The Winslow mail., 1924-01-25

81 bet Van Worst is at the bottom of
this" remarked one Of the group.
WintOn scanned his copy hastily. It
was four-page edition, in which
Reuter- cable dispatches, telegraphed
and local news jostled advertisements
| prOmiscuOusly. The front page, which
was devoted entirely to the account Of
the robbery, stated that the De Witt
diamond had disappeared from the safe
! of the Syndicate bank at some time
| during the preceding night. The rob-
! Der, who had probably worked with a
! confederate, had somehow learned the
combination Of the lock, had opened
| the safe, taken the stone, and walked
away with it. No suspicion rested
spite of the discovery Of the combina-
tiOn, and the rObber was undoubtedly
one Of the number of strangers in
MalOpO. Fortunately his discovery
could be only matter of a short time,
since the police were carefully scruti-
nizing the outgoing coaches and
wagons
Winton folded up the sheet "a
story like that wouldn't pass muster
anywhere else" he reflected. 81 be-
lieve it is a trick unless De Witt or
one of the heads of the bank is re-
sponsible. And it's my diamond-four-
ffths of it!'
The irony Of the situation made him
smile; and then he became aware of a
smiling black face in close proximity
to his own.
81 don't believe received my tickey,
sir" said Sam.
"Your what?" asked Winton.
"Three pence, sir"
Winton, remembering the colloQulal
name of the unit Of currency in the up
country regions, produced a three
penny bit from his pocket and handed
it to the boy" who thanked him cour-
teously.
"You are an American, sir?" he in
quired.
81 am" said Winton. "And you, if I
may inquirer"
Barbados bred, sir, Where they
speak the purest English, sir. We are
an altogether superior class to your
own colored population, sir"
"Well, I've known some pretty de-
cent colored people in my own coun.
try" said Winton in amusement
'POssibly, sir. But you must recog-
nize that our ancestors obtained their
emancipation a generation before
yours, sir. We have rid ourselves of
our primal instincts, sir
'T'm glad to hear that" said Winton.
"By the way, where is this Big Malopo
claim?"
"Three miles out, sir. I shall be very
pleased to show. you the way if you
plan to go there"
"Tu be obliged, Sam. You're not
busy?"
mo, sir. My literary labors begin
at three this afternoon. We are a
morning newspaper. This was an
extra, and have completed my round"
They strolled across the market
square toward the suburb. Winton,
amused and interested in his COM
panion, drew him out further.
"Your literary labors, L take it, Sam,
consist in selling the copies of the
Chronicle?" he asked.
mo, sir. l am subeditor. Indeed, if
I may say so without offense, the style,
not to say spelling, of our paper would
be considerably off, as they say, with
out my services"
"And part of your duty consists in
selling copies?"
Outside the office, sir, I am simply
a negro" said Sam, without any trace
Of bitterness. 81 am a StOic and I
recognize conditions. And yet it is
hard. I emigrated to this country,
sir, with the idea Of being of social
service among men Of my race.
found myself pariah. Perhaps you
do not know, sir, that the chief justice
Of Trinidad was a colored manT
mo-" said Winton. "But I'm glad to
hear it. What do they do to you, Sam?"
"They are unable to discriminate be-
tween the colored aboriginal population
and the negro of culture" said Sam.
L ACdlAAC lIIdI Ill ILLS 4L1lpSl1CNL WOAlO
certain prejudices as to color exist.
I accept them. But for a British sub
ject from a civilized land to be denied
the right to walk on the pavement is
hard, sir"
"But there is no pavement" said
Winton, bewildered.
mot at present, sir. But If there
were pavement, 1 should still be SUBJ
ject to the disability imposed upon
these raw savages. In the same way
the sale of alcoholic liquors is forbid
den to me, sir"
"Oh, cheer upr' said Winton en-
couragingly. Anybody can get drink
anywhere"
81 am a teetotaler, sir" responded
Sam. II was taking exception to the
principle, not to its application. AS
colored British subject, should not be
subjected to laws passed for the dis
ciplining Of savages."
-