Show copyright 1905 by daily story pub co idly glancing at a glittering display t diamonds and jewelry unredeemed pledges exhibited for sale in the window of a big pawnbroker s store I 1 noticed that a ragged and seemingly starving man stood beside me regard ing the gems with w glare there was something so uncanny in the fellow s appearance that instine lively I 1 moved away then stopped at a little distance to look back at him As he stood gloating with fascinated faze upon the almost priceless gems actually within his reach but tor the fragile barrier afforded by a sheet of otate glass I 1 was astonished to see lears spring from his bleary eyes and eflowly course down his sunken cheeks for a few moments while I 1 watch ed his bosom heaved and tell as swayed by some powerful emotion and bis long lean shaking lingers clutch ed the air convulsively A terrible et ruggle with satan was in progress before my ees and ere I 1 could intervene the tempter had conquered with a loud and seemingly idiotic cry which sounded like lulu my lulu the man raised his clenched fists above his head and dashed them through the window glass then he tell forward across the trays whereon were many thousands of dollars worth of diamonds in an instant the wildest commotion arose A vast surging crowd sur rounded the reckless wretch who made no effort to escape but still lay amidst enormous riches with blood streaming from his lacerated bands and smearing his besotted face sobbing violently and muttering lulu little lulu two big policemen roughly pushed their way through the crowd they seized the thief and hauled him back past the jagged edges of the thick plate glass with both hands clutching at the region of his heart beneath his shabby vest he tell to the sidewalk and lay motionless on his back it was then that we saw that the glass had cut a huge gash in the man s neck from which blood was rushing in a torrent the crowd pressed forward more eagerly more policemen arrived and fought them back some one sum boned an ambulance meanwhile the dying man delirious ly murmured its mine its mine you shall not take it from me my lulu my little darling lulu after giang my name and address as a witness of the daring theft and previous to following on to the hoppl tal I 1 interviewed the pawnbroker in my capacity as a reporter for a mom ing newspaper the money lender had careful lj examined his eatock and found that there was noth ing of value missing nothing but a paltry old fashioned cameo brooch fashioned to hold a photograph at the back it is of little consequence any way he said but who is going to pay for my broken gla sa I 1 did not stay to argue that question but hurried off to the hospital to ascer tain the state of the man whom I 1 thought was surely a maniac he was still alive and 1 was admitted to his bedside we found absolutely nothing on him to establish his identity said the house surgeon except an old cameo brooch containing the photograph of a little child he had it hidden next lulu my lulu his heart the police would have tak en it from him but he struggled so violently to retain it that I 1 made them desist it is only a matter of an hour or two they can have it when he Is dead upon his bed pale as the sheets the patient rested peacefully but he had lost so much blood that recovery was impossible both hands lay upon bis heart that heart which had been drained of its life fluid through the gashed arteries of his neck under his hands lay the picture brooch the possession ot which aa to cost him bis life in pursuance of my duty I 1 asked him his name he smiled feebly and said my name ha what matter go and ask her my wife she has a press agent now im told pays a man to lie for her and she was al ways pretty good at that herself ask her I 1 don t want notoriety she loved it here waa surely a big story and I 1 determined to have it even although it was my day off and I 1 had seats tor a fashionable musical comedy that evening with hateful professional skill I 1 it was a great story drew the whole story names and all from him before be died years before his pretty young wife had cruelly left him deserted him and their little daughter lulu tor the of a life which had the stage for its excuse when she went away she took with her the only portrait of little lulu ever made she had worn it in an inexpensive brooch before dia monds dazzled her fickle fancy the baby lulu died and the father was left with nothing but feeble mem ory to recall the face of the little child he had loved so well the erring wife became the pet ot the ignorant public the heartbroken husband took to drinking in a be fuddled state passing the pawn brok ers window he saw the face of hir dead child set around with diamonds and unredeemed pledges false as the mother s life had been he thought it his right his duty to rescue her he never dreamed 0 theft she is mine my little lulu he cried and tor that he died he died that same night when he was dead the police claim ed the brooch with the photograph of little lulu and it was returned to the pawnbroker whose property it un was but when the man was burled the picture of his child lay on his heart it was a cheap at fair the pawnbroker admitted it I 1 had a good week and ten dollars did not hurt me much it was a great story I 1 had it ex but it was never printed even now if the names were printed but they never will be I 1 did not go to the theater that night I 1 gave the seats away my friends told me that the prima donna was great ravishing bewitch ing at her best she received cited encores and applause |