The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1915-11-26

blossom like the rose with the eye as
founding posters of Sankey's Stupen-
d0uS Circus.
Their fire has been slow in starting
but now il burns well. As the bill
poster who is called Jack Williams be-
stirs himself TO mix some pancake
-four. the billposter whose name is Ben
Burk fumes over the fire and sheds n
few tears and wipes his eyes frGai the
acrid smoke of the newly started fire
And night comes quickly in California.
1t is daylight and then dusk and then
dark. And far off ON the other side vi
the hill Lawyer Smythe of London hats
lost his way and walks in a circle.
seeking shelter.
There is no sirup," says, the bill
poster named Burk. as he searches
among the dirty tins of the larder and
holds the sirup can and shakes it by
make fiapjacks!
What's your kick about molasses.
boz asks the pancake expert. turning
from the whitish mass he is stirring
Didn't we pass bee yard not quar-
ter of a mile down the road?''
The other looks Disguised.
Il should think you'd be sick of cook
ing and stirring paste to sling up bills
with all day without mixing and cook
ing paste to eat at night" he grumbles
Beat it. Make yourself useful and
go and get some honey. We got lots of
time before we have a fire hot enough
for dapjacks," says the other. IF | do
not cook fiapjacks you won't have any
thing to eat but bacon; the breads all
gone. Close your trap and go and
swipe some honey. When l saw those
beehives | got to thinking of fiapjacks
and honey. Anyway, I've got to go for
water for coffee. It's almost as far for
water as it is for honey. Beat it,
So the billposter named Burk. still
grumbling. takes plate and knife as he
is bid and moves off in the darkness To
rifle the sweet store of the busy bees
beyond
The moon shines vaguely just above
the sky line. Its dim light barely
throws shadow as Burk skulks across
the field after coming out of the wood
and enters the rancher's bee yard He
rocks an occasional hive as he passes
and the murmur of disturbed bees
sounds duly from within them. He
pauses at last by one that rocks with
heavier resistance, and he is about TO
lift the cap piece when something
CLEANS opalescent in the moonlight on
the alighting board of the rocking hive.
Burk stoops over and picks it up. In
the dim light from the moon he sees Ii
is curious large loeket attached to a
curious chain of dull old gold of an
cient workmanship. But the face OF
the loeket is what has cleaned b ieatl
the wan moon rays.
Burk gasps at the sight of it. Was
ever diamond of such Il size? Burk
is billposter and knows little of dia
monds. He cannot tell diamonds from
paste, perhaps. but he can tell paste
from diamonds. Il wonder if it's g
fake?" he gasps. why, piece of ice
this size would be worth some money!
Then, as if prompted by some OLE
burlesque buffoonery, he holds the shin
| ing object against his moistenet
tongue. Anyway. it amt alum,' ht
says. Burk. the billposter. knows
alum 1t is used in paste The grea
white stone CLEANS so brightly as thu
moons light strengthens that the rougl
billposter is half convinced
"Oh, Lordy. Suppose it was rea
diamondY' he whispers hoarsely. Ant
he forgets that he has dropped TIT
plate and knife and is unconsciousll
wandering away from the hives ant
honey.
When he reaches the fire beneath thu
dead tree he notices his partner is alb
sent He holds the locket in the fire
| light and is rewarded by blazing daZ
zle, rejecting the crimson glare of TIL,
1 flames from the faceted stone as large
as an English walnut Then he hears
a step behind him and springs guiltil.
to his feet. It is Jack Williams, bacl
from the spring with pail of waite
for their coffee
whats the excitement? Whatch;
| hiding there?' asks Jack Williams sus
piciously.
Burk brings the chain and locket int
view. "Somepin found" he an
swers. "Think it's worth anything
Suppose it was real. diamond and a
big as that? Hully gee!"
Williams takes it and examines
scornfully. "a diamond that size?
he asks. You're daffy! They ain.
made that big. It's what the fake jew
elry guys call "a piece of big stunt"
''But there's nothing cheap loollin;
j about it. That chain amt brass no
the locket. either says Burk.
Lets give it the acid test. remark
Williams. and, going over to the wag
on, he removes piece of glass from
one of the sides of their large. squar
lantern.
The uppermost facet of the stone il
the locket is drawn down across th
glass; A low. gritting. slightly hissin
sound follows. The amateur lapidar
bends the deeply scratched plane o
| glass. 1t sewers clear aud straigh
along the line of the deep scratch
The billposters have found and nov
possess the diamond from the sky
| They stare at it dumfounded. The
Williams says hoarsely. Its feH
diamond. We're rich men. Benz
With an oath Burk snatches tn
chain and diamond from the shakin
hands of Williams.
I'VE? You amt got no claim on it.
he cries, with hoarse greedineSs. VII
found it? Did you? Nav. ! found i
and it's mine, and don't have t
/