radiant, at the other side of the board.

"You must have made quite a pile."

"My dear, it's never wise to tell a woman all you know or all you've
got. But I don't mind telling you this much: I had luck, or I wouldn't
be able to satisfy _your_ little whims."

He put his hand into his breast pocket, and drew out a plush-covered
case.

"You asked for the biggest diamond in Timber Town, and here it is."

He opened the case, and took out a gold ring, in which was set a stone,
fully a carat-and-a-half in weight. Gentle Annie's eyes glittered almost
as brightly as the facets of the diamond.

"Dear little jewels for our dear girls." The flash digger held up the
brilliant between his finger and thumb. "That bit of carbon cost me
L30."

He passed the ring to the girl, who eagerly tried it, first on one
finger, then on another.

"Lovely!" she exclaimed: then, as the sudden suspicion struck her, she
asked, "You're sure it's real?"

"Well, I'll be----." But he restrained himself. "My dear, if it's
shnein, the bargain's off."

Gentle Annie had risen, and was scratching with the stone the glass of a
picture-frame which held a gaudy chromo-lithograph.

As she did so, the digger rose, and encircled her waist with his arm.

"Well, are you satisfied?"

"Quite," she replied, with a laugh. "It bites like a glazier's diamond."

"Then give me a kiss."

The girl made a pretence of trying to get away, but quickly gave in, and
turned her lips to the digger's hawk-like face, and kissed his cheek.

"That's right," he said; "that's as it should be. Mind you: I'm boss
here while I stay; I'm the proprietor of the bloomin' show. All other
blokes must stop outside."

His arm still encircled her waist, and she, regarding him through
half-closed, indulgent eyes, leaned her weight against him, when a low
cough startled both of them.

The door slowly opened, and upon the threshold stood a dark figure
which, advancing towards the light, turned into a man, big, broad, and
stern.

"No, no," said the flash digger, calm, cool, and collected, while the
girl tried to assume a posture of aloofness. "You must get out, mister.
I'm boss of this show. No one's allowed here without an invite from me.
So, out you go."

But, to his astonishment, the intruder, without saying a word, quietly
took a seat, and began to cut himself a pipeful of tobacco from a black
plug which he drew nonchalantly from his pocket.

"Make no mistake," said the flash