Evening journal., 1908-12-18
"Old Clothes.
IoririnnI1

l have a green tinge about me. though
my mates are usually colorless. IL is
the rarity Of this tlnge and my size
that makes me very valuable. Though
no larger than a hickory nut, l am
worth many thousand dollarsN1 was
born I'm Brazil. The first Of this world,
at least Of daylight. for me was rolling
out with stones, sand. earth and other
minerals following the stroke Of a
pick. / lay on the ground before n
workman. He looked aboSt him and,
seeing his foreman's back turned, pick
ed me up and put me in his mouth.
When he went from work he was
searched, but l was not discovered.
The next scene in rly life of motion,
so to speak, was in a wood. The work
man who had found me sold me to a
man of better grade. The price paid
was 500 in United States bills. The
man who bought me took me 20 a
room. locked the door and examined me
carefully. I could see by his express
sion that he was very~much pleased
with me. He got box of sewing
utensils from a closet and. ripping a
pocket in the lining Of his coat, put
me in and sewed me fast. I didn't
suppose that l would stay long in this
place. but did.
One day a policeman came to my
owners room and arrested him. He
was not wearing the coat in which he
had sewed me. II hung in a closet. A
month later it was taken down and
with other clothing taken TO villa dc
Principe. where It was sold to a Jew
A young man "all tattered and torn
came into the Jews shop tried on sew
eral coats. and, the one I was I'm fitting
him, he bought it. l think the price
paid was 81. The young man walked
all the way TO Rio. doing work here
and there for n meal. Had he knowr
that he had me with him he nigh
have ridden in a coach and four.
When he got to Rio he shipped on {
vessel bound for New Haven, Conn.
was rolled, with other clothing, in
small bundle and put under his bunk
he donning sailor togs. When we reach
ed New Haven my owner put on hi
shore clothes, left the vessel and walk
ed up into the city. He met a numbe
Of young men he knew, and by his cor
versation with them I learned that h
had been n student in the college thcr
and his father had died insolvent dun
ing the sons second year. From
/ student he had become n sailor, ha
J sought employment I'm South Amerlc
and had got stranded in Brazil. On
of his old chums loaned him som
money with which to buy a ticket {
his home in a distant city.
This home was in a shabby little CO
tage in the suburbs. 1t was both
melancholy and a happy meeting b.
tween the young man and his mothe
and his two sisters. They were ey
dently people Of refinement living
poverty. Their returned boy was hu
y CRY, but there was nothing save
e piece Of corn bread in the house to gi'
10 him. They begged him to stay vii
them, try for a position and help ther
To this he consented, and they wei
happy.
/, That night after he had gone to be
one Of his sisters took his clothes an
sat up late patching and darning the
- that he might appear the better
looking for employment. After Il
sewing she took them downstairs In
the kitchen, heated an iron and press,
them. While running the iron over Il
coat its nose hit an obstacle in m
She felt Of me. took me TO the light
examine the place where | was; the
taking a knife, she ripped the sewir
and took me out. Seeing nothing but
brownish stone, she threw me into
coal scuttle, but on second though
took me up again and put me on
table. Then, finishing her ironing, 81
took the clothes to her brothers roor
The next morning she showed me
her brother and told him where 81
had found me. He looked me over vel
carefully, thinking all the while, al
asked his sister TO show him the pla,
where she had found me. Then he p
me in his pocket and later on start'
out to look for a situation. About noe
he went home. He met his mother
the hall. He was pale and trembling
"Oh, MOTHER be exclaimed.
My boy, what has happenedl"
= IF II shouldn't be true it would X
me-"
WHAT"
The stone Fannie found sewed in n
n coat. Thinking It might be n jewel
the rough, I took It to a jeweler He sa.
q It's a diamond. a diamond OF that si
is worth many thousands Of dollars. "
He took me out of his pocket, al
a the mother and her dnugater gathers
81 round, each trembling with excitemer
q Don't count on too much, dear boy
said the mother. IF It is a diamond.
. hoe n r.aaI ov~por and vc,, rat,ek a,