The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1915-11-25


cry to see it fall upon til. sorting Ia
BILE and blaze back its sinister CLEANS
to the incandescent light above. Where
was the diamond from the sky?
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 it.
The truck driver might have known
as he loaded the bags to be repaired,
for like many Il poor man he held q
fortune IN his hands for once at least
in his poverty stricken life and never
knew it.
Held by its clasp in the ravelings OF
the inner seam dt the bottom of the
bag. the heirloom of the Stanleys rest
ed in the darkness of the soiled interior
of the service worn old mail bag. The
truckman held it In his arms and toss
ed it Oh top of his load But his fingers
Just missed the feel Of 1t. And so he
threw away his fortune, perhaps al
evil one, and drove o. with his mind
upon other matters than fortunes or
missing gems Of price.
Down the city street from his hum
BILE lodging place in 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, bis orchestra was but barrel
organ and his collector of external rev
enue a monkey. but the organ was q
fairly good one, sweet Of tone, and the
monkey was a simian Of sorts and his
name was Clarence.
So it 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
80 Quabba the hunchback sang and
winked at the monkey, Clarence, as II
to say: 1--WE haven't penny, Clarence
but what an appetite We'll have for
breafast-as soon as we pick up the
price Of one!"
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. A jolt of the vehicle
threw On empty mail bag marked with
chalk Repair" from a pile of those
at the back Of the track.
The hunchback picked up the mail
bag and called after the driver. But
that worthy failed to hear the cry and
Quabba waved the old mail bag after
him. Then he felt something the size
Of an English walnut in his hand and
under the dirty canvas Of the bag. His
sensitive fingers felt along the side
seam Of the bag and he could feel, even
through the thickness Of the canvas,
that the object in the bag was chain
and locket
The hunchback wheeled into near
by alley, between two warehouses. No
one had seen the mail bag fall from the
truck, none noticed him turn up the
deserted alley. 1t was only the work
Of an instant to loosen the drawstring
and turn the mail bag inside out
There. on the inside outside. strung
the diamond from the sky. its upper
clasp engaged in the seam Of the bot
tom of the bag.
The itinerant musician thrust the dia.
mond and its chain into his bosom and
popped the mail bag in Il garbage can
hard by, then. his heart beating high.
Quabba winked to the monkey and
ceased to whistle to whisper: "We are
rich men now, Clarence"
And soon out from the alley came
hunchback organ grinder with his mon
key. and the itinerant hunchback was
the possessor Of the diamond from
the sky.