The Dillon herald. [volume] (Dillon, S.C.) 1894-????, 1920-04-29
HUMAN NATURE ON EXHIBIT AT
THE DIAMOND COUNTER

THE DIAMOND COUNTER
Nature speaks when the purse op-
ems at the diamond counter. The dig
ger who mas DecuILe an oil magnate
overnight wants something like 10
comotNe headlight TO knock 'eW
silly back nome," and the cool, CAL
culating plonue who has just succeed
ed in landing a Western rancher Win
goodies OF money wants something
on the proper 1lnger OF her LETT hand
which will make all the girls OF her
set green with envy. The ward neel-
er is known by the chest adornment
which is like a single star on dark
night; the poor plumber OF yester-
day disregards today the H Z. L.'
and buys MS wife diadem-he Is
not quite sure which. And then there
are the others who wear diamonds
with the taste and manner that comes
from many generations OF breedlng.
A New Yorker, We are told In the
New York Times, finds some enter
tainment in playing "hick, ana
watching what goes on about MIN.
Recently his wife sent him into. the
Biggest Jewelry Store, and floor-
walker who had the manner and bear
ing of a European diplomat collared
him and sent him to the diamond
counter for a solitaire. The story OF
his observations is recounted:
~ never saw so many people with
q single idea in my life," he said
when he returned to the bosom OF MS
family.
"There were all kinds of people,
from the new rich and those who were
used to it to the husky steel-man VINO
was going to knock 'em dead with
his sparkler' when he got back to
the mill town.
II wandered up and down the
counter looking them over. First,
there was stout woman of uncertain
years and much manners, who had
young and effeminate male person
under her wing. He was buying her
ring, and she insisted on picking it
out herself. He was as embarrassed as
she was affectionate and effusive.
Both were extravagantly drest. She
was hung all over with jewelry OF
various kinds, none matching, all eX-
psnslye. There was much choosing,
and finally she found what she liked.
II looked like search light when she
slipt it on her stubby finger. AS they
turned from the counter she clung to
the youths arm and started conver-
sation with the remark, When
we're married.
"A young overseas Second Lieut.
enant and his girl came next. Both
thoroughbreds and very much in love.
He insisted on large and expensive
stone, and she demurred, saying un-
der her breath that it was waste,
and that she'd like to put the money
into the home He insisted, however,
that this was the first time they had
been engaged.
Game then a broad-shouldered
man with an outdoors voice and a
big hat. Clinging to his arm was
little bit of fluff. with keen, calculat-
ing eyes-a typical gold-digger.
Bring on tn big Ones he directed
in his bass, tn sky's tn limit And
it wasl The girl dainty slipt one af-
ter another ring on her slim fingers,
each one larger and more expensive
than the last. Go to it, kid, he in
structed, I won't be back until next
year. Put crimp in the herd! She
found what she wanted, and he je1ked
out a fat old wallet and paid cash.
How many COWS does that cost you,
pop?' she asked, with an I-have-eaten
the canary smile. Quick as flash he
told her, and suggested that it was
time to move on if we're going to buy
those other things
'Near by two men were having an
argument. Their clothing and Ian
guage showed them to be sports.
One was trying to prevent the other
from sinking his roll into diamonds.
''It was foolish to make killing, said
he, and then blow the money on
,sparklers. The other, however, said:
If guy goes broke ne can always
soak stone, can't he?'
Next to them were two men each
alone. One must have been a univer-
sity man; the other from the ship
yards. The university man wanted a
small, and, if possible, inexpensive
stone, while the other sought one that
would look like million dollars. Both
got what they wanted, the shipyard
man slipping his on a heavy finger,
and the other taking his away in a
neat, little box. Needless to say, the
one who worked with his hands paid
six times what the brain-worker did.
Then there were the buffers. One
Of 'em I'll call the Grand Duke Alexis.
He had the fur coat and all the seen
cry, and with him was woman with
]all the hauteur of a princess. He got
away with it too, until he began to
speak too loudly. AS understand it,
Grand Dukes are trained to speak
like gentlefolk. He wanted to know
how soon he could get the stones re-
moved from q tiara and set into a
necklace or something of that kind.
but he said in a loud voice that 1t