Jasper County Democrat, Volume 11, Number 15, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 June 1908 — The KING of DIAMONDS. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

The KING of DIAMONDS.

By Louis Tracy,

|[ 8, Author of “Wings of the Morning,” “The Plllsr of h o i ♦♦♦ Light,” Etc. ♦♦♦ ’ > > +++ - ■ l j; ♦♦ COPYRIGHT. 1004, By EDWARD J. CLODB.

SYNOPSIS TO PREVIOUB CHAPTERS. Chapter X —At Johnson’s Mews, a slum In London, Philip Anson, a well reared boy of about fifteen, loses his mother, tho Only nlatlve, so far as he knows, that ho has In the world. He finds a ' package of letters, many of them from a Sir Philip Morland, refusing aid to Mrs. Anson. Mrs. Anson was a Miss Morland and was thought by he- relatives to have married beneath tie.* station. ll—During a great storm Philip saves a little girl, addressed as Elf, from being crushed by a carriage. In his squalid apartments Phlllf), sick of the outlook and discouraged. Is about to hang himself when a huge meteor falls In the courtyard. Philip, sympathetic and Imaginative, regards It as a message from his mother In heaven. Ill—With Borne fragments of the meteor Philip goes to a Jeweler. He Is told that they are diamonds and is referred to Isaacsteln & Co., London’s largest dealers in diamonds. IV —lsaacsteln Is astounded by the gems Philip shows him and has the boy arrested. V —lsaacsteln explains In court that the gems are doubtless of recent meteoric origin. VI —The wife of Sir Philip Morland reads In the papers about Philip and his marvelous diamonds and toends to Johnson's Mews to Inquire about him. She learns nothing. Philip Is dismissed from custody. Vll—Philip agrees to supply Isaacsteln with a quarter of a million pounds sterling worth of diamonds each year for many years. VIII and IX—At Johnson’s Mews, while Philip is preparing to remove the rest of his diamonds, he detects an Intruder, who, with the assistance of a policeman, is capture*!. He is a noted criminal named Jocky Mason. Philip removes his diamonds forever from Jonnson's Mews. X, XI and Xll—lsaacsteln sells thirty of Philip’s diamonds for £52,000. XIII — Ten years later, when Jocky Mason gets out of prison, he sees the Mary Anson Home For Destitute Boys, which was founded by Philip. XlV—Philip rescues a girl from Insult at the hands of two men, one of whom is Victor Grenier, an ex-fellow convict of Jocky Mason. XV and XVl—The girl rescued by Phllfp is a Miss Atherley, an opera singer, who proves to be the Elf of Philip’s adventure of many years before. Grenier’s companion was a nephew of Grenier. His name Is Langdon. XVII —Philip receives a letter telling him that Sir Philip Morland Is dying and begging him to come. A man calling himself "Dr. Williams” meets Philip at the depot and escorts him to the house. XVlll—Philip finds too late that he has fallen Into a trap set bv Grenier, Jocky Mason and Langdon. Philip Is struck violently on the head by Mason and Is supposed to be dead. His body is stripped naked _ and thrown from a cliff Into the sea. Grenier, who resembles Philip, Is to take his place in the world and get hold of his money for the gang. XIX and XX—Mason meets his sons, who he Is informed by them, have been nicely brought up In the Mary Anson home and owe everything to Philip Anson. Mason is filled with remorse. The voices of fils sons reached Mason's tortured brain like sounds heard, remote but distinct, through a long tunnel. Hia great frame seemed to collapse. In an Instant he became an old man. He set his teeth and jammed his. elbows against the woodwork of the cab, but, strive as he would with his Immense physical strength and his dogged will, he shook with a palsy. "Father,” cried John anxiously, little dreaming how his enthusiastic speech had pierced to the very marrow of his hearer, "are you ill? Shall we stop?” "Perhaps, John, a little brandy would do him good,” murmured AVillle. "Father, do tell me what Is the matter. Willie, reach up and tell the man to stop.” Then Mason forced himself to speak. *No, no.” he gasped. “Go on. It Is—only—a passing spasm.” ne must have tlnie, even a few minutes, In which to drive off the awful specter that hugged him in the embrace of death. lie dared not look at Ills sons. If he were compelled to face them on the pavement in the flaring gaslight he would run away. His anguish was pitiable. Great drops of sweat stood clammy on his

forehead. He passed a trembling hand across bis face and groaned aloud unconsciously: **Oh, God forgive me!” It was the first prayer that had voluntarily left his lips for many a day. The boys heard. They Interpreted It as an expression of sorrow that his own career should have been so cut off from their childhood and joyous youth. “Well, cheer up. dad, anyhow,” cried the elder, much relieved by this conclusion. “We are all together again, and you can face the world once more Vith us at your side.” Jfo dagger of-steel could have hurt so dreadfully as this well meant consolation, but for the sake of his sons the man wrestled with bis agony and conquered it to_some outward seeming.

When the cab "slopped outside a big building he was steady on his feet when he alighted, and he managed to summon a ghastly smile to his aid as Ire said to John: “I am sorry to set you a had example, but that Is nothing new, is it? I must have some spirit, strong spirit, ot I can’t keep up.” “Certainly, father. Why not? It is all right as medicine. Willie, you go and get some brandy while I take father upstairs.” Their flat was on the second floor. It was'neatly furnished, fitted with electric light and contained five rooms. John talked freely, explaining housekeeping arrangements, the puzzle as to their father’s size, for the first bed they bought was a short one; their hours of work, the variety of their employment- any and every cheering topic, indeed, until Willie came- with a bottle. Both of them glanced askance at the quantity Mason consumed, hut they passed no comment. He tried to smoke and sat so that the light should not fall on his face. And then he said to them: ‘Tell me all you know about Philip Ausou. It Interests me.” Snap! The hard composition of his pipe was broken In two. n Wbal a pTTyT T ~cFie3 Willie. “Shall I run and buy you a uew one?” “No, my boy, no. I can manage. Don’t mind me. I can’t talk, but I will listen. May the Lord have mercy on me, I will listen!” He suffered that night as few men have suffered. Many a murderer has had to endure the torments of a haunted conscience, but few can have been harrowed by hearing their own sons lauding to the sky the victim's benefactions to themselves and to their dead mother. He was master of his emotions sufficiently to control his voice. He punctuated their recital by occasional comments that showed he appreciated every point. He examined with interest specimens of their work, for they understood both the stitching and the stamping of leather, and once he found himself dully speculating as to what career he would have carved out for himself were he given In boyhood the opportunities they rejoiced in. •But throughout there was In hls surcharged brain a current of cunning purpose. Flrdl, there was Greiner, away in the north, robbing a dead man and plotting desolation to some girl. He must he dealt with. Then he, the slayer, must be slain and by his own hand. He would spare his sons ns much pain as might be within his power. He would not merely disappear, leaving them dubious and distressed. No. They must know he was dead, not by suicide, hut by accident. They would mourn his wretched memory. Better that than live with the abiding grief of the knowledge that he was Philip Anson’s murderer. He was quite sure now that the dead would arise and call for vengeance if he dared to continue to exist. Yes, that was It—a life for a life—a prayer that his deeds might not bear fruit in Ills children—and then death, speedy, certain death.

Some reference to the future made by Willie, the younger, who favored his mother more than the outspoken John, gave Mason gu opportunity to pave the way for the coming separatlon.

“I don’t want you two lads to make any great changes on my account,” he said slowly. “It Is far from my Intention to settle down here and let all your friends become aware that you are supporting a ticket of leave father. Yes, I know. You are good boys, and it won’t be any more pleasant for me to—to live away from you than it would be for you—under—other conditions—to be separated from me. But—l am In earnest in this matter. I will stop here tonight just to feel that I am under the same roof as you. It is your roof, mot mine. Long ago I lost the right to provide you with a shelter. Tomorrow Igo awuy. I have some work to do—a lot of work. It must be attended to at once. Of course you will see me often. We can meet lu the evening—go out together—but live here—with you—l can’t." His sons never knew the effort that this speech cost him. lie spoke with such manifest besitation that Willie, who quickly interpreted the less pronounced signs of a man’s thoughts, winked a warning at his brother. He said, with an optic signal: “Not a word now, John. Just leave thiugs as they are.” Under any ordinary conditions he would be right. He could never guess the nature of the claims that encircled his father, delivering him fettered to the torture, bound hand and foot, body and soul. At lust they all retired to their rooms, the boys to whisper kindly plans for keeping their father a prisoner again in their bands, Mason to lie open eyed, dry eyed, through the night, mourning for that which might not be. The risiug sun dispelled the dark phantoms that flitted before his vision. He fell into a fitful Slumber, disturbed by vivid dreams. Once he was on a storm swept sea at night on a sinking 1

ship, a ship wRE a crew oT'dead met! and a dead captain at the helm. Driving onward through the raging waves, be could feel the vessel settling more surely as she rushed into each yawning caldron. Suddenly through the wreck of flying spindrift he saw a smooth harbor, a sheltered basin, In which vessels rode In safety. There were houses beyond, with cheerful lights, and men and women were watching the doomed craft from the firm security of the land. But strain his eyes as he would he could see no entrance to that harbor, naught save furious seas breaking over relentless walls of granite. Even in bis dream he was not afraid. He asked the captain, with an oath: “Is there no way In?” And the captain turned corpselike eyes toward him. It was Philip Anson. The dreamer uttered a wild beast’s howl and shrank away. Then lie awoke to find Willie standing by his bedside with soothing words. “It is all right, father. You were disturbed In your sleep. Don’t get up yet. It Is only 5 o’clock." * • • * • * * At that hour a policeman left his cottage In a village oh the Yorkshire coast and walked leisurely toward the Grange House. He traversed four miles of rough country, anil the sun was hot, so he did not hurry. About half past 8 he reached the farm. There were no signs of activity such ns may lie expected in the country at that hour. He examined three sides of the building carefully—the sea front was inaccessible—and waited many minutes before he knocked at the door. There was uo answer. He knocked again more loudly. The third time his summons would have aroused the Seven Sleepers, but none caine. ~- He tried the door and rattled It peered In at the windows, stood back lu the garden and looked up at the bedrooms. "A queer business,” he muttered as he turned unwillingly to leave the place. “Aye, a very queer business,” he said again. “I must go on to Scarsdale an’ mak’ inquiries aboot this Dr. Williams afore I report to the super.” (To be continued.)

"Father, do tell me what is the matter.”