Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-01-09

4 SltuatiOn-i must DeCOule tnlei.
thief OF my own property. Possession
is nine points OF the law. and posses
sion was with my opponent He held
the gem. and could fight for it In
the courts. l must get possession of
it and let him fight for IL by law.
No; / could not do that either, for IL
1 stole it the law would convict me OF
being a thief and restore the diamond
to its supposed owner. II Benton
hadn't peached I could have got away
with my property without any trouble.
This is how it happened. Thrown on
my beam ends, yet young and vigor-
Gus. l resolved to strike out for some
new country where there were chances
for fellow to get a clutch on
the rounds of the ladder. Fate de-
cided where should go. Lettering on
the dock in New York. where a
steamer was loading for South Africa.
went aboard. saw the purser and
told him 1 would like to work my way
across the big pond. l knew how to
figure. and he needed clerk, so he
gave me job. my pay being my grub
and my passage.
Well. in time I found myself in
| South Africa and. being strapped. was
obliged to go to work in the diamond
| mines to keep myself from starving
| We were all searched on leaving work
! each day to make sure that we had
| no stones in our possession. 1t was
hard work and poor pay, especially
I for me. who had been brought up in
refinement. But 1 had to stand it
One Sunday / took long walk into
! the country. 1t was hot day, and TO
! get out of the sun l went to some low
hills where there was shade and sat
| down on the bank of a stream. Stones
and dirt were being constantly wash
ed down. and. my eyes becoming fixed !
on a brown pebble. 1 picked it up and !
looked at it. 1t was about the size |
and shape of a large almond. 1t look |
ed to me like a diamond in the rough, |
and IL it hadn't been so large | might |
have suspected that it was diamond. |
1 hadn't been working in the mines |
long enough to become expert in such |
matters, so l put it in my pocket and
took it home, intending to get Jim
Benton. fellow workman with whom
/ had fallen in and who seemed dis
posed to be chummy with me, to pass
upon it.
IL never forget the look on Jim's
face when he turned it from the stone
to me.
How in the world did you ever get
out with it?'' he asked.
Get out with it! What do you
mean?"
"Out of the mines?"
81 didn't bring it out of the mines.
1 found it miles from the mines.
What is ftp
Its a diamond"
1t was now my turn to look peculiar.
1 had a fortune in my possession but
1 saw at once that would be suspect
ed of stealing it while at work and
not only hose it, but serve term in
prison.
For heavens sake, Jim." / said.
don't say anything about it! 1 took
long walk today and found 1t by a
stream. 1t must have been washed
out by the water. 1t looked some |
thing like the stones we are digging
out of the ground. but it was SO large
that / didn't think it could be a dia-
mond."
Jim had a cast iron conscience and,
believing that i stole the stone. con-
sidered it his duty to inform his en-
ployers, though he might have been
moved by the hope of reward or the
splendid position the act would give
him with the management Anyway.
he went that very evening to the SUI
house and told him the
story. Not having got any promise
from him to keep his mouth shut, |
took pains to bury my treasure where
no one would find it.
Early the next morning / was called
to Hartwell's Office. He told me he
mad understood that / had a valuable
stone in my possession and demand '
ID it.
/ acknowledged / had a stone. but Y
lad found it outside the mines. He I
gave me my choice of giving 1t up or
standing trial. ] knew what standing 5
rial meant. had a valuable dia-
nond in my possession which there
vas every reason to suppose came v
rom the company's mines and }
would be convicted / agreed to give .
Up the gem on promise of not be- q
ng prosecuted. was only discharged 5
Having told where the stone was to II
,e found ] went to Jim. and from n
be way l talked to him he was con-
inced that | had really found the
iamond and knew he had deprived me q
{ it. {;
He was very much cut up and s.
olunteered TO do what he could to "
nend matters by telling Hartwell that W
e had done me an injustice. 81
Don't make n fool of yourself sec
nd time l retorted: IF you really c.
fish to undo what you have done do al
In another way" tc
"How:" II
We'll. the diamond is mine and I'm al
DING TO have IL You've got Hart. In
ellis confidence. Learn from him
here he keeps 1t and advise me-"
you're crazy. DO you suppose