The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1924-03-07

per standing against tine wall of thu
hotel. He started. How long the mai
had been there he could not imagine
but he felt almost as IL 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
er, amt you? l spotted you as soon as
| you came in this afternoon"
YES, 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 claim?"
81 might be-" answered Winton. "As
rule l keep my affairs TO myself. y
"Oh, no offense," said the little man
hastily. "Were all here for the money,
amt we7 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 1t amt 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 fdgeted, 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 1t, 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 temptation, when
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 out of the compounds. There
was one fellow, dentist, used to stop
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, l
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 do you mean by calling the |
Big Malopo Mr.. De Wits? What has |
Mr.. De Witt to do with it?"
The little man laughed and nudged |
Winton jovially in the side. The touch
IF his fingers against Winton's coat |
vas almost intolerable. Winton moved
his chair away.
Now it's you who are asking ques-
ions," said the little man. you know
What you know and l know what 1
lnow, eh?"
He chuckled, rose up, and walked
lway. Whatever the object of his
address might have been, it had sue
,eeded in singing Winton in his ten
lerest place. Everybody in Malopo
eemed to take it for granted that De
Witt already owned the Big Malopo.
Gwen Ned Burns had taken the stone
O De Witt And 1t had been placed
N exhibition in the Syndicate bank.
Winton was raging. He meant to
how Malopo who owned the claim,
nd he had forgotten all his warnings
bout being cautious
A mob of men from the dining room
anne out upon the porch, laughing and
oking. Inside the hotel Winton heard |
wo in alteration, the subject of their
ispute being, apparently. one of the
actresses The meal was over. Win
on rose and looked through the door
Jay. Then he saw Sheila putting on
err hat beside the cashiers desk.
A man spoke to her as she left the
pom. but she walked past him, and
-ent down the steps before Winton {
Duld intercept her. He followed her, '
nd as he did SO he heard one of the
len on the porch make jestlng re- I
lark about him to companion.
Winton did not heed it. He caught
D with the girl at the corner of the 6
ock. Miss Seatonl" he began.
She turned and stopped. Mr.. Gar S
,tt-" she began. {
"You asked me to go away, and l c
ID so. 1 thought you would allow G
e." c
.'What is it that you want?" asked h
bella.
81 want to help you. l know that r
III are friendless here, that you are 4
l. 1