Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1911-03-02
A Sudden
Transformation
By r. w. KEENAN,
Copyright by American Press Asso-
citation. 1911.
By r. w. KEENAN,

AIfICd, ledNllS NY Wlle dhu CulluIeu
at htne. l was run down in health,
discouraged and felt that the only
way to pluck up courage and get on
my feet was to light out, leave all
cares behind me and strike a new
field. My wife's father-an excellent
man, by the w~ay-agreed to take care
of my family till l could send for them
or return to them restored in health
and pluck.
l left America sick and diSheartened.
A man sick is usually Il man disheart-
ened, and when he is obliged to go
away by himself to recover his health
he feels as if the bottom has dropped
out of his life. | never expected to see
my family again, However, he sea
voyage helped me, and by the time |
reached Africa | felt able to do some
thing for myself.
l went to work in the Kimberley dia-
mond mines, where | learned to tell a
diamond when | saw it. 40 matter If
it was in the rough. One day in walk
1uS dClOSS Il uclu L saw Ouc auu lCSOS-
nized it at once. 1t was as big as a
small English walnut and about the
same shape. l bounced upon it. look
ed it over and, sure | was right about
it being a diamond. put it in my
pocket. Even if of a poor grade it
would make me rich.
l made up my mind to return to
A nonpia0 xuith NV Enl Go ,rna,pr
a little chamois skin bag. l put the
diamond in it, first marking my name
on the bag in ink. Then | took a tray
cling wagon for the coast.
There were half q dozen of us trav-
cling together. but only two of my
fellow passengers attracted my atten-
ton. One was a big. rough looking
man. who sat beside me, noticeable
for his villainous appearance. The
other was a little man in the garb of
a curate of the English church. He
was reading his prayer book most of
the time, seeming to be only Interested
in holy matters. a typical British par
son of the inferior grade. one of those
miserable creatures who for some dirty
OAN oOhV q - 5StC a ihS thOu6h
this one, being in Africa, it appeared
more likely that he was a missionary
clergyman.
I hadn't been sitting long by the big,
rough a whose accent marked him
for a Yorkshire man.. when | thought
of my diamond, which was in one of
my pockets next to him. | clapped my
hand or the place where it should be.
and, 10. it was gone.
l knew it had passed into the pos
session of the Yorkshireman. But
what was | to do? | was unarned.
and l could see the butt of his pistol
extending from his hip pocket. | look
ed over the passengers to see If there
was one l could rely on to help me in
case l should accuse the man and
claim my property. But two Of them
were women, and the men in the
coach. except the two | have men
toned. were weakly chaps. who ap-
peared to have very little stuff In
them. There seemed nothing for me
to do but wait till we got to the end
of the route. keep the man In sight at
all hazards and take my chances for
an opportunity to recover my diamond.
This decided on and did not show by
word or act that | had been robbed.
The opportunity came sooner than l
looked for it. Suddenly the wagon
was stopped by q single man. who or
dered us all out and to line up. as
road agents do in western America.
Only the curate refused. and he ap-
peared to do so from AFFECT coward
ice. Retreating to a far corner, he
begged the robber not to kill him.
The robber threatened to do so II he
didn't get out at once. but the clergy
man only whimpered and covered his
face with his hands. The rObber,
transferring his revolver to his left
hand. entered the wagon. seized the
little man by the collar with his right
hand and was pulling him out when
a sharp crack rang out and the robber
fell back out of the wage dead.
If there was any life left in him 1t
was knocked out by the curate. who
Jumped on him with both feet. I
never saw a small man grow big so
quickly in my life. The next thing he
did was to plant his fist under the
jaw of the Yorkshireman. who, re-
covering from the surprise of the cpl
sode, was putting his hand to his hip
for his revolver. The big man did not
have time to get up before the curate
was on him. hammering him in the
face with a Derringer. Having stunned
him. he took a pair of handouts out
of his pocket and clapped them on his
wrists.
"Wha can l do for your" I asked
Of the parson.
Get things in order to go on. I'm
Jack Sharp Of Scotland Yard. This
nan was the others pard. | have been
following him to take him to England.
I saw him rob you. and l knew he was
here to help the other"
/ did as he directed. got the driver
into place, and, finding some rope un-
der a seat. Jack Sharp bound the
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