5O and my 10 per cent
The total price may exceed 100000. or il
may be less, but | do not think | will be
far out in my estimate Are you agree
able? -
Some inner monitor told Philip that
the Jew was talking on sound business
lines. There was a ring of sincerity ir
his voice. Apparently he had thrust
temptation aside and was firmly re-
solved to be content with his 10 per cent
TO BE CONTINUED.
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A Scot on the Telegraph.
Early in the history of the electric
telegraph in Scotland a Highlander who