The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1909-01-30
10
"A Slump in
Diamonds"
By H. Maxwell.

Mr.. Bernard Martin sat III Ills poSh
parlor in Hatton Garden. looking, as ne
felt, i'll at ease and worried, Tor ne
was not only a dealer in diamonds. put
he was a large holder OF shares ID ola-
nond mining companies, and there hao
been a great drop that morning IN Tue
value of the precious stones them-
selves, as we'll as in the shares OF the
companies that produced them
This would not have mattered very
much in ordinary times, because ne
would merely have had to hold on I'M
Ill prices recovered; but it mattered
very much at the present juncture be-
cause he was in urgent and immediate
need of a very large sum OF money.
And the point that worried him-the
point he was trying to decide-was
whether to raise the required funds py
selling stones or selling scrip.
The matter was so difficult to decide
that his mind harked back to the third
alternative-need he sell at all?
Then he groaned inaudibly. Before
he had been groaning only in spirit, Tor
he realized there was no help for 1t. he
must make the sacrifice and incur the
loss unless he wished to see the am
bition Of a lifetime-the hopes he mad
built upon his daughter making great
marriage-wrecked. stultihed ana
brought to nothing.
He moved % the speaking tube COM
nunicating with the upper apartments
and called:
Florence. want you"
"All right, father. III come In a
minute" was the reply.
AT once, pleased" he rejoined per-
smptorily.
I'm coming, father; but | warn you
If 1t has anything to do with the old
business you'll merely be wasting my
time and your own"
Mr.. Bernard Martin gave vent to a
vicious utterance which sounded like
ham" or lamb" and returned to his
writing table.
A moment or two later Florence en-
tered the room dressed for going out.
''Florence"-his manner changed and
his voice took on a pleading note
why will you not see that what | am
asking you to do is entirely for your
own good?"
Father, 1t is no use Remember, l
warned you it wouldn't be-"
He proceeded, without taking the
smallest notice of her interruptions:
What is the matter with Lord Glen
avon? He is everything that young
girls fancy could paint in future hus-
band. Hansome, young. clever, steady,
rich and as certain to be Prime Min
lister Of England some day as you and
! are standing here now. And he loves
you devotedly FOR yourself, not for the
money shall give you on your mar
Rage. What, in heavens name, can
any girl want more? Are my wishes
to count for nothing with you?"
"Oh, father, don't let's have another
scene,' she answered, little YEARLY.
We've been through all this so many
times before, and it's all so utterly
futile. l can't and won't marry Lord
Glenavon, and there's an end of it,"
1T is not the end Of it. tell you!
Your infatuation for that beggarly
young scamp Of stock broker, who
is only after your money-my money"
he corrected himself-"has deadened
you to all sense of shame and decency."
!, Father, I really can't listen to any
more OF this. Harold We're Is not a
scamp and not a beggar. though he
rs very poorly of, and he is not after
anybody's money-he is after me! II
he remains In the same mind when he
is well enough OF to marry, shall
marry him. I, at all events shan't
change. Have you done with me?
There is nothing else to be said, sure
w."
YES; just one thing" His manner
became studiously calm all in a mo-
ment, and therefore much more effec-
tive. ! intend to bring you to your
senses. my girl: and. to begin with.
I may tell you that, whoever you may
eventually marry. it will not be Har-
old Vere-I have provisioned against
that contingency. Now you may 20
and think 1t over"
''Of course. il you have provided
against it, father, there is no more to
be said"
Let alone, Mr.. Bernard Martin pro-
seeded to wrestle anew with the diff
acult point that worried him Should he
sell diamonds. or should he sell dia-