The San Francisco call., 1913-11-14
e ~ ~ |||(!|!

Istones do you possess and what are
their sizes? / must know
Isaacstein, cooler now, pursed his
lips and pressed his thumbs together
until they appeared to be in danger
Eof dislocation. 1t was his favorite
attitude when engaged in g. deal. 1t
signified that he had cornered his
victim. Philip. appealed to in this
strictly commercial way. could not
fail to see It was to his own interest
to tell his chosen expert the exact
facts, and nothing but the facts.
The boy. singular1y unfiurried in
tone and manner hazarded an in
quiry;
What amount of ordinary dia-
monds. in their money value ! mean,
can you dispose of really in the
course of year. Mr.. Isaacstein?"
| ''Oh. two or three hundred thousand
/ pounds worth: it is matter largely
dependent on the condition of trade
generally. But that may be regarded
as a minimum"
And the bigger stones. worth many
thousands each?"
1T is impossible to say. Taking
them in the lump. at values varying
from thousand each to fancy figures,
perhaps fifty thousand pounds
worth
1T would be safe to reckon on a
quarter of a million year. all told?"
Quite safe
| Then, Mr.. Isaacstein. / will supply
you with diamonds of that value
every year for many years"
The Jew relaxed the pressure on
his thumbs. Indeed he passed trem-
ulous hand across his forehead. He
we he N ha
worsted by gutter snipe in war Of
wits.
on FAIR GROUNDS
! The contest had one excellent ef-
/ feet It stopped all further efforts on
Isaacstein's part to wrest Philips
secret from him. Thenceforth he
asked for and obtained such diamonds
as he needed. and resolutely forbade
himself the luxury of questioning or
probing the extent OF his juvenile pa
irons resources
But there was long pause before
he found his tongue again. His voice
had lost its aggressiveness when he
said:
I'm the police court I valued the
diamonds you produced at $4,000 1t
does not necessarily follow that / am
prepared to give such sum for them
at this moment / might do so as a
speculator, but j take 1t you do not
want me to figure in that capacity.
1t will be better for you. safer for me,
|if / become your agent / will take
your stones to Amsterdam. have them
cut sufficiently to enable dealers to
assess their true worth, and sell them
to the best advantage. My charge
will be 10 per cent and ] pay all ex-
penses Today / will give you $50.
T Will To- n a n
and place f5. 600 to your credit. Mean
while, ! will give you a receipt for 30
stones, weighing, in the rough, so
many karats, and you, or any one you
may appoint. can see the sale vouch-
ers subsequently, when I will hand
you the balance after deducting f5,050
and my 10 per cent. The total price
may exceed $4,000, or 1t may be less.
but do not think / will be far out in
my estimate. Are you agreeable?
Some inner monitor told Philip that
the man was talking on sound busi-
ness lines. There was a ring of sin
cerity in his voice Apparently he
had thrust temptation aside and was
firmly resolved to be content with his
10 per cent.
And this might well be. Twenty
five thousand pounds a year earned
by a few journeys to the continent
a few haggling interviews in the
Hatton Garden office, What gold
mine, Moreover, he would be the
head man in the trade. He was that
now, in some respects; but. under the
new conditions, none could gainsay
his place at the top. Even the mag
mates of Kimberly would be stag
gered by this new source OF supply.
What did it matter If the boy kept
to his rags and amazed the world, so
long as the diamonds were forthcom-
ing? 1t was not silk hated GENTLE
man who first stumbled across the
diamond laden earth of South Africa.
1saacstein had made up his mind
Fate had thrust his business into his
lap. He would be fool to lose it out
Of mere curiosity.
YES" said Philip. II agree to that"
Samuel" yelled Isaacstein
Coming, sir" was the answering
shout. and a furried clerk appeared.
Bring in the scales, Samuel"
The scales were brought and
level space cleared for them on the
desk. Philip, of course. had never
before seen an instrument SO deli
cately adjusted. A breath would
serve to depress the balance
The boy held forth his paper, and
poured the contents into the tiny
brass tray of the sales SamueTs
mouth opened and his eyes widened
1t was the first sight of the diamonds.
-Four ounces, eight pennyweights,
five grains-six hundred and twenty
nine karats in 80 stones. Oh, good
gracious mel" murmured the clerk.
Isaacstein checked the record care
fully.
Right" he said Put them in the
safe"
THE ACREx.MENT
Philip raised no protest this time.
He knew that the Jew would keep
his word Indeed. Isaacstein told
Samuel to. bring him fifty sovereigns,
and ere the man returned he began
to write on a sheet of letter paper:
Received from Here! What's
your Manner he broke in
Continued Tomorrow