The Kevin review. [volume] (Kevin, Mont.) 1922-1929, 1924-01-31

hotel. He started. How long the MAI
had been there he could not imagine
but he felt almost as if his thoughts
had been laid bare.
The man dropped into the chair be
side him. "And what do you think OF
this country?" he continued. fixing
Winton with his black Eyes. "Strang
err, amt you?. / spotted you as soon as
you came in this afternoon"
Eyes, I'm a stranger answered Win
ton CURLY.
There amt many Americans in this
country yet, but they won't be long
coming. You always find 'em where
the money is" said the little man. In
terested in a claimE
II might be-" answered Winton. "As
a rule l keep my affairs TO myself
"Oh, no offense," said the little man
hastily. "We're all here for the money,
amt we? OF course, you're dead right
to take that stand. You don't know
me and don't know you. Towns full
of rogues and l. d. B. men, anyway.
That was a smart trick getting away
with the De Witt stone, Ell? But the
police will prove too smart for those
fellows-if it amt a lie"
Winton said nothing. He disliked
the little man intensely. He felt an
atmosphere of stealth and moral I'M
cleanness exuding from him, and the
little man was getting on Winton's
nerves by the way he fidgeted, first
with one arm and then with the other;
then with one leg and then with the
other.
This l. D. B. game now-you've
heard of it, l suppose, even though you
are a stranger? Illicit diamond buy
ing-it's as old as the first diamond
claim pegged out in Kimberley. Sew
en- years on the ~breakwater at Cape
Town to buy diamonds that way, and
most of the big men in this country
started in that game. Perfectly re
spectacle now, and they ought to have
the convict brand stamped all over
them. But it's a temptation, when a
Kaftir laborer knows more ways of
hiding a stone than any white man
could think of. Takes a Shrewd COM
pound manager to keep tab on them.
They used to swallow them, but we
countered that. Then they'd cut holes
in their skin and bury them, till we
started the medical examination as
well as the daily search. Then they
hid them in their dogs, and we shut the
dogs ont of the compounds. There
x-aC N follnxu 81 dnntiSt mead RI Stnn
their teeth with them. And that game
wasn't worked out before they had a
new trick.
Yes, Malopo's a queer place" he
continued. Between you and me, |
don't believe that De Witt stone was
picked up here at all. De Witt brought
it up from Kimberley and planted it on
the Big Malopo claim. That's what
most people are saying. Just an adj
vertising trick to boom his stock, and
the same with the stealing. That stone
wasn't stolen"
"See here !" cried Winton, goaded to
evaporation. what in the name of
thunder d. you mean by calling the
Big Malopo Mr.. De Wits? What has
MI. De Witt to do with it,"
The little man laughed and nudged
Winton jovially in the side. The touch
of his fingers against Winton's coat
was almost intolerable. Winton moved
his chair away.
"Now it's you who are asking ques-
tions," said the little man. you know
what you know and l know what /
know, ehT'
He chuckled, rose up, and walked
away. Whatever the object of his
address might have been, it had sue
ceeded in stinging Winton in his ten
derest place. Everybody in Malopo
to take it for granted that De
Witt already owned the Big Malopo.
Even Ned Burns had taken the stone
to De Witt. And it had been placed
exhibition in the Syndicate bank.
Winton was raging. He meant to
show Malopo who owned the claim,
and he had forgotten all his warnings
about being cautious.
A mob of men from the dining room
out upon the porch, laughing and
Joking. Inside the hotel Winton heard
-wo in alteration, the subject of their
dispute being, apparently, M of the {
The meal was over. Win
on rose and looked through the door t
way. Then he saw Sheila putting on
Ter hat beside the cashiers desk. |
A man spoke to her as she left the i
DOM. but she walked past him, and
vent down the steps before Winton {
.ould intercept her. He followed her, Y
md as he did so he heard M of the |
men on the porch make a testing re- t
mark about him to a companion. /
Winton did not heed it. He caught
with the girl at the corner of the 6
lock. Miss Seaton!" he began. !
She turned and stopped. Mr.. Gar s
ett-' she began. {
"You asked me to go away, and {
i'd so. | thought you would allow c
ne" G
"What is it that you want?" asked h