Abbeville progress. (Abbeville, Vermilion Parish, La.) 1913-1944, 1913-12-27

YOU can charge II up against me.
/ How much day? Laundry in
clrded?"
One diamond mea.." said Nikoiai
I blandly
Sir Julius turned livid: he clutched
at his neck where hung the chamois
bag suspended from the cord
You don't get anything" ne
shouted That's a nice trick TO play
on a man. Because I've got few pre-
Cious stones"
4 want nothing" said Nikoai
Miss Boyd is the hostess here
Diamonds are nothing but crystal!izeG
carbon As you are aware. Sir julius
they have no intrinsic value apart
from their relation 20 other commodi.
ties. In Maiden Lane or Kimberly
they bring good prices: here they are
worth exactly one turtles egg for
the smaller ones and one turtles egg
and a drink of water for the finer
stones
Sir Julius detached the bag and
picked out tiny stone
~ re, Give me turtles egg, he
snarled.
Nikolai picked out the smallest egg
and handed it to the millionaire with
a bow. While Sir Julius devoured it
greedily. Nikolai turned the diamond
over to Miss Boyd.
We have a new boarder' he said.
! Please accept his meal ticket in ad-
vance"
Mary took the diamond with a
smile When the millionaire had con
cluded his meal he bought a drink
/ with another stone
How many more have you?" asked
/ Van Aam. laughing.
Twenty four" answered Sir julius
with a snarl
Three a day unused Van Aam.
| and one for lOdging-unless Sir julius
prefers to sleep outside the campfire
/ among the raccoons That will last
/ six days Perhaps by that time we
! shall find some manner of reaching
| a more hOspitsble shore"
"Nikolai," said Van Aam, when the
millionaire had departed wrathfuily
to pace up and down the sandy beach
! and battle with his emotions. where
! do you think we are? This is not
one OF the Caymans. There is no
/ scrap of coral formation. We must
! be north of the coral lmit-that
would mean in the latitude of the
! Bahamas"
He ceased and sprang to his feet
/ suddenly. Come with me. Nikolai,
he cried. Il want to speak to you
! Quick. before it grows dark We have
some walking TO do"
They did not return until after sun
set. Then they were both chuckling
Miss Boyd and Mr.. Summers. said
presence of such danger. But really
we have a joke too exquisite to be
| shared How long will it take our
stout friend to dispose of his
diamonds?"
Six days" said Mary, smiling.
And you promise to keep them"
Yes" said Mary, her face sudden
| ly becoming serious. Yes, will Do
you know he tried TO push me out OF
the boat when they lowered it from
the deck?"
Nikolai clenched his fists. It's a
pity We can't leave MIN here to rot"
he muttered. But after all We have
some sort of human duty toward him"
The worst of it is" said Van Aam,
that we shall have to stay in this con-
f@, cd Y,1n he hn- Cd
over his board"
Have you seer ship" cried
Van Aam and Nikolai looked at
one another and laughed.
| Well" said Van Aam, "the secret
will keep six days, won't it?"
That night Sir Julius paid out an
other diamond for his lodging, and his
raucous shores, Interpreted with
/ groans as he tossed from side to
side upon the stony ground, kept
most of us awake until the sun rose
We exacted a tribute in advance
that day, and when Sir julius in a last
attempt to save his gems offered TO
work for his living. we sent him off
] for turtles eggs. We watched him
wander off into the jungle and peer
into the trees; that effort was too
much for him, and thereafter he lay
at home In sullen silence while We
went off on our expeditions.
But not to gather turtles eggs. At
evening Van Aam and Nikolai disap-
peared returning on the following
morning when the sun was well up
over the trees. They called to Mary
and myself to follow them, and. leav-
ing the millionaire sitting despairingly
beneath the thorn shrubs, we hast
ened to tiny glade beside trickling
rivulet, where we found spread out up
on the grass a first-class banquet.
/ There was a ham, two 1oaves of fresh
bread, a pound of butter, clean nap
kins, and, to crown all. a bottle Of
champagne.
Fall to. fall to-" said Van Aam.
/ inviting us to the feast. when you
are satisfied the mystery shall be
entirely explained"
Even our curiosity could not over
come our hunger. Two days diet of
/ turtles eggs had sfckened US of that
staple food for all time. When. at
last we laid our napkins aside we
rose and followed or companions
through a narrow path in the Jungle.
A mile ahead we emerged into a clear
/ ingi we heard the sound of the sea: