Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1907-08-08

Calc'lateQ 10 De uSelul untel uS AZ Wv
nat'ral order of things. What we had
we iumpt in. and by written agree.
ment dra wed up mutual, we undertook
to play it out to the bottom dollar ana
the pint of starvation. We worked.
sir, through thick and thin, through
the measliest streak of luck mortal
man ever struck.
Israel was the first to funk 1t. MY
calculations are wrong; it's hopeless
venture; let us chuck it, he says. To
which Gentleman Thorne replies: No.
he says, well stick to our colors ana
fight it OUT says he. End he did his
level best to cheer us on. You should
have hecrd him there awhirtlin like
black-bud, singin' songs, DRAWN us
out Of ourselves, and maxim pleasant
Joke out of our bad luck. Asst the hld
down there who was her best friend III
that trouble. She'll tell you 1t was
Gentleman Thorne, not her father. she
had a bit of a fever-it was him made
I'M n bed for her, built screen to keep
the sun off, walked fifteen mile III the
night to get things from the sto"c, Set
I'M night after night to give her water,
end used for to sinR out about the
sleepin' beauty and Cineralla, While
he was peggin' away at the burned
stones. will allow. miss, l were
ashamed to let him see | was losin
heart. and when felt like blasphemin'
at things in genial, used to take
short walk and let off all ny syearin'
where he couldn't hear me. Well, II
| did look as eff we had hooked on to the
everlastin' tsh-kittle. Then Israel
| funked second time. we kev still a
few pounds left he says to Gentleman
Thorne. Lets throw up the cards.
which they might hev done without
going from our written word, they two
formin' majority. But Gentleman
| Thorne wouldn't agree to 1t. 1t
wouldn't be fair to the Judge, he said,
and then he promised that if we failed
In the end he'd stick by Israel, and
keep him like his own flesh and blood
until ke found the means OF keeping
hissplf, which was more than I'd nev
promised him, l will allow. Well, we
played on till the last cent was spent
| in stores. and the stores had got down
to half a tin of beef and 2 screw of
shag, and then lighted on two-carat
stone. The very next day Gentleman
Thorne found the Great Hesper. We
: couldn't allow 1t was real, yet we sort
| or thought it was. Anyhow, we didn't
sleep till we got to Natal and had it
tested. We sold the littler stone and
scraped enough together to pay our
passage to Southampton by the next
boat. In committee we agreed to go
to bank and raise money on the dia'
mond as soOn's we landed, but no one
wouldn't take us on, end if the police
hadn't put us on this track, I'm
stumped if know what partic'ler 'ole
we should hev been stickin' in at the
present moment"
During this recital, which have alb.
breviated considerably, Van Hoeck.
who despised the Judge and abominat.
ed all he said, sat with his eyes close.
ly shut. his ncstrils pinched, and his
black brows creased together, SO that
they almost met Miss Lascelles lls'
tened with intense interest, her pretty
lips just parted, and l thought she
looked more kindly upon me for the
glowing eulogium-of which / have
omitted great part-paid to me by
Brace.
The Kid changed her position, seem.
ing to catch some of her fathers Ell.
thusasm, and sitting upon her heels
with her hands clasped before her,
turned her flashing eyes sometimes
upon me, but more often upon Miss
Lascelles, as IL to catch the effect OF
this narrative.
Zone thing is obvious" said Sir Ed.
mund cheerfully; "you won't want to
leave me tonight"
"Neery one Of us, sir, you bet!' re-
piled the Judge. while Van Hoeck
and | expressed the same sentiments
in other words.
The baronet spoke in low tone to
his daughter, who rose and left the
room.
"The next thing to consider is" he
then said. chow can be of service to
you in this affair. TO purchase your
treasure is. Of course. altogether out
of the question. But floud like to
buy small-a very, very small-share
In it, paying down certain sum for
your present convenience, and taking
| 1t back when the diamold is ultimate.
ly disposed of, with a reasonable per.
centage upon the outlay. / make this
suggestion as matter of business,
that you may feel yourselves free from
any restraint in accepting the offer"
1t took us but few minutes to agree
to this proposal.
"In tnat case" he proceeded, Il
| should wish to have voice in the
management of this business, and the
| first suggestion l should make Is, that
! the finest artist in work of this kind
be engaged to cut the diamond under
this roof, and that during the opera
ton you should take up your residence
here. This precautlon is necessary
for the safe keeping Of the treasure,
| and for our own security
This arrangement was too obviously
| advantageous to us to require argu-
ment; we consulted together, and
quickly agreed to accept the condition
Sir Edmund then read the agreement
through agai2, and then said:
| uwo ,nust conSuIt n LAWYER with re.