, 1874-12-27

ding OF every breeze. Five hundred different
kinds OF wood are used in each 1oom- A|aneda
told me that for each room. although he ecouo-
m;zed closely. he WAS compelled to make an out
lay Of four m,llions-ond cighty-seven thousand
dollars, excepting the bridal chamber. w1sc1 1s
unfinished. When completed, it will cost
TR1fLE OVER TwES7I-sEvEH MILLIONS.
His daughter 1uez Was charlniug. She speaks
three languages and, am sure. would delight
you in Spanish. After supper she played OIL tile
piano a.d saug. Her voice is very tine. must
not forget to mention that her piano was iDlaitl
with diamonds mud cost in London tive hundred
thousand pounds sterling.
Ni.en his daughter retired for tbs evening, l
talked in quite \ familiar usannez With Alameda
fer several hours. lie told INC much about his
history and hoS he had risen from poverty to
LIZ present easy circumstances; told nc about
building l,is chateau and tho cost >of it. given
aboyo. He sall ha had peculiar reason for
huiI;iing it. and might tell me before 1af
Alter NC ha1 ta.kea Tor I: considerable time, I
frankly told INN that tho only OBJ
ject { had in yis.in. him WAS to as
ccrnin: his wealth wcra true then gave him
4 detailed statement OF his wealth ns reported
to me, and, when had finished, no replied with
tho utmost indifference. ''What YOU i4ave heard
is perfectly correct but that part OF my wealth
taat you have heard OF, and what yon ha:e seen
in my poor house. is nothing mere rit:ance-
4 DAG4TELIL.
Como with me-. and will show you my reserve
1unds,-wi1at have laid up for wot day.
followed him down several flights OF stairs
and We at last landed II great cellar, brilliantly
lighted. i'll the centre OF which vas au nrtesian
well which threw up large stream Of water
about 10 feet high. The water fell tack into a
basin having fine sieve at tho Eottom through
which It passed into pipes, and was carried out Of
the building into & lake. I looked At all tbis in
amazement, ''Tae,e is nothing peculiar about
astcsiaa wells generally" said Alameda, "but
tLcre is about this one. It Is four thousandtsc
deep. One cud Of it you see; tho other end il
at the middle OF G diamond mine, and this well
is constantly pumping up diamonds" l
ehuddcred. aud began to suspect that he was in
eano. did you ever see cryatalizel carbon:'
said Alameda. "Look he1e!" and he went to
tho basin, ard grasped handful OF glittering
convex pebblea. ''Hero are your monometric
gems! Here are your diamonds OF the tirat Wa
ter! This well gives me cx bushels year- 1t
has been running fire years. dreamed there
was diamond mine down there. and I dug it.
and built this castle over it. Como and look at
my litt1o Etocli!"
I began to think it was all dream, and fol-
lowed him without word. To went to the sidc
of the cellar, and opened . large iron door ten
feet thick and followed him. into 4 vault
about sixty feet long. 4 chandelier hanging in
the centre gave sufficient light to see all over the
vault. saw great pile Of shining, gltteriag
pebbles, at the farther end OF the vault. Aln-
media walked up to the ri'e and said, Hero is
the miserable pittance my well has gwen me in
two years. Hore aro
THIRTY BUSHELS or DIAMONDS
Of the first water. Thirty bushels! Look at
then! Do yon sec Them? Amt they beauties?
Don't they shine? Gods! don't they. glisten
TIN afraid they will put my eyes out!' lie ran
to the pile, aud dashed scoop shovel into thon,
filed it, and tossed them up to the roof: They
fell in great shower. and almost blinded mo
NTH their hrilliancy. What do you think they
arc worth :' eaid AIanaeda II took samples Of
them to the tost lapidarv in Amsterdam, and be
said they were worth half 5 million no1ece. 4
gill measure aciI hold fire thousand Of them"
"Iu the namo OF Heaven !" said !. :. what nre
you goiue to do with ali tnls wealth :"
,'Why," said be, and, while he spoke. no
ticed helllsh lustre in his eye. when five
years have passed when this vault contsins
sixty bushels Of diamonds, then
THEN WILL BUY THE WORLD!
+ will buy North and Sorth America, Europe,
Asia. and Africa, Australia and Ocea;ica- Will
buy this entire globe!"
When saw lis purpoae, I WAS 60 Mortified, so
overwhelmed With fear, that Immediately faint
ing in one OF his beautiful salons, aud Alameda
IVES standing near me, looking pensivelv into my
face. As soon as could speak. I eaid. My
horse! my horse! I must 60 to Sau Diego"
Alameda said nothing. but signed to a don1es-
tic. In + few moments my horse was ready.
As I left the gates Of tho castle, 1ne1 came to
me- and whispered " For Heavens eako cay
nothing about what gou have seem If yon do,
you are dead man," I rode home without
stopping. Say nothing about what lavo told
you. my dear Henry. am in perfect
[lutser OF excitement ovor what l saw
ar AIameda's. I will write vou more about it
soon. In the meantime, let Us prar that he may
never be able to carry out luis fell purpose
Your loving friend, PACL p1ScESEy.
believe A1aneda to be
DANGEROUS MAN,
and think that the Government ought at once
seize his diamonds. and apply them TO the ray-
mens of the National debt. or my friend
piuckuoT's statements have not doubt.
HENRI VINCENT.