Jasper County Democrat, Volume 10, Number 52, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 March 1908 — The KING of DIAMONDS. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

The KING of DIAMONDS.

By Louis Tracy,

At me hotel he found the French valet setting forth a shirt The man explained that he required a spare set of studs and links. This reminded Philip that there was still a good deal of shopping to be done. He was about to leave the room for the purpose when the valet said: “Another portmanteau has arrived for monsieur. Will you be pleased to unlock it?" “No,” said Philip. “It must remain untouched.” He smiled at the thought of the sensation his tattered rags and worn boots would make in that place. Tot just a week ago he passed through the street outside bound in the pitiless rain for Johnson’s Mews and bent on suicide. He walked into Regent street and made a number of purchases, not forgetting some books. A double silver mounted photograph stand caught his eye. It would hold the two best pictures he possessed of his father and mother, so be bought it He also acquired a dispatch box in which he could store bis valuables, both jewelry and documents, for he had quite a number of receipts, letters and other things to safeguard now, and he did not wish servants’ prying eyes to examine everything belonging to him. When alone in his room be secured the album and locked that special portmanteau again, after stowing therein the letter found beneath Mrs. Anson’s pillow. Soon his mother’s dear face smiled at Mm from a beautiful border of filigree silver. The sight wag pleasant to him, soothing to his full mind. In her eyes was a message of faith, of trust, of absolute confidence in the future.

It was strange that he thought so little of his father at this time, bnt the truth was that his childhood was passed so much In his mother's company, , and they were so Inseparable during the last two years, that memories of his father were shadowy. Yet the physiognomist would have seen that the boy owed a great deal of his strength of character and well knit frame to the handsome, stalwart man whose name he bore. Philip loved his mother on the compensating principle that persons of opposite natures often have an overpowering affinity for each other. He resembled her neither in features nor In the more subtle traits of character. After a dinner the excellence of which was In nowise diminished by lack of appreciation on his part he undertook a pilgrimage of curiosity to which he had previously determined to devote the evening. He wondered unceasingly to whom he was Indebted for the good meals he had enjoyed In prison. Now he would endeavor to find out. A hansom took him to Holloway, but the first efforts of the driver failed to discover the whereabouts of the Boyal Star hotel. At last Philip recollected the warder’s added direction—"opposite." He dismissed the cab and walked to the prison entrance. Directly in front he saw a small restaurant called the Star. Its titular embellishments were due to the warder’s gift of humor. He entered. A woman was knitting at a cash desk. , . "Until yesterday,” be said, "you sent food regularly to a boy named Anson, who was confined In the prison"— "Tea,” interrupted the lady. "I on*y heard this mornin’ that he was let out” "Would you mind telling me who paid the bill? I suppose It was paid?* "Well, as a matter of fact it was overpaid,” was the reply. "You see, the pore lad was remanded for a week, and Mr. Judd, a man *oo lives tn the Farrlngdon road, kem ’ere an’ arranged for ’is week’s board. Hav* ye heard wot ’appened to *im?” Philip’s heart was In his mouth, but he managed to answer that the boy was all right; there was no charge against him. Then he escaped into the street The one man he had forgotten was his greengrocer friend, who had indeed acted the part of the good Samaritan,

Author of “Wings of the Morning,’’ “The Pillar of Light,’* Etc. COPYRIGHT, 1904. By BDWARD J. CLODS.

There was some excuse for this, but the boy’s abounding good nature would admit of none. He hastened to Farrlngdon road with the utmost speed and found his fat friend putting up the shutters of bls shop. The restaurant next door was open. Philip approached quietly. “Good evening, Mr. Judd,” he said, holding out his band. “Good evenin’, sir,” said the greengrocer, his'-eyes revealing not the remotest idea of the identity of the smart young gentleman who addressed him so familiarly. ‘’Don’t you know me, Mr. Judd?’ “Well, sir, I can’t exactly bring to mln’ “I suppose the good fare you provided for me at Holloway has so altered my appearance that you fall to recognize me again?” "Wot! Ye don’t mean to s’y— ’Ere, Eliza, this young gent is the lad I was a-tellin’ you of. Remanded till Saturday, you was. I saw in the piper last night. Well, there, I’m done!” By this time Philip was Inside the shop, and the stout greengrocer and bls equally stout spouse were gazing open mouthed at this well dressed

youth who had supplanted the thin tatterdemalion so much discussed by them and their neighbors. Judd and the restaurant keeper were the only men in the locality who could claim actual acquaintance with the boy whose strange proceedings as reported by the newspapers made London gape. Indeed, both men had been interviewed by police and reporters many times They were living links with the marvelous, a pedestal of common stone for an aerial phantasy. And now here he was back again, dressed like a young gentleman and hailing Judd as a valued friend. No wonder the greengrocer lost his breath and his power of speech. But Philip was smiling at him and talking. "You were the one man out of many, Mr. Judd, who believed in me and even stuck up for me when you saw me led through the street by a policeman to bo imprisoned on a false charge. I did not know until an hour ago that I was indebted to you for an abundance of excellent food while I was remanded in prison. I will not offer to refund you the money you spent. My gratitude will take another form, which you will learn in a few days. But I do want to pay you the ninepence I borrowed. Would you mind asking the proprietor of the restaurant to step in here for a moment? Don’t say lam present I wish to avoid a crowd, you know.” Judd bad time to collect his scattered ideas during this long speech. "Blow the ninepence!” be cried. “Wots ninepence for the treat I’ve 'ad? People I never set eyes on In my life afore kem ’ere an’ bought cabbiges or taters or mebbe a few plums, an’ then they’d stawt ‘Mr. Judd, wasn’t it you as stood a dinner to the boy king of diamonds?* That’s wot they christened yer, sir. Or it’s: *Mr. Judd, cahn’t yer tell us w*ere that young Morland Uvea? Surely yer know rummat abaht ’im or yer wouldn’t hev paid ’is bill.’ Oh, it ’as bin a beano! Hasn’t it, Elisa?” "But we never let on a word,” put tn Mrs. Judd. "We was close as wax. We told none of ’em as how Mr. Judd went to ’Olloway that night, did we, Wlllyum?” "Not us. Ye see, I took a fancy to ye. If ahr little Johnnie ’ad lived, *e’d ha’ bin just your ige. Fifteen, aren’t ye?”

At last Philip got him persuaded to summon his neighbor. Judd did so with an air of mystery that caused the baldheaded restaurateur to believe that a burglar was bottled up tn the greengrocer’s cellar. Once inside the shop, however, Mr. Judd’s manner changed. "Wot did I tell yer, Tomkina?" be cried elatedly. "Wot, price me as a judge of karakter! ’Era’s Mr. Morland come back to p’y me that nlnepence. Eh, Tomkins! ’Oo’s right now, old cotkr Philip solemnly counted out the money, which he handed to his delighted backer. "There was a bet, too," he said. “Ba-ther!” roared Judd. "Two bob, w*lch Pye plde. Out wi’ four bob, Tomkins. Lord lumme, I’ll stand treat at the George for thia!" “There’s something funny in the kise,” growled Tomkina as be unwillingly produced a couple of florins. "I was sure you would see the joke at once,” said Philip. "Goodby, Mr. Judd. Goodby; ma’am. You will hear from me without fall within a fortnight" He was gone before they realized his intention. They saw him skip rapidly up the steps leading, into Holborn, and London bad swallowed him forever so far as they were concerned. - - Ten days later a firm of solicitors wrote to the greengrocer to Inform him that a client of theirs had acquired the freehold of his house and shop, which property during the life of either himself or his wife would be tenantable free of rent, rates or taxes. So Mr. Judd's investment of ninepence plus the amount expended on eatables at the Boyal Star hotel so-

Ind TbriK&s never heard the last of ft (To be continued.)

"Don’t you know me, Mr. Juddt"