Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1907-08-01

sources.
But there was q long pause before he
found his tongue again. His voice had
lost It's sggressiveness when he said
"In the police court I valued the dia-
monds you produced at 100000. 1t does
not necessarily follow that I am pre-
pared to give such n sum for them at
this moment. might do so as n specu
lation, but I take It you do not want
me to figure in that capacity. II will
he better for you, safer for me- II be-
come your agent will take your stones
to Amsterdam, have them cut sufficient
ly TO enable dealers to assess their true
worth and sell them to the best adj
vantage. My charge will be 10 per
cent and I pay all expenses. Today
will give you $50. Tomorrow I will
! take you to bank and place i've thou
sand to your credit. Meanwhile I will
give you a receipt for thirty stones,
weighing In the rough so many carats,
and you or any one you may appoint
can see the sale vouchers subsequently,
when I will hnnd you the balance aft
ct deducting f5,050 and my 10 per cent.
| The total price may exceed fifty thou
sand or II may be less. but I do not
think will be far out In my estimate.
Are you agreeablef'
Some inner monitor told Philip tina,
! the man was talking on sound business
| lines. There was n ring of sincerity in
his voice Apparently he had thrust
| temptation aside and was firmly re-
]
cent
/ And this might we'll be. Twenty five
| thousand pounds n year earned by
few journeys to the contncnt-a few
| hagging interviews In the Hatton Car
! den office, What gold mine More
over he would he the head man in the
trade. lie was that now. In some re-
spocts. but under the new conditions
none could gainsay his place at the top.
| Even the magnates Of Kimberley would
be staggered by this new source of sup
ply What did II matter II the boy
! kept to his rags and amazed the world
so long as the diamonds were forth
coming? It was no silk hated gentle
! man who frst stumbled across the dia-
mond laden earth of South Africa.
Isuacstein had made up his mind Fate
had thrust this business into his lap.
He would be fool to lose it out Of
mere curiosity.
Yes" said Philip. II agree to that
Samuel" yelled Isaacstein.
"Coming, sir" was the answering
shout, and flurried clerk appeared
Bring in the scales, Samuel
The scales were brought and a level
SPACE cleared for them on the desk.
lblip, of course, had never before
seen an instrument SO delicately ad-
justed. A breath would serve to de-
press the balance.
The boy held forth his paper and
poured the contents into the tiny brass
tray of the scales. Samuers mouth
opened and his eyes widened. 1t was
his first sight OF the diamonds.
-Four ounces eight penny weights five
grains-G20 carats in thirty stones
Oh, good gracious me" rnurmured the
clerk.
Isaacstein checked the record care
fully.
Right he said Put them IN the
safe"
Philip raised no protest this time,
He knew that the man would keep his
word Indeed, Isaacsten told Samuel
,, to bring him fifty sovereiGns. and ere
the man returned he began to write
on a sheet of letter paper:
,, "Recciyed from IIerel What's
your 2" he broke in.
philip"
philip what?"
THAT will do today, thank you. The
next time l call l will give you my
full name and address
PLEASE yourself. ! am no judge In
this NATTER and he wrote on;
Received from Philip, boy who refuses
any other name. bat the same whom
saw in this office the goth inst. anc
2 again at the Cierkenweil police court or
, that date. thirty meteoric diamond:
, weighing in the gross 6-9 carats. l hereby
agree to dispose of the same and TO rem
dor true account Of the sales to sale
Fhilip OF his agents, my commission tc
be 10 per cent the expenses PAYABLE By
: ne. have today handed the said PhliI
| $50 In gold and undertake IN place $500
to his credit tomorrow with my bankers
REUBEN ISAACSTElN.
, After completing this aCknowledc
f ment he scrubbed something else.
There" he said, with sigh Of re
, lief, that is not Il very formal docu
| ment. but it will suffice. You can go
: il stamped tomorrow at Somerse
, House Just sign this receipt for $50.
q Philip took the two papers and reat
r them carefully. IsaaCstein's handwrit
ing was n srrawl but legibe enough
: The boy reached for n pen and signed
, his Christian name He was on thu
point of adding his surname in an IN
, guarded moment, but he felt the man
? eye on him. so he simnly wrote phil
a ip" across the stamp at the foot Of tn
receipt.
: Isaacstein fully appreciated the Incl
r dent aMd knew that his own ca gernea
= defeated the chance all the more pow
l. erful because 1t was involuntary. o
/. ascertaiplng the name of this marvel
, Gus youth.
v Philip gathered up his gold. not with
a ont counting the coins. They fel
: strangely heavy in his pOcket-muc
!. heavier than the stones they replaced
yet they formed but thousHndth par
n OF the value OF those fintlike pebbles
What a queer problem it was, this re-
q ito Of worth between a few stones an
n the bright mintrd sovereigns!
% 'What time shall | call tomorrow