Year: 1876

"Come, let's go and see her," said
the general, and Gary, without a word,
led the way to his poor lodgings.


The general does not say much about
the interview that ensued, but know
from other sources that the wife and
children had good supper that night.


"Come to my office-down town,
here's the number-to-morrow, at
eleven. Mark, and I'll talk with you.
Madam, I'll see you again." and the
general withdrew.


"See hero, Mark" said the general,
next day, "you're broke down. The
little woman can't do anything with you,
Jun rubber"


"That is just about the conclusion I
am coming to myself, general" said
Cary, with pathetic sincerity.


"I know better!" cried Jack, vehem-
emily pounding the table with his fist !;
"I mean to take you in hand now, and
make man of you -


"I wish to Heaven you would 7"
cried Gary.


"I mean to! You're the very fellow
I've been looking for this year and
more. You're honest and capable-you
know all about geology, minerology and
all that sort of thing, don't you 2-if
you don't you can learn-stop! Listen |
You are up to my diamond passion
we'll, there's where want you'll I want
a man-an honest mana capable man
Ito go to South Africa for me, and find
me the biggest diamond there-a dozen
of them, if you're SO minded Will you
goa Stopl I'll take care of the little
woman if you do, and provide for her if
you don't come back. The sea voyage
will give you chance to taper off, drop
the drink, build yourself up and all
that when you get there you'll be all
right again, and then you can use your
brains in finding me that diamond. I'll
pay you good wages, and all you find is
mine 1t is bargains Strike hands
on it if it isl''


elf Margaret says yes, I'll go, gen.
eral. And God bless you, anyhow"


"Come home to lunch with me then,
andweu ask kher-she'n likely be there.


Not only she, but ali the children
were there, and in the newest of clothes,
for Mrs. Jack had been at work too, and
in her eyes "We needn't go back to
that dream of horror any more"


SO it was all settled in q few minutes.
Cary's family were to have the cottage
on the generals farm and an ample al
lowance, the eldest boy and girl to go to
school, and Gary himself to go after the
big diamond. In week Mark Gary
sailed, with q chest full of books in
which to study up the subject, and the
little woman and her children were
happy on the farm-happy, at least, as
they could be with Gary away in quest
of the big diamond.


How did that quest fare2" 1 must
let General Jack tell it in his own way,
as no takes the key of his safe FROM his
pocket, preparatory to opening it, and
stands on the hearth before the CRATE,
warming his stout calves, and empha-
sizing his narrative with gestures of the
key.


"Never was mistaken in man in all
my life before that Made all my
money by looking in peoples faces to
see if could trust 'em or no. And
this here Mark Cary-well, there's half
a million o diamonds, great and small,
in this here chest, let alone bonds, and
I'd left him here with the safe open and
nobody else in the house, and gone off
say to Europe or the Sandwich islands,
perfectly easy. But, you see well
there's such thing perhaps as tempt
ing people too far. Gary got along
splendid at first. He wrote to his wife
and me regular all along the voyage,
and when he got to the Cape he sent
photograph that we might see how he
was spruced up. I could see the old
ourls was coming back to his hair, the
old fire to his eyes, the old roundness to
more in love with him than ever. He
went up country, and by-and-bye his
letters begin to come regular again, and
diamonds, too-small ones, but one or
two good-size ones, 80 that in their
sum they might be taken to be worth
full as much money as I had put up for
him. One day he sends me a real bril-
liant two carat fellow and simultaneous
draws on me for G500, saying he was
going to another place in the hope to
find diamond worth the venture.


CATER that no more from Mark Gary.
More than year went by, and not q
word did I get from him, nor did his
wife no more than me. The little woman
was well nigh crazy, and as had no
good news for her, didn't tell her any.
l had written in a private way to cor
respondent of mine at Natal, and heard
what + was afraid of-that Gary had
gone all to the bad again-and it cut me
deep; but never let on, not even to my
own wife. No news-eighteen months
and more went by, and not single word
from Gary. 1 kept out of the little
woman's way all I could, but one stormy
night she burst in upon my wife and
me, as wild as she could be. General
Jack, she says, wringing her hands, but
never shedding tear, and turning on
me face couldn't look at for the pity
of it; General Jack, cannot be pen