The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-08-23

here are omadhauns. They don't know
watch from a clock, an If they did
they'd cheat ye-''
to know by this time. Thank you: I
will go into the city.
He took the pebble. which he placed
in his waistcoat pocket. Walking
briskly. he traversed some part of the
sorrowful journey of barely twelve
hours earlier. What had happened to
change his mood he did not know, and
scarcely troubled to inquire. Last
night he hurried through, these streets
in frenzied quest for death. Now he
STROBE along full of hope, joyous in the
confidence of life and youth. His one
dominant thought was that his mother
had protected him, had snatched him
from the dark gate of eternity. Oddly
enough, he laid far more stress on his
escape from the meteor than on the ac-
cident that prevented his contemplated
suicide. This latter idea had vanished
with the madness that induced it,.
Philip was sane again, morally and
mentally He was keenly anxious to
justify his mothers trust in him. The
clustering wind, annoying to most way
farers, only aroused in him a spirit Of
resistance. of fortitude. He breasted it
so manfully that when at last he
paused at the door of a great jeweiry
establishment in Ludgate Hill, his face
was flushed and his manner eager ard
animated.
He opened the door, but was rudely
brought back 10 a sense of his sur
roundings by the suspicious question Of
| a shop-walker.
| Now, boy, what do you want here ?"
| The unconscious stress in the mans
| 70 N hnrna
contrast between Philip. social pariah
in attire and the wealth of gold and
precious stones cut off from him by
panes of thick glass and iron bars.
What. indeed. did this outcast trant
| there?
Confused by the sudden demand. and
no less by its complete obviousness.
Philip flushed and stammered:
"I-er-only wished to obtain some
information, SIR" he answered.
Like all others, the shopman was
amazed by the difference between the
boys manners and his appearance.
Information" he repeated, in his
surprise. What information can we
give you?"
The wealth of the firm oppressed this
man. He could only speak in accents
of adulation where the shop was con-
cerned.
Philip produced his pebble.
What is this?" he said.
The directness of the Query again
took his nearer aback. Without a
word. he bent and examined the stone.
Professional inntinct mastered all other
considerations.
You must apply to that depart
ment,''
He majestically waved his hand
toward side counter. Philip obeyed
silently. and approached a small. elder
ly parsonage, a man with clever, kindly
eyes, who was submitting to microscop-
ical examination a number of tiny
stones spread out on chamois leather
folding case. He quietly removed the
case when his glance rested on the
| boy
| 'Well?" he said, blankly, wondering
why ON earth the skilled shop-walker
| had sent such disreputable urchin to
him. Philip was now quite collected in
his wits. He held out the pebble. with
a more detailed statement.
Il found this he said. Il thought
that it might be valuable and
friend advised me to bring it here
Will you kindly tell me what it is?'
! The man behind the counter stared
| at him for moment. but he reached
over for the stone. Without a word he
| placed il beneath the microscope and
gave ii a very brief examination. Then
he pressed 1t against his cheek.
Where did you get it," he asked
II found it where it had fallen on
the pavement"
Are you sure?"
| quite sure"
Strange was the muttered COM
ment. and Philip began to understand
| that his meteor possessed attributes
! hitherto unsupported.
But what is it?" he inquired, after
a pause.
"A meteoric diamond
"A meteoric diamond?"
| Yes"
us it worth much?''
| "A great deal. Probably some hum
dreds of pounds"
Philip felt his face growing pale
That dirty-white, small stone worth
hundreds of pounds. Yet in his pocket
he had twenty-nine other specimens,
many of them much larger than the
one chosen haphazard for inspection.
and in the back yard of his tene-
ment lay heaps of them, scattered about
the pavement like hailstones after
shower. while the meteor itself was a
compact mass of them. He became
somewhat faint, and leaned against the
glass case that surmounted the coun-
| ter.
rs that really true?" was all he
could say.
The expert valuer of diamonds
smiled His first impulse was to send
for the police. but he knew that me-
teoric diamonds did fall to earth occa-
sionally. and he believed the boys
story. Moreover, the thing was such
rarity and of such value that the
holder must be fully able to account for
| its possession before he could dispose
of it. SO his tone was not unkindly as
| he replied:
''It is quite true. but il you want to
ascertain its exact value you should
! go to a Hatton Garden merchant, and
| he. most probably. would make you a
fair offer. 1t has to be cut and polished,
you know. before 1t becomes salable.
and I must warn you that most rigid
| inquiry will be made as to how it came
| into your hands"
| 1T fell from heaven" was the wholly
unexpected answer, for Philip was
shaken and hardly master of his fac
ulties
Yes, yes. I know. Personally I be-
| lieve you, or you would be in custody at
this moment. Take it to Messrs. Isaac
stein & Co, Hatton Garden. Say I