The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1907-09-06

no use, Jocky. I won't let you kick me
You must either go quietly or / will
drag you to the street over the stones.
and that will hurt"
The man glared duly at his cantor.
With the apathy of his class, he /
when he was beaten and became SUB,
knissve in demeanor. Philip, holding
his candle aloft, marveled at his own
temerity in hitting this giant, oxlike IL
size and strength.
Mason wabbled his head and Grained
his neck awkwardly.
100 gev RIO that crack on the nut?'
he asked.
"The roof dropped" was the ocular
reply.
"Not it. 1 'ad yer dahn, sailor. l was
on yer afore We could use yer stick. Ye
was fairly bested until somebody ahted
ne wiz q welt on the skylight."
"Never mind, Jocky. It'll hurt you to
think just now. Come on
But the ex-convict became sensible
If the unwonted light in the deserted
house and slowly turned his head I'M
III lilo Sl0llNC lCStVu VII
"Why," be roared, with an impreca
ion, that's the bloomin'. kid 90 found
he di-monds / seed i'm a-countin' of
EN-. White stones, the paper said, an
bits of iron, too. A trunk full of 'em.
e as one in is pocket as big as an
egg"
The policeman laughed. So did Phil
Ip, shrilly, with ready acceptance of the
cue.
"Come along, Jocky. You're wool
gathering. I'll get you a pint Of coffee
at the station just to show there's no
malice" said the constable.
1.-THE water was too strong for him."
put in Philip.
The ex-convict began to protest, but
he wasted words in swearing. The
"sailor" grasped him by the arm and
marched him down the yard, saying
over his shoulder:
Pull that door to. I'll come back for
my coat In half an hour"
Philip followed, but in a sea Of per-
plexity. He heard Mason's frantic ex-
postulations to the policeman-what
was an extra stripe to the loss of un-
told wealth-that youngster was richer
than Rothschild, the papers said. The
small lot he showed in the police court
were worth f50,000-and he had tons
more.
1t was all of no avail. Certainly the
constable had never heard such queer
reasons advanced for stopping an ar
rest, but Mason was obviously daZed
for the time-maundering about the
story which everybody talked Of. He
would change his tune when he learn
ed to whom he was indebted for his
capture.
The boy walked behind them me-
chanically, shading the candle with his
hand. He was so absorbed with his
thoughts that the first in
iication he received of anything bizarre
In his appearance was the giggling of
a girl who saw him standing In the
arch of the news carefully shielding
the pickering wick.
He blew it out. A clock in the small
jewelers. shop opposite showed the
time-ten minutes past IL. In that
part of London, busy hive of men and
of the working class, he had no
chance of removing his belongings be-
fore the policeman returned.
What would happen If the friendly
constable believed Jocky Mason's eX-
cited statements? True, Philip had
40 reason to fear the law, but with
exposure might come other troubles.
Would any one advance a claim to his
meteor? Mr.. Abingdon limited at such
| thing. He paid no rent for his
house; he might be turned out instant
y-refused permission to remove any
hing except his few unstable house
lold goods.
Assuredly he WAS in an awkward
OF course there was q
nance that the policeman would con-
inue to laugh at the convicts folly.
f he did not, there would certainly be
Could he avoid them by
my means? Where was there O safe
liding place for his diamonds until
lext day? Would mother inspire him
gain as she had not failed to do dur
ng so many strange events? Would
Ter spirit guide his footsteps across
his new quicksand on whose verge
e hesitated?
A few doors to the left was O'Brien's
hop. The old man crept into sight,
under the weight of shut
err Good gracious! Why had he not
bought of this ally sooner? Some
recious minutes were wasted already.
"Arrah, Phil, phwat in the worruld'-
"Wait just the least bit, Mr.. O'Brien.
have some portmanteaus that want |
D store for the night. Do let me put |
hem at the back of your shop. My |
lace is not very safe, you know"
"Sure, boy, that's shmall thing to
X. Bring 'em, an welcome"
With the speed of deer Philip dived
nto the news. He carried the two
esser bags without extraordinary diff
Guilty and deposited them behind
,'Brien's counter The third was al
lost too much for him, as the weight
7as all In one hand, but he got 1t there,
reathless with the exertion.
He had to open the fourth and tear
ut the stuffing of paper. When filed
With the packages taken from the
fth. It was beyond his power to LIT
|, so he dragged It bodily along the