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The Orange-Yellow Diamond by J. S. (Joseph Smith) Fletcher
page 48 of 292 (16%)
evident the owner's pretty keen about getting it back."

Ayscough glanced at the two newspapers, and then beckoned to a constable
who was standing near the door.

"Jim!" he said, as the man came up. "Just slip across to the newsagent's
over there and get me the _News_, the _Chronicle_, the _Standard_,
the _Morning Post_. If the owner's as keen as all that," he added,
turning back to Lauriston, "he'll have put that advertisement in all
the morning papers, and I'd like to make sure. What's known about
that book at the shop?" he asked, glancing at Melky. "Does your
cousin know anything?"

Melky's face assumed its most solemn expression.

"Mister!" he said earnestly. "There ain't nothing known at the shop about
that there book, except this here. It wasn't there when my cousin Zillah
left the old man alone at a quarter to five yesterday afternoon. It was
there when this here gentleman found the old man. But it hadn't been
pledged, nor yet sold, Mr. Ayscough--There'd ha' been an entry in the
books if it had been taken in pawn, or bought across the counter--and
there's no entry. Now then--who'd left it there?"

Another official had come up to the group--one of the men who had
questioned Lauriston the night before. He turned to Lauriston as Melky
finished.

"You don't know anything about this book?" he asked.

"Nothing--except that Mr. Ayscough and I saw it lying on the table in the
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