Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1907-07-11

what are you looking nti' he de.
manded suddenly.
81 was wondering how you will look
when you go to heaven. Mr.. Isaac
stein" was the astounding reply.
"You imagine, then that may deal
fairly with you?" he said at last.
! ooh. yes. Why should you rob me?
You can cHrn more money than you can
ever need in this world by looking aft
| er my interests properly IF only you
/ will believe this statement it will save
/ YOU much future worry, assure you"
Were you in earnest when you said
that you have an abundance of stones
like those in your handsi'
$50 many. Mr.. Isancstein, that you
will have some trouble in disposing Of
! them. have diamonds ms big, ns big
! let me see--as big as an egg"
The wonder is that the man did not
faint.
My God"' he gurgled. do you
know what YOU are saying? Where
are they, hoy? You will be robbed.
murdered for their sake. Where are
they Lei me put them in some safe
place / will deal honestly by you
swear it by all that hold sacred. But
you must have them taken care Of"
They are quite safe, be certain OF
that. Reveal my secret will not.
have borne insult and Imprisonment to
preserve It, SO 1t is not likely | will
yield now to your appeals"
Philips face lit up with strange
light as this protest left his lips. The
meteor was his mothers bequest. She
gave it to him, and she would safe
guard it. Had she failed hithertoi
Was not all London ringing with the
news of his fortune. yet what man or
woman had discovered the wherea bouts
of his treasure? In his pocket he felt
the great iron key of No. 3 Johnson's
News, and he was as certain now that
bis hiding place was unknown as tina
his mothers spirit was looking down
on him from heaven and directing his
every movement
The man, in spite of his own great
lack of cOmpOsure, saw the flectins
Puzzled and disturbed though he was,
he made another violent effort to pull
his shattered nerves into order
There is no need to talk all day" he
said doggedly. Now am going to tell
you something you don't know. If your
boast is justitied-if you really own as
many diamonds and as good ones as
you say you own-there must be n
great deal Of discretion exercised in
putting them on the market. Diamonds
are valuable only because they are
rare. There is limit to their possible
purchasers. II the diamond mines Of
the world were to pour all their re-
sources forthwith into the lap Of the
public there would be such slump
that prices would drop so. 60, even 80
per cent. DO you follow me?'
Yes" nodded Philip.
A week earlier he would have said,
Eyes. sir" but his soul was bitter yet
against Isaacstein.
VERY well. 1t may take me months,
! years, to realize your collection. To do
it properly | must have some idea of
| its magnitude. If there are exception
ally large stones among ii. they will be
{ Il
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
sententiousness brought the man to
the point.
taI, k,&ko
your confidence. What quantity OF
stones do YOU possess and what are
their sizes? | must know"
Isaaasten, cooler now. pursed his
lips and pressed his thumbs together
until they appeared to lie in danger of
dislocation. 1t was his favorite atti-
tude when engaged in deal. 1t signl-
fed 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 moth.
Ing but the facts.
The boy, singularly unfurried In tone
and manner, hazarded an inquiry.
what amount Of ordinary diamonds
in their money value, l mean-car
you dispose of readily In the course OF
year, Mr. Isaacstein?"
"Oh, f2O0,O00 or 100000 worth. II
is matter largely dependent on the
condition Of trade generally. But thai
may be regarded as a minimum
"And the bigger stones, worth many
thousands each?"
at Is impossible to say. Taking
them In the lump at values varying
from n thousand each to fancy figures
perhaps 10000 worth"
"It would be safe to reckon on 2
quarter Of million year, all told"
"Quite safe"
"Then, Mr.. Isaacstcin. ! will supply
you with diamonds of that value every
year for many years"
The man relaxed the pressure on hi
thumbs. Indeed. he passed a tremu
lOus hand across his forehead. He wal
beaten again, and he knew it-worsteC
by gutter snipe in war Of wits.
Tho contest had one excellent effect
1t stopped all further efforts on Isaac
STEMS part to wrest Philips secrc
from him. Thenceforth he asked fo
and obtained such diamonds MS he need
ed and resolutely forbade himself tn,
luxury Of questioning or probing thu
extent Of his juvenile patrons re