Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1914-02-04

1 1Ou CIdLzs bO yOu GoRRSU0
you can ever get possession Of dia-
mond In the hands of the diamond
company"
'You do what say"
Jim was so upset at having acted
with such haste that he finally con-
sented to do as asked. That's the
trouble with these frightfully con-
scientious people. They swing as far
In one direction as the other. After
all, it isn't the conscience that's bad.
It's the judgment, or, more likely, the
! impulse. Jim, who was in high ia
vor with the company on account of
having peached on me, was given
$500 for telling on me. He offered
me all the money paid him for my for
/ giveness. l needed money to carry out
my plan to get my diamond, SO &C
| cepted it as a loan, promising to re-
turn it if l succeeded In getting my
/ property. By this time Jim, who was
thoroughly repentant. agreed to help
me all he could.
! One day he came to me and said
| that diamonds were sent periodically
to England. They were taken to the
coast, where they were shipped by
| steamer | at once made inquiries
! about the route with view to finding
! some weak point ON which l might
/ operate and learned, among other
| things, that the gems were shipped
! just in time to catch the mail steamer
for Europe. If through any delay they
| did not reach the coast before the YES
| sci sailed they were locked up in the
! postoffice till the departure of the next
| ship.
| l asked Jim to find out for .ne when
my stone would be shipped, and he
| tried to do so, but only learned that
| 1t was still at Kimberley. l at once
| started over the route looking for some
| point where / might lie in wait and
! catch the convoy mapping. | came to
| a stream where the carriers must be
! ferried over. 1t occurred to me that
something might be done here, but
after racking my brain l could hit
upon no plan that seemed feasible. i
went on, but as | proceeded | formed
d scheme a part of which pertained to
this ferry. Reaching the coast, | at
once went to the postoffice to look over
the ground there.
| had nearly all of Jim Benton's
| $500 in my pocket and was well dress
ed. / represented myself as post
office official, whose duties were to
travel about and make reports on diff
ferept postoffices. But l made no pre-
tense at supervising the postmaster at
this point. Instead, l invited him to
dinner and treated him sumptuously.
This gave me access to his office. /
learned where diamonds were locked
when delayed In transportation.
One evening after the clerks had
gone home l sat with the postmaster
in his Office Suddenly l fell over In
pretended faint and on reviving begged
him to go for doctor He did SO. and
while he was gone with some wax l
had provided for the purpose took
an impression of the lock on the safe
where diamonds waiting transporta-
ton were kept When he returned
with the doctor / was so far recovered
that did not need the latter's serv-
Ices.
The next day l returned to Kimberley
and charged Benton to keep sharp
lookout for the shipment of my dia-
mond. 1t may be wondered that, since
was intending to steal my own prop
erty. ! was punctilious as to taking
this particular stone 1t was. firstly.
because | should have had to take
good many other stones to make up its
value. and. secondly, Jim Bentons
conscience was SO stiff that if he had
believed that l intended to take any
but the stone l had found he might
have swung the other way and peach
ed on me again.
Jim did good work for me in looking
out for the shipment of my stone. He
was so thoroughly trusted by all those
in authority that he could ask ques-
lions about it without exciting suspi-
cion.
One day he came to me and said
that shipment Of diamonds was to be
made the next morning, and my stone
was among the number. 1t was con-
sidered so valuable that double con-
voy would be sent out. Within an
hour l started for the coast
Coming to the stream the party
would be obliged to cross, unclaimed
the boat, pulled myself over and on
reaching the opposite shore sent the
boat adrift. AS saw 1t disappear on
the current | felt sure the diamond
convoy would be delayed. Then
went on to the coast.
l had the happiness to see the de-
layed diamond carriers coming In
when the mail steamer was well out
at sea. They took the gems to the
postmaster, who, ! felt sure. would
lock them in his safe, and had key
in my pocket that had been made from
the impression had taken. The party
went back to Kimberley. and soon
after their departure l reappeared at
the postoffiee. where l was heartily
greeted by the postmaster. whom l