The herald. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1905-1953, 1912-12-05
MyDianond
By LAWRENCE E. DENTON

Helen Wallace and | played together
as children. When we grew to man ;
assumed a different phase But I could
not remain In the place where ! was
born and raised. for there was no ca
reer for me there. | must 20 forth e.
seek my fortune. And what troubled
both Helen and me was that the only
opening that presented itself was IN
South Africa. A man who was intend
ing TO take stock of goods out To- the
cape and open Il store there offered to
take me along with him as assistant.
My parting with Helen was harrow
ing-sO narrowing that l was tempted
had the stun I'm her TO prevent my do
Ing so, and in due time found myself
in my new home. But the attempt OF
my employer was failure, and found
myself stranded In a foreign country
without means to get home.
| was obliged TO 20 TO work with pick
and shovel in the diamond mines.
gave up all hope of possessing Helen.
for to marry n man must have some
means, or AT least decent employment.
and | had neither, besides having an
ocean between us. The only thing |
learned that was Of any value was TO
tell a diamond in the rough when /
saw 1t. But almost any knowledge IL
useful If one has luck to go with IL
One evening when going from work to
the house where | boarded, being tired
and seeing a shady spot beside the
road, | went there and lay down and
fell asleep.
When / awoke | lay on my side and
was looking straight before me at the
ground. | was very near a stone
about as big as a hickory nut, and my
vision ut opening my eyes after they
had been for some time closed was
very keen. The stone was so near like
a diamond uncut that | reached for IL
and examined it more closely. Then
the realization that it was gem came
over me, and | knew that was rich.
what you got thereT'
I thrust my find in my pocket as one
Of my fellow workmen named Saun-
ders came and stood looking down
upon me. | said nothing, and he knew
that | had something to conceal. The
look that same over his face frightened
me. | saw in his eye that he suspected
I had stolen a diamond from the mines
and had succeeded In getting 1t past
the examiners. He would either accuse
me or try to dispossess me.
Presently we walked on together and
parted at my abiding place. That
evening he left his own boarding house
and took room at mine. The same
night | slept with my diamond In my
mouth and before morning heard some
one in the room rifling my pockets. |
knew that it was Saunders looking for
the diamond.
My problem was TO cross the Atlantic
ocean with my treasure. ! had no
money to pay my passage and must
find an opportunity to work my way. A
ship was leaving for New York, and
asked for berth as cabin boy, but
was told that the ships company In
every department was full. Not daring
to remain behind, went aboard just
as the ship was casting off and hid be-
low In the cargo. | remained there till
the vessel was well at sea, where, be-
ing hungry, | went on deck, confessed
myself to be a stowaway and offered to
do any work which might be assigned.
''The meanest job we have" said the
officer to whom | made the confession,
and tell the cook to make use Of you"
AS | was proceeding on my way to
the galley whom should l see but
Saunders. | caught at a rail for sup
port. He did not speak to me, but
the look he gave me told me that he
was resolved to possess himself Of
my diamond before we left the ship.
The cook, when entered the galley,
was kneading dough for bread and
turned the work over to me. When |
had finished put the dough into the
baking pans, and before thus deposit
ing the last batch | worked my dia-
mond into IL and made an indentation
by which I should know the loaf after
II was baked.
/ was then put to securing knives,
and while doing so who should come
to the galley but the captain, accom-
panied by Saunders. / was told that
Saunders had represented himself as
a detective Of the diamond mining
company and had been sent abroad to
secure a diamond I had purloined and
was trying to get away with. They
took me to Saunders stateroom and
searched me thoroughly. even giving
me an emetic In order to force II out
of my stomach in case I had swallow
ed It
Since had no baggage and the cap
tain did not believe that l could have
got rid Of the stone In so short time,
he declined to turn me over to Saun-
ders. l went back to my work In the
galley In time to take the loaves from
the oven. and when the cook went out
for a moment thrust the marked loaf
into a pantry drawer, where it was
not noticed There I left 1t safely
till Just before we reached port.
knew Saunders would try to get my
treasure when I went ashore, so the
night we sailed up New York bay on
H. IL a.,