Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1920-06-09
1t was the longest time he Ii:

1t was the longest time he had
ever been Ahut up In so small a room
in all his life. 1t was by far the finest
room he had eyer seen, hut he want
banker for his kindness, but the old
fellow only hit him a slap between
the shoulders, laughed, and went in
to the front part Of the bank. The
little Jew had by this. time put the
Blue Moon back in the plush cas- put
the . . In his vest pocket, and
pinned up the pocket.
"Himmel!" he grunted. turning
away from the table. you pearl
fishers is all crazy. I'd gift it to you a
t'ousan' more"
II got my price"
"Undt dots more "A anybody rot it
yet from Louie solomon.
He chuckle2 ell the way to the
door. A small crowd waited outside.
Nobody knows how news leaks out in
q small town. Not a man but knew
how much the pearl had brought. One
of the crowd, a lanky, one-eyed nsher-
man, sided up to the Pearihunter.
"Y'u Got it, didn't y'u:"
The F%earlhunter vas too slow, and
the little Jew answered for him.
Course he got it. What chance
a pore devil pearl buyer got nit de
whole town against 'im!"
That statement. or one like it, was
what the crowd had been waiting for.
The tension was over. The finding
and selling of the famous gem, the
most valuable pearl ever "h'isted'
|-Flatwoods history. The one-eyed
fisherman chucksd his hat up in the
air and yelled-a lusty cheer, IN
which the crowd joined. One would
have thought hat each nan there
had sold a Blue Moon-or found one.
The Pearlhunter felt a good deal as
the crowd seemed to feel-a loosening
of the tension. For that matter, the
fat little buyer seemed to feel some
in the crowd, both buyer and seller
were swept across the road and into
the ~axpectant door Of the Mud Hen.
The Pearlhunter had just twenty
Ave dollars and twenty-seven cents IN
his pocket. He had counted it that
morning while waiting for Louie
solomon to come. 1t was the last cent
left after paying his mothers funeral mHsn
toned to the crowd. .,
make 1t good whiskcv.% he said
"No 'sauirral' goes this round"
He couldn't have made a better
speech fer the occasion. The crowd
ehespad. The little Jew said soma
thing, but it couldn't be heard. The
bartender set out a lnoE row 81
" quiet with the sursis 81 the Alling;
Each man picked Up . elaas and
stood waiting until every other MAJ
was served. The crowd Vas tee eocM-
pied to notice 1t, but the Fearlhunt-
er's knes were fairly shaking under
him; his face set and pale. He was
about to do the hardest thing no had
ever tackled In his lie. even herde!
than mentioning, monsy 70 the WE
down-pushed it back.
water for mine!"
To a man. the crowd whirlAd and
stared. Louie Solomon sWoFe. :.
"vot' iss!" he said. "Teu make II
damn foolishness?"
NO" vas the sleW AnsWer. Tm
Off Of this for keeps"
n.her s'a :s'ses't. when did "
quit?"
"Yesterday-heut shutdown"
He raised his glass and ciinked
with Louie solomon-the arlsfocratie
bourbon against the F1atWoe4s sprinl
and drank the celebration Of hi
great day in a glass Of water Tn
others were 100 plsy just Lnen, 81
cared too little, to press the point. OF
take the trouble to wonder just wha,
and what all he meant by yesterday
about shutdown"
Louie Solomon set his glass deve
.Himmei! Dot don'dt shtruck bot,
tom yet. 1t vas all soaked up In mine
throat Already. Fill 'em up agtu, 81
hands roundt. Undt dis n is 81
Louie"
Mighty few men in the Flatwoodi
"tinkered" their whisky. It was tors
ed down Just as 1t came from thl
barrel. To men who aepld swallow
.squirrel" without q wink, mellow oil
bourbon was mild. After this SECOND
rouad, IN which the PeArlhuntel
stuck to his glass Of water, - bstors
the proprietor Of the Nud Hem made
a neat little apeAeh that ended viii
q very telling, climax-the eloquent
statement that the drinks were ''or
ths house"-and the impromptu cele
bration was considered about as com,
lDIets % It could be made.
where iss mins frtsndt vot trim