Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-06-07

ment he almost expected to find that sweet face peering at him benignantly from out the dim background. But he could not see her, and he rose, revivi- lied by this spoken communion with her. He had no shadow of doubt as to her presence. God to him was the uni verse and his mother the unquestiona- ble means of communication with the Providence that governed his life. He would die rather than abandon that belief. Were it dispelled from his mind he was quite certain that his wealth would vanish with it. It was no haphazard accident which had sent the diamond laden meteor headlong from the sky. He was despairing, dy- ing. His mother appealed for him, and, behold. The very elements that control the world obeyed mighty be- hest.
 He began to work methodically. Ill the first place, he lit fire, for the evening was chilly; then he shook his mattress and swept the floor, gather ing into heap all the tiny particles with which it was filtered These he collected in piece of newspaper and folded them into a parcel. which again he inclosed in stouter sheet of brown paper, finally tying the whole with a yard of string he carried in his pocket
 There were hundreds of tiny dia- monds in that insignificant package and not few the size of small peas. As matter of fact, he discovered sub- sequently that the net result of his sweeping brought him in over a f1,000.
 Having examined every nook and crevice of the apartment by the aid of the candle, he satisfied himself that naught remained which would indi- cate to the most curious eye any event out of the common having occurred in that humble dwelling.
 It was typical of Philips implicit faith that he did not unlock the back door until his interior task was ended He knew that his meteor was untouch- ed.
 There was no wind without. The candle, feeble as it's rays were, illumi- mated the small yard sufficiently to re- veal its debris of white stones and darker Jumps of metal. Beginning at the doorway, he swept vigorously, but with minutest care, until he had form ed four good sized piles on the flag stones.
 He could not afford to differentiate between the debris of the damaged pavement and the fragments of the meteor. It was easy to distinguish the larger pieces of broken glass from the window inside the house. In the yard he had neither the time nor the light to select the bits of shattered stone All must gc together. to be sorted with leisured care subsequently.
 He scrutinized the external window sills, the door posts, the chinks of the small coal house door at the farther end of the yard, even the rough sur faces of the walls, and removed every speck of loose material. More news paper was requisitioned. but after util- fixing the twine on his parcel of cloth ing he run short of string.
 He coolly went up the stairs, unfas- tened the rope with which be had in- tended to hang himself and loosened its stiff strands. Soon he had an abun- dance of strong cord, and four bulky packages were added to the first small one.
 They were heavy, too, weighing sev- eral pounds each. In placing them side by side close to the wall beneath the front window he suddenly realized an unforeseen difficulty.
 If these shreds of matter-the mere husk, as 1t were, of the meteor-were SO ponderous, what would be the weight of the meteor itself? How could he hope to lift 1t from the holo in which 1t lay, how convey 1t from Johnson's News to a new and safer habitatlonl He might as we'll endeav- or to move an unwilling elephant.
 The thought chilled him. For the nrst time since his parting interview with Mfr. Abingdon, Philip experienced dread of failure. With something of panic in his blood, he snatched the candle and ran hastily into the yard. He knelt and held the light low in the excavation. Then he cried aloud:
 'what! Am I so ready to lose faith in mother7"
 For the huge metallic mass-so big that 1t would not enter the bore of the largest cannon known to modern gun nery-vas split asunder in all direc- tions. Its Assures gaped widely as if to mock at him. The rain and steam had done their work well. It was even possible that he would not need the spade. but would be able to pick out each separate chunk with his hand
 Instantly he put the thought into ex- ecution and succeeded in lifting sev- sral pieces to the yard level He noted that they were gorged with the dull white pebbles. some being the size of pigcon's eggs. He could not help com pairing them in his minds ere with the collection now lodged in Isaacstcin's safe. If those were worth EJ0,Ooo. these must be of fabulous value.
 Any other person in the wide world might have been excused If he pinched himself or vi1keI furiOusly or took out the gold filled tobacco pouch for careful inspection to assure himself that he was not dreaming. Not So Philip. The only dominant feeling in his brain was one of snnOyance that he should have doubted for enc single Instant that means would be given him fD secure absolute and undiSPuted con fru1 of bis treasure
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