The record-union., 1891-04-05


opened the library door; the lamp was
burning, and Mr.. Featherstone was lying
on the floor. glanced round the room
and saw that the safe was shut; then /
hurried to Mr.. Featherstone and tried to
rouse him, but he was dead.
There was scene of commotion after
| that. The servants were called and
messenger was sent on horseback to War
| ingborough, the nearest town, for medi-
cal assistance. When Dr. Pitchford
arrived it was too late to be of any use.
Mr.. Featherstone had died of apoplexy,
! he said, and death must have been almost
| instantaneous.
'Brayshaw had gone to Oxford at that
time, but he and his mother were at Rum
ford Hall before noon. The family law
yer was there also, and the safe was
| opened to make sure that all the gems
were safe. The Featherstone diamond
could not be found"
Woodrough said that he had not seen
it for some days, but he thought that it
was in the special case all right Nothing
had been said about it, and he was not
aware that it had been sent away for any
purpose. Careful search was made, and
letters of inquiry were sent to the per-
sons who were likely to have been taken
into Featherstone's confidence in refer
ence to the stone. No intelligence could
! be gained concerning it, and suspicion
was directed toward Woodrough.
Woodrough was never formally charged
with having stolen the diamond, though
! l believe that was in consequence of Mrs
| Brayshaw's attitude. The executors We're
very angry, and great publicity was
! given to the affair, so that the name of
! WOodrOugh was commented on very un-
favorably at the time. They would have
charged him with theft, and they might
have succeeded in convicting him on cir
cumStantial evidence. Even if they had
failed, his disgrace would have been more
complete. But / remember Bowman
saying that he wished he had the case in
hand, and he showed how all the facts
were dead against the suspected man.
l did not acknowledge that [ had any
| personal acquaintance with Runford
featherstone or with WoOdTough, but
sided with the secretary in the discus
sions, much to Bowman's disgust, who
iabored under the impression, which is
! not uncommon among certain class Of
men, that an intimate knowledge of an
! cient classics is detrimental to right un-
derstanding OF modern life.
Sweepstone was not inclined to blame
! Woodrough much, if he had purloined
the diamond.
Rather awkward stuff to SELL, he re-
marked. Something like stolen bank
note for 1000, or the famous Gains
borough picture. If That fellow had been
as sharp as some people are, he would
nave laid his fingers on something which
might have been turned into cash more
readily"
My own opinion was that one of the
servants had found Featherstone before
! Woodrough did, and that the diamond
was lying on the table. The servant
! lmale or female, / did not care which,
picked up the jewel and went away,
making the noise which Woodrough
heard.
1T would be simpler to fall back on
spiritualism," said Bowman. 'Why not
suggest that some mysterious agent from
the other world put in an appearance and
boited with the gem? When you get off
the track of reasonable evidence you
might as We'll propose one explanation as
another"
"Featherstone may have lent it to some
savant or other" Sweepstone inter
rupted. land the worthy admirer of ma
lures masterpieces may be keeping it
until he can get it recut, and then he will
pass il off as another stone There are
tricks in all trades but ours"
l met Woodrough several times in
Winchester and felt sorry for the poor
| fellow.
'If he had the stone he could make
money OF it," | repeated to myself time
after time, 'even if he had to get it cut
into several smaller stones.r
was angry at not being able to use that
strong argument on behalf of Woodrough
when arguing the question with Bow
man: L should have liked TO say:
The man you are charging with theft
is working hard in Winchester under an
assumed name. Do you think he would
do that if he had in his possession piece
of property as valuable as the Feather
stone diamond?"
But | was precluded by circumstances
from making statement like that, and
decided to show WoOdrough how much
confidence | had in his honesty.
''Come and dine with me-" / said one
! day.
| The poor fellow was moved. and I
thought l could see tears springing into
his eyes.
Just our two Selves" ! said; ga bache-
| lor dinner" But l made up my mind
that on some future occasion I would in
! vite him to meet Bowman and Sweep
stone. Ny only fear was lest the paper
knife should be mentioned or ANYTHING
should happen which might turn the con-
yersation into undesirable channels.
Woodrough accepted my invitation,
and the day was fixed.
LET me tell you this, once for ALL
said. Il believe you are as innocent of
any wrong III connection with the
Featherstone diamond as / am myself.
! Now we do not need to mention the sub
| ject again.
|
hand convinced me that my confidence
was not misplaced.
! we spent very pleasant evening to-
gether, and after dinner we went into nv
study TO smoke and chat. / had put the
paper knife out of sight, but when Wood
rough introduced Featherstone's name
and mentioned the diamond l thought
there could be no harm in showing him
the memento which Mrs. Brayshaw had
sent.
You know this" I said, taking the
knife from the drawer where had placed
1t.
"Of course I know it, he replied. ST
doubt whether there is another like it in
the world. That is a splended piece of
agate'
Mrs. Brayshaw sent it to me that /
might have something to remind me of
her brother"
UNLESS you had the Featherstone dia-
mond you could not have an article on
which he set greater store than this paper
knife.n
Woodrough looked sad as he read the
inscription on the stone, and | conld not
help thinking that it carried his mind
back to happier days before his name had
been ciouded by suspicion.
'If Mr.. Featherstone had been a man
with whom it was possible to joke" he
said, Il would have charged him with
making this into "a fetch. He often had
it with him when he could not want to
use it. He never did use it.''
Had it any interesting associations"
asked.
Not that I am aware Of" was Wood
rough's reply.
Then the subject was changed, and he
told me about his early life and his love
for mineralogy. His desire had been to
get an appointment in the British Mu-
scum or in the Office of diamond mer-
chant. Featherstone knew about his
am hilton and prOupisa5 IN holm him