The Ocala evening star., 1915-08-12

CRY to see it fall upon the sorting Ia |
BILE and blaze back its sinister CLEANS |
to the incandescent light above Where |
was the diamond from the SKYE
The watchman relieved at dawn on
the loading platform outside might
have known as he stepped across the
mail bags marked REPAIR. But the
side Of his right shoe just graZed H.
The truck driver might have known
as be loaded the bags to lie repaired,
for like many II poor man he held
fortune I'm his hands for once at least
I'm his poverty stricken life and never
knew It
Held by its clasp i'm the ravelings OF
the inner seam at the bottom OF the
bag, the heirloom of the Stanleys rest
| ed I'm the darkness of the sOiled interior
| OF the service worn old mail bag The
| truckman held il I'm his arms and toss
ed 1t on top OF his load. But his fingers
| lust missed the feel OF It And so he
threw away his fortune. perhaps an
evil one. and drove on with his mind
upon other matters than fortunes or
missing gems Of price
Down the city street from his hum
BILE lodging place I'm the poorest part
of the town came Quabba. musician
and a traveller. And he Travelled not
alone. With him was his orchestra
and his collector of external revenue
True, his orchestra was but a barrel
organ and his collector of external rev.
enue a monkey. but the organ was a
fairly good one. sweet OF tone. and the
monkey was a simian OF sorts and his
name was Clarence
So IL was that Quabba was gay Of
heart and sung TO himself as he trudged
along. Only a poor hunchback organ
grinder with his monkey WAS Quabba.
But his heart was light. his conscience
untroubled and his appetite. alas. only
too good. The whole wide world was
his. and no man was his master. and
so Quabba the hunchback sang and
winked at the monkey. Clarence. as If
TO say: I'VE haven't a penny. Clarence
but what an appetite we'll have for
breakfast-as soon as we pick up the
price OF oner'
Hi there, get out Of the way- shout
ed a rough voice. and Quabba. reused
from his reflections. stepped aside just
In time to avoid being struck by a
passing truck \ jolt OF the vehicle
threw an empty mail bag marked Will
chalk Repair" from a pile Of those
at the back OF the track
The hunchback picked up the mai
bag and called after the driver. Blu
that worthy failed TO hear the cry and
Quabba waved the old mail bag afte
him. Then he felt something the siz'
OF an English walnut in his hand an'
under the dirty canvas OF the bag. Hi
sensitive fingers felt along the sid
/ seam OF the bag and he could feel. evei
through the thickness OF the canvas
/ that the object I'm the bag was chail
/ and locket-
The hunchback wheeled into a nea
II by alley, between two warehouses y
II one had seen the mail bag fall from TN
II truck. none noticed him turn up tn
\ deserted alley. IL was only the wor
Of an instant TO loosen the drawstrin
and turn the mail bag inside on
% There, on the inside outside. strun
or the diamond from the sky. its uppe
r- clasp engaged I'm the seam OF the bo
nd tom Of the bag.
no The itinerant musician thrust the di'
to mond and its chain into his bosom an
m popped the mail bag in a garbage ca
m hard by. then. his heart beating higl
Ouabba winked to the monkey an
ceased to whistle to whisper: I'VE al
- rich men now. Clarence"
And soon out from the alley came
~ hunchback organ grinder with his mo
y key, and the itinerant hunchback w
20 the possassoE OF the diamond fro
the skJ.
fH1-&.rro1 ~ Third panol