Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1891-08-29
THE DIAMONDS.

actually enSaSeu 10 MIN ne Spohe III SuCli
way that l declared l would not en-
dure it.
I'm old enough, hope, to choose for
myself, " said l.
Il don't Nnow about that, Patty, said
my uncle, Struggling his shoulders.
But | remained to hear no more. |
bounced back into the house, slammnE
the door in Uncle Meriwether's honest.
specialized face, and bursting into tears
as soon is l reached the sitting room.
Its a shame, said my sister Elspeth.
Don't CT, Patty. I'm sure the who'd
matter is transparent enough. Unc''
Meriwether wouldn't be so domneerln';
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 I viciously. And I'll marry Flu
tace Dalzell, anyhow. now. Uncle Merl-
wether says we don't know anything
about him, but I'm sure we know
enough"
That was a false assertion on my part.
| only knew of my handsome tiance what
he himself had chosen to tell me-namelv.
that he was New York engineer, stay
ing down at Wraysgeld few weeks for
his health And his friend, Mr.. Beltield,
was stock broker. Oh, how | wished
Mr. Beltield might take fancy to Els.
peth 1t would be so nice to be married
at the same time-to go together and live
in New York
We lived together in the lonely old
brick house on the edge of the moor, so
that l 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?" asked.
Three thousand dollars, l believe, p"
replied Olive complacently. They be-
longed to Herbert's mother, and are to
be reset before l wear them"
But just then Elspeth gave start and
turned scarlet, and following the direc-
ton of his eye I turned and beheld
Eustace Dalzell standing smiling in the
doorway, with his hat in his hand.
Somehow the diamonds made me nerv-
Gus, and l 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 l did not venture f.
do So and so at 10 o'clock, we three CIR
with Dinah in the kitchen, were left
ourselves.
l had intended to lie awake all nj Int.
without being aware of it, for the cncL
was striking IL when l started up at M
loud peal of the door bell below. O -
was at my side in an instant. Elsl
had her arm around me, and even Dir
hobbled in with faring lamp in It,,
hand.
$50 to the door, do, some of you,"
cried Historically. Ask who it 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 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 bolts 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, please-Im afraid there's
been an accident or something"
The next minute the heavy oaken door
blew too with bang. 1t was self fasten-
ing on the inside. I was all alone in the
house.
A rustic under the vines that draped
the north side of the house-a low whis-
tie, and could hear a voice saying in
suppressed accents:
"Theyre safe enough outside--all three
of them. Now's your time-quick."
1t all flashed upon my mind in mo.
mcnt; the sturdy boughs of the wistaria,
which afforded so easy ladder for an
aspiring burglar to reach Olives window
the open casement-the diamonds ly-
ing under her pillow.
NV 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 cat
like motion across the room.
bo 10; ii bic how'd ,,ro,, tl,o +;,,,- 49,.
vas bag containing the precious jewels |
raised the pistol and fired. There was a
muttered oath mingled with cry, and
the sound of something falling shook the
beams of the floor.
am not one of the fainting kind, but
for moment or two | stood motionless.
Then, springing down stairs I admitted
the three eager women who were hud-
died at the door.
1--WE shot him. I've killed him."
exclaimed. Run up stairs quick, Dinah,
and see if he is dead !"
But Dinah would not go alone, so we
all hurried up in a 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
his right shoulder was - Eustace Dali
zell
OF course we went to the nearest
neighbors for help; of course we delivered
my gallant lover, who was not fatally in
jured, to the police, by whom he was
recognized as an old Jail bird, luxuriating
| in a new name.