The Elk Mountain pilot., 1920-05-20
4 DIAMOND IN
THE ROUGH
By cEcILLE LANcDoN

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tcepyrisht 1889. wsstsrn Newspaper uD.on }
It was not 4 very pretentious room
that Norma Ellis occupied, but its rent
was low and there was q sense of pro-
lection in having Mrs. Judy Porter
for landlady. Then. too. there was
her twelve-sear-old son. Jerry, always
In mischief. but amenable to the pleas
ant ways Of Norma, who believed there
was lots Of good in him.
For fve years Norma had been an
orphan. She had secured a position
as typist at a very moderate salary.
Another employee had told her of
Mrs. Porter, who rented out rooms
to an entirely respectable class, and
something motherly in the manner Of
the hard-working landlady had at
tracted Norma. The interest became
quite mutual, and very often Mrs. Pcr-
ter Invited Norma to tea to talk over
her manifold troubles, finding a sym
pathetic counselor.
The main complaint Of the dis
tressed mother was Jerry. ''in hot
water all the time" He was a nat
ural born fighter. and came home at
least once a week with a bruised lip
or blackened eye. He annoyed many
Of the roomers whom he disliked with
his elhsh tricks, was sent home per
manently from school, and this led
Norma to taking up his education. He
would study for her. and she devoted
her evenings to giving him instruc-
t1on.
You look, tired, dear. and, excuse
me. but sad, too" remarked Mrs. Por.
ter, after noting q certain depression
I'm her favorite roomer.
"Yes, there IL q rush Of work at
the office just now" evasively e1-
plained Norma
There had been at the ONCE a
young man named Roscoe Burt who
had shown her some pleasing atten-
tions, and she treasured the same.
They had become very friendly and
he had said:
"They are sending me on the road,
Miss Ellis. and II I make good It
will probably place me in a position
where may want to say to you what
I would not until sure Of a business
future"
Just then some friends approached
and he half whispered to Norma:
IF write to you. you will not deem
me presumptuous, and will replyr
YES" she assented, and flushed
and trembled, as was natural with a
girl feeling that her first love was
about to culminate.
A week went by. and there was no
word from the young man. Norma
genuinely sorrowed.
Norma took up her cross and tried
to be cheerful and happy. Mrs. Porter
was going away to visit a sister. and
Norma was glad to keep melancholy
thoughts at bay by occupying her spare
evenings in helping to arrange her
landlady's wardrobe.
II have a friend who will take
charge Of the rooms while am gone.
she told Norma, but Jerry leave en-
tirely In your care"
II shall be glad" said Norma sin
cerely. 1T will keep me from being
lonely. He will behave himself splen.
didly while you are gone, won't you
Jerryr o
"Tve got to II I keep my promise
to you, Miss Ellis" declared the Lad
seriously. I'm not going to miss be
ing educated. when you tell me thai
within year you viii have me trained
20 I can run 4 typewriter and get q
good Job as clerk" and he kept of
the streets, studied his lessons COD
scientiously, and at the end Of the
arst week Norma said:
Nov, Jerry, we've worked hard and
will enjoy a little pleasure. There Il
fine movie down at the Orpheum
There is my pocketbook. Please pay
FOR the tickets. And we must have
some soda after the entertainment"
"All right. and some Of these f,De
lays when I get working I'll pay you
pack by taking you to a swell opera.
They had q very enjoyable time.
and Norma was quite proud of her
well-behaved escort He bade her
good night as she reached her room.
"Oh, Jerryi" she called down the
stairs after him as she opened her
oocketbook, ''the key to my room-it
& gone"
"Then must have lost It." Jerry
,hided himself. "Say. I'm awful sorry.
Look here" and he returned to her
side. ats a catch lock. isn't III All
right, I'll Just climb through the tran
,om and unlatch 1t. Mrs. Willis has
gone to bed. but III let you in here
and bring a duplicate key first thing
in the morning."
The transom had been always kept
open for ventilation and Jerry was
soon on the other side, released the
lock, and departed. AS Norma turned
on the gas she noticed lying upon the
carpet an envelope. II was slightly
creased and soiled, brushed by the
body of Jerry as he crowded through