The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1915-03-05
LYONS SHORT STORY
BY FRANK CONDOR.
(Copyright.)


were clicking ivory balls within hear.
ing, and Lyon, the man who writes
was talking about something or other
There sat at the table, beside Lyon,
Chick Miller, the general ADVERTISING
man; Bill Miller, the street-car adVer
Using man; Frank Walton, the com.
poser, and the transmitter of this nys.
terry.
I'll tell you a story" said Lyon,
without preface. "You can write it
or not. 1t comes straight from a dia.
mond salesman"
go ahead" rejoined the crowd in
a critical tone
"This diamond salesman" Lyon
continued, "was brought up with Glib
boney's. You know Gibboneys. Every
diamond ring in the world tries to
pretend that it once came from Glib.
boney's.
"Well, this boy-mind you, his
name is Ellis-told me the story him.
self, having witnessed 1t with his own
eyes. On a sunny. afternoon a motor.
car drives up to the front door and out
steps a dignified woman of great
wealth, judging from her appearance.
"Her demands were simple. She
wanted to select a diamond or two,
and Ellis brought forth a tray of vel,
vet containing dozen or more shark,
lers. Not stone in the tray was worth
less than a thousand, but the dowager
duchess looked them over somewhat
haughtily and pronounced it as her
opinion that they were a somewhat in.
ferior cluster of gems.
with sigh of disappointment he
prepared to put the tray back in the
case, and, in doing so, he noticed that
one of the diamonds was missing.
ellis wriggled his left ear, which
is the house signal summoning the
head detective, and in a few moments
a conference began which included
young Ellis, the detective, and the
strange lady in black silk
ellis explained the circumstances
briefly, being withered meanwhile BY
the glances of the outraged queen
There were eighteen expensive and IN
set diamonds in the tray before the
lady paved them over, and at the con
clusion of her examination there were
seventeen
Therefore, it followed that she
must have been perniciously active
The strange lady called young Ellis 2
low person and~froze him into a state
of speechlessness; but it is somewhat
difficult to freeze a head detective al
Gibboney's. This latter person, who
was of Irish descent, and whose jaw
protruded some distance, decided thai
the society leader must be searched
and, without further formalities, she
was led away to the ladies' searching
department.
"In an hour the ledy searchers
opened the door and announced to tbs
officials that if the lady had a diamond
about her it must be buried in her
heart
"There was nothing to DO but re
lease the strange lady in black silk
Gibboney Company sent DOWNTOWN to
q detective agency for a man. Detec
tive Ratty listened gravely, and finally
gave orders.
"He explained that no person should
be permitted to enter the aisle uDOn
which the case of jewels was located
"For three days nothing happened.
Detective Ratty stood guard in com.
pany with the head store detective.
On the third day a dapper young, man
in q light blue suit. wearing gray spats
and carrying a white cane, pushed
open the swinging door and entered
He walked straight down the forbid,
cen aisle and paused to converse with
young Ellis.
Five minutes later Detective Ratty
walked up to the newcomer, placed his
hand on his shoulder, and arrested
him. The stranger was instantly
searched, and Immediately the expen.
sive diamond was found!
NOW" said Lyon, pausing and
casting triumphant glance upon the
group of cynical listeners, 'how did
the detective know that this strange
young man had the diamond?"
All of the crowd, except Chick Mil.
Ter, looked mystifed and inquiring.
During the latter part of Lyons
sketchy recital Chick Miller had
picked up an evening newspaper and
hn cnr.ih Id 49,.
words in pencil writing. He tore off
the bit CT margin and handed it to
Frank Walton, who read it uncompre.
hendingly.
"You don't know, so it's a story"
Lyon went on, after a slight pause
"1'he woman in the black silk lifted
the diamond, rolled it up in a piece OF
gum she had been chewing, and stuck
1t under the jewelry-case. The young
man had come to retrieve the piece of
gum and it's valuable kernel. Is that
a story or not?"
Frank Walton held up the piece of
paper on which Chick Miller had scrib-
bled.
"Chewing-gum," he read.
Certainly" Chick Miller said. 81
knew the answer when you got half.
way through the story The point is,
read that same thing a long time
ago, and to. prove it wrote down the
answer and handed 1t to Frank Wal
ton"
But this man Ellis told me that II
happened to him." Lyon agrued.
And | tell you l read it some.
Chick Miller answered
well, Lyon replied, eff you read
it somewhere, / suppose it isn't a
sfo---"
Application for Liquor License