Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1907-08-13

Il
wares and joined In the exclamations
Of his friend at this speedy denouement
Of the trivial incident Of twenty min
utes earlier.
The restaurant keeper was made ju
bilant by this dramatic vindication OF
the accuracy Of his judgment.
'The thievin' young scamp" he ejac
ulated. That's right. Mr. Policeman
Lock i'm up. 'E's reglar wrong 'un. y
The constable stopped. Hello" he
said. "Do you know him"
II should think | did. e KEN ere
Just now an obtained good blowout
on false pretences, am
"Old ard" put In the greengrocer
that's not quite the ticket. E asked
you to trust i'm. but you wouldn't"
The stout man gurgled.
Not me. know Is sort. But e 'ad
you a fair treat. Billy"
"Mebbe, an mebDe not. Enpyhow
two bob won't break me, an I'm sorry
| for the kid. Wot's e done, Mr. Police
MANI" Mr.. Judd was nettled, yet un.
willing to acknowledge he was wholly
wrong.
"Stole heap Of diamonds. Do either
Of you know him!'
| "Never saw him afore this mornin'."
"Ncver bin in my 'ouse before"
"Then come along" and Philip was
tugged onward, but not before he
found courage to say:
"Thank you once more, Mr.. Judd.
will keep my word, never fear"
What are you thanking him for?"
| said the constable.
"For believing in me-" was the curt
answer.
The policeman tried to extract some
meaning from the words, but failed.
| He privately admitted that It was an
extraordinary affair. How came a
boy who spoke like a gentleman and
was dressed like street arab to be
wandering about London with a pock'
etful OF diamonds and admitted to
| the private Office Of the chief diamond
merchant In Hatton Garden? He gave
It up. but silently thanked the stars
which connected him with an impOr.
tant case.
At last Philips Via Dolorosa ended
in the Bridewell police station. He
was paraded before the inspector In
charge, a functionary who would not
have exhibited any surprise had the
German emperor been brought before
him charged with shoplifting.
He opened huge ledger, tried If his
pen would make hair stroke on a
piece of paper and said laconically:
Name"
No answer from the prisoner, follow
ed by emphatic demands from inspect
or and constable the former volunteer
Ing the information that to refuse your
name and address was In itself an Of.
Tense against the law.
Philips sangfroid was coming to his
| aid. The horror of his passage through
| the gaping mob had cauterized all 9TH
er sentiments, and he now saw that If
he would preserve his incognito he
must adopt ruse.
"Philip Morland," he said doggedly
when the inspector asked him his
name for the last time before record
ing definite refusal.
philip Morlandw It sounded curl,
Ously familiar in his ears. His mother
was a Miss Morland prior to her mar.
riage, but he had not noticed the odd
| coincidence that he should have been
christened after the Sir Philip" Of the
packet Of letters so fortunately left be-
hind that morning.
Address,
"Park lane"
The inspector began to write before
the absurdlty Of the reply dawned on
him. He stopped.
rs your mother caretaker there or
your father employed in II news"
"My father and mother are dead
"Then will you kindly inform us
what number in Park lane you live
atT
81 have not determined that as yet.
intend to buy house there"
Some constables lounging about the
office laughed, and the inspector, In
censed out of his routine habits, shout
ed angrily:
"This Is no place for joking, boy.
Answer me properly or 1t will be worse
for you"
81 have answered you quite properly.
The constable who brought me here
has In his possession diamonds worth
many thousands Of pounds belonging
to me. own hundred times as
many Surely / can buy a house In
Park lane II like"
The inspector was staggered by this
we'll bred insolence. He was search
| Ing for some crushing legal threat that
would frighten the boy into a state OF
due humility when Mr. Isaacstein en-
tered.
The Hatton Garden magnate again
related the circumstances attending
Philips arrest and the inspector
promptly asked:
what charge shall I enter? You
gave him into custody. Do you think
he has stolen the diamonds"
Isaacstein had been thinking hard
during a short cab drive. His reply
was Unexpectedly frank.
"He could not have stolen what nev'
er existed. There is no such known
collection Of meteoric diamonds In the
world"
But there must be- because they are
here"
BY this time the parcel Of dirty
white stones was lying open on the
| counter, and both merchant and po-
| llceman were gazing at them intently.
There was II netting logic in the in
spector's ret0rt.
II cannot answer riddles" said Is
aacstein shortly. II can only state
| the facts. II any other man In the
city Of London Is higher authority
on damon is than I, go to him and ask
his opinion"
"Mr. IsaacStcin is right" intarposed
| Philip. mo one else owns diamonds
like mine. No one else can obtain
them. | have robbed no man. Give
me my diamonds and let me go."
The inspector laughed officially. He
gazed intently at Philip and then
sought illumination from Isaacstein's
perturbed c0untenance. but lsaacstein
was moodily examining the contents OF
the paper and turning over both the
stones and the scraps OF Iron with IN