Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1907-08-01
CHAPTER II.

CHATTER IL.
We marched on to the High street,
our appearance attracting a good. deal
Of attention, and creating some amuse.
ment and speculation doubtless. Per
sons on the opposite side of the road
stopped to look across at us, others re-
garded us askant in passing and turned
round to watch our progress, a few
children following US, thinking maybe
that we were about to give some kind
of street entertainment.
We found bank and strcamed In. a
small crowd collecting round the door
as it swung to behind the Kid. The
clerks suspended their operations and
looked at us in open-mOuthed astonish.
ment as we ranged ourselves along the
counter.
'Is the manager of this concern in?'
asked the Judge. Hands Off" he
added, in q roar, as the Kid, slipping
her 1.-the hand under the brass work
protecting the counter began to finger
the scales.
The Kid, unmoved, satisfied her GU
riosity. then, Withdrawing her hand
rested her elbow on the counter. and
dropping her chin in the palm, gazed
at the clerks with stolid Indifference.
"The manager is in. what do you
want?" asked the clerk.
LET up Israel" said the Judge, fall
ing back a step, and waving his hand
significantly toward Van Hoeck.
1--WE wish to negotiate loan on the
security of large diamond that we
have brought home from the Cape"
said Van Hoeck.
Eight hundred and twenty carats.
fust water" added the Judge; "the
grandest stone in this almighty uni
verse;
There was a whispered consultation
among the clerks, and one went into a
private room at the back of the bank.
from which he presently returned with
the manager.
II am the manager. What do you
want?"
Van Hocck repeated his statement.
"And what security can you give me
that the diamond is genuine" asked
the manager, with pleasant smile,
"or that it is lcSitimatcly yours to dis
pose OFF,
You will allow, sir, if any one he'd
lost a stone of this kind he would have
made it onsafe for us TO walk about
with it in the day light replied the
Judge, "and as for its tcin' genuine.
you kin hev the security of your own
eyesight."
Il do not profess to be Judge Of
diamonds, and | can hav6 nothing to
Go with it," said the manager, def.
nitely.
We streamed out of that bank as we
had strcamed into it, and tried anoth'
CT. but with no better result, the man
agcr telling us that transactions Of
such kind We're altogether beyond the
range of his business; and we found a
third, but the manager was absent,
and by this time, being convinced that
the plan we had proposed was imprac-
ticablc, we put our heads together in
counsel at the corner of the street to
determine what course we should take.
We were disgusted with Southamp.
ION and, had we possessed the means,
should have gone at once to London.
where we might have found some for
mer acquaintance to help us out of our
present difficulty. But we had nothing
nothing in the world but the things
we stood upright ill., and the great dia.
mond For our smaller finds and our
implements we had sold at Natal to
make up enough to pay Our stcc"aGe
home, and our spare clothes. our
knives, every available thing, we had
Dartcred away OH our passage for food
to supplement the miserably INSULT.
cient steerage fare.
I'VE kin not pawn the Kid" said the
Judge, "end that's about the only per-
kisit as we could well do without
1t was now near upon , o'clock, and
we felt the need of food, having eaten
nothing since 6, when our last rations
were served out to us on the Southern
Cross. Our position was Il desperate
Que. With millions in our possession
we might starve in the street. or have
to take refuge in the workhouse.
1t was odd, indeed, and very unplcas.
ant, also. At length, being unable tc
see any way out of our difficulty, we
made our way to police station and
laid our case before the inspector.
well, my good fellows" said lie,
having heard us out, 81 don't see how
Pm to help you. The Mayor is the pro.
per person to so TO, but he's away
yachting. The only party l can think
off, he added, after a moments reiiec.
ton, "who might serve you, is Sir Ed.
mund Lascelles. He's got kind Of
museum, and buys up curiosities,
know; and kind old gentleman he is,
too. Now. IL he's at home"