“How are the black diamonds holding out, Wallace?” asked Mrs. Duwell. Wallace had just brought up coal from the cellar.
“Only a few more scuttlefuls in the bin, mother,” answered Wallace.
“On your way from school you may stop at the coal yard and ask Mr. Carr to send a ton to-morrow.”
“All right, mother, I won’t forget. But tell me, why do they call coal black diamonds?”
“I haven’t time to talk about it now. Perhaps Mr. Carr will tell you. You have just ten minutes to get to school.”
On his way home Wallace stepped into the little office of the big coal yard.
“How are you, my boy; what can I do for you to-day?” asked Mr. Carr, who was a rather tall man with a bent back and one shoulder higher than the other.
“How do you do, Mr. Carr?” replied Wallace. “Mother wants you to send a ton of coal to-morrow—the same kind as the last you sent.”
Wallace waited until the coal man entered the order in the book and then asked, “Mr. Carr, will you tell me why they call coal black diamonds?”