Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1891-08-10
ANNAPOLIS MD, MONDAY EVENING AUGUST TO- 1891.
THE DIAMONDS.

he never did him justice from the be-
ginning, and when he heard that l was
actually engaged to him he spoke in such
way that declared would not en-
dure it.
I'm old enough, hope, to choose for
myself, said /.
= | don't know about that, Patty, said
my uncle, Struggling his shoulders.
But remained to hear no more.
bounced back into the house, slamming
the door in Uncle Meriwether's honest,
spectacled face, and bursting into tears
as soon as reached the sitting room.
"It's shame, said my sister Elspeth.
Don't cry, Patty. I'm sure the whole
matter is transparent enough. Uncle
Meriwether wouldn't be so dolnineering
about it If he did not want you to marry
Paul
Il wouldn't marry Paul Meriwether il
there wasn't another man in the world.
said viciously. And I'll marry I. Eus
tace Dalzell, anyhow, now. Uncle Meri-
wether says we don't know anything
about him, but I'm sure we know
enough"
That was false assertion on my part.
only knew Of my handsome fiance what
he himself had chosen to tell me-namely,
that he was New York engineer, stay
ing down at Wraysgeld a few weeks foi
his health. And his friend. Mr.. Belfield,
was a stock broker. Oh, how wished
Mr.. Belfield might take a fancy to Els.
| peth 1t would be SO nice to be married
at the same time--to 60 together and live
] in New York
We lived together in the lonely old
brick house on the edge of the moor, so
that was very glad when Olive Oatley
came down from Chichester to visit Us
and brought her wedding set of diamonds
to show.
Elspeth and ! looked with awe and adj.
miration at the sparkling gems-neck-
lace, ear rings, and brooch.
Are they very valuable?p asked.
Three thousand dollars, believe,
replied Olive complacently. "They be-
longed to Herberts mother, and are Il
be reset before wear them.
But just then Elspeth gave a start and
turned scarlet, and following the direc.
tion Of his eye l turned and beheld
/ AAAobaNE DNAnCAA Ehut1nk III bhAE
doorway, with his hat in his hand
Somehow the diamonds made me nerv-
Gus, and ! could not help, in the course
of the evening" confiding my vague ter.
rors to Eustace But he laughed at me,
and made light Of my fears.
Eustace Dalzell went home earlier than
usual that night. In my perturbation
had almost resolved to ask him to remain
all night, self constituted guardian Of
our treasures, but did not venture 10
do so, and so at 10 o'clock, we three girls,
with Dinah in the kitchen, were left t.
ourselves.
| had intended to lie awake all night.
but must have fallen into light dozc
without being aware of it, for the clock
was striking 10 when / started up at the
loud peal of the door bell below. Olive
was at my side in an instant Espeth
had her arm around me, and even Dinah
hobbled in with haring lamp in her
hand.
@Go to the door, do, some of you,r
cried hysterically. ASK who il is. Ask
what they want
And while Olive, Elspeth, and the old
attendant obeyed my behest hurriedly
threw on my white dressing gown and
went to the head OF the stairs to listen
for l felt that in an emergency like this
some one ought to keep close to the
diamonds.
There is no one here, heard Elspeth
say, after the bol's and bars Of the front
door were withdrawn.
"Yes, there Is. hear some groaning
at the other end Of the veranda, per-
sisted Dinah. Oh, dear, the draught
has blown out my candle. This way,
Miss Galley, pIease--I'm afraid there's
been an accident or something.
The next minute the heavy oaken dcot
blew too with bang. 1t was self fasten-
ing on the inside. was all alone in the
house.
A rustic under the vines that draped
the north side Of the house--a low whis-
tie, aud could hear voice saying in
suppressed accents:
They're safe enough outside--all three
of them. Now's your time--quickir
It all flashed upon my mind in mo
ment; the sturdy boughs of the wistaria.
which afforded so easy ladder for an
aspiring burglar to reach Olives window
the open casement--the diamonds w.
ing under her pillow.
Ny worst fears had come true, and seiz-
ing the little six barrelled pistol rushed
into the room just in time to see tall
figure with mask over his face spring
through the window and steal with ca,
like motion across the room.
As he laid his hand upon the tiny can
vas bag containing the precious jewels I
raised the pistol and fred. There was
muttered oath mingled with cry, and
Che sound Of something falling shook the
beams Of the floor.
am not one Of the fainting kind. but
foF moment or two stood motionless.
Then, springing down stairs / admitted
the three eager women who were hud-
died at the door.
4rve shot him I I've killed him n I
exclaimed. Run up stairsqu Dinah.
ard see II he Is dead r" "
But Dinah would not 20 alone. so we
all hurried up in crowd and there. half
sitting, half lying against the bed post
with the canvas bag fallen to the floor
beside him, and red pool OF blood under
bis right shoulder was Eustace DaI-
zeli
CT course we went to the nearest
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