The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1905-08-14
tcOPynshs. IOO. BY The Bobbs- Merrill Company

/ chin. | sidestepped. and he turned
! laughing to the stage.
/ But he called after me.
is beauty success going to COM
] tent you, Olden?"
Well. well wait and see" drawled
back at him in his own throaty bass.
Oh, | was drunk. Mag, drunk with
thinking about that diamond! | didn't
care even to please 0bermuller. l just
wanted the feel of that diamond in my
hand | wanted 1t lying on my own
aeek-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
diamond, Tom and I---when his time
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, II you've got wit
and G50,00O, and happen to be darn
sight prettier,r you can Just spin the
world around your little finger!
But, do you know, even then
couldn't bear to think of selling the
pretty thing? 1t hurt me to think
Of anybody having it but just Nance
Olden.
But 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 EN- three
times as bad, her big russia leather
silyer-mounted box lies open, while
she's dressing and undressing. Other
times It's locked tight and his lord
ship himself has II tight in his own
right hand, or his lordships man, Top
J ham, has it just as tight.
How to get that diamond! There
was hard nut for Nance Olden's
harp teeth to crack. | only wanted
at-neyer say Pm greedy, Mag
Tray could Keep ali the rest OF tne
hings the, pigeon in rubies and
learls, the tiara all lii diamonds. the
shain OF pearls, and the blazing rings,
and the waist-trimming all OF ener-
lids and diamond stars. But that dia-
! nond, that huge rose diamond,
couldn't just couldn't let her have IT.
! And yet didn't know the FIRST steI
20 take toward getting 1t, till Berry
: Blackburn helped me out. She's one
!, Df the Charities, like me--a tai
oleached blonde with pretty, pale
ACE and gold-gray eyes. And, il you'l
: believe her, there's not man in th'
= 1udience afternoon or evening, tina
sn't dead-gone on her.
Guess who's my latest" she said t
: ne this afternoon while we foa
/ Charities stood in the wings waiting
! ".opham old Topham!"
! Il all got clear to me then In min
7 ute
: "Topham nothing." sneered
! 'Beryl Bighead, Topham thinks 0
! only one thing milady's jewel-box
: Don't you fool yourself"
ooh, does he, miss! Well just t
prove it, he let me try on the ros
diamond last night There!"
It's easy to say so, but | don't Sc
: the PROOF He'd lose his job So quicI
u it'd make his head spin If he did it."
Not If he did. but If they knew h
did You'll not tell?"
Not me. Why would /? / don
: believe 1t, and wouldn't expect any
" body else to. don't believe you coul
i get Topham to bulge from his chat
!, In Gray's dresslng-room IL you d."
\ "Whatll you bet?'
/, IN bet you the biggest box of choc
!. olate creams at Huylers"
: Done! I'll send for him to-nigh
just before Gray and her lord com,
and you'll see"
How'll see? Where'll be?''
&c well. you be waiting in the littl
Il hall right off Grays dressing-room &
% 1880 tonight and-you might as we
q bring the creams with YOU"
st Catch on, Mag? At 1880 in the ever
nr ing | was waiting; but not in the Ii
tie hall off Grays dressingroo
II hadn't gone home at all after til
"a afternoon pnrformance-you know v
II. play at three, and again at $3.50. I'D
~ just hidden me away till the rest wei
SoHOs aHu do Sbcu dS luc tOdSl No
r. clear | got into Gray's dressing-roor
nj pushed aside the chlntz curtains of Il
u big box that makes her dressing-tab
ba and waited.
at Lord, how the hours dragged!
al hadn't had anything to eat since lunc
"a and 1t got darker and darker in Their
VI ryK~r-w-s=~--=--.-~=srr