The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1892-11-24

would deceive my fellow men."
what, you make diamonds like that!" ex-
claimed the surprised Johnson.
ats my work but wouldn't tell the secret
TO another living soul. l get bread by it
bread for little Rose and me-and that's why
| am here"
"Why, they've been pronounced genuine"
No; these haven't. Those pronounced gen.
uine are such, but mine are false"
"But"-
"You have seen them mixed; am almost
sure you have" put in the lapidary. You
can't deceive diamond merchant. My Gus
| tomer-the man for whom / manufacture the
false gems-is the maddest fool out of DOORS"
"Who is hep"
81 don't know. / never got so far along
with him as to ask. l know that he has pas
sion for these stones. and l make all he wants.
Then, he pays well, never higgles over the
price, and-well, / guess he's out there now.
Will you please step behind the screen yonder,
Major"
johnson obeyed, and saw the door open. In
another moment tall and handsome man
strobe into the room and saluted the lspdary.
He was little nervous at first, but all at once
he became wonderfully cool.
Robson unlocked drawer and drew ont
tray which fairly shone 1t seemed covered
with diamonds of all sizes, and the man bent
over it and looked for a moment. apparently
lost in rapture.
on peat the Jews, he SalQ, Win q Si3Hce
at the lapidary." You can make real ones,
can't your"
mot quite" was the answer; "we haven't
got so far along as that. Science cannot equal
nature"
johnson had good opportunity for study
ing the face and figure of the lapidary's
patron. The more he looked the surer he be-
came that he was gazing at the fool of SIX
months before He looked the same, only
l.. e. I-oI Sc had
brighter glitter such as one sometimes sees
within the walls of insane asylums.
The long, thin hands of the man snatched
up some of the false stones, and Johnson saw
him wrap them in oiled silk and then throw
some bills upon the table.
As he quilted the room the e1-soldier sprang
from behind the screen and was about to pass
from the chamber when Robson caught him.
~ wouldn't follow that man, if that is what
you thought of doing" he said. ~ sometimes
fancy that he is mad. / have seen his eyes
leap when he talked of a certain company in
which he SAYS he invested, to find il tho
greatest swindle of the age"
"But / want to find out where he lives
think he used to be in my brigade -
perhaps. lie says he was soldier once"
johnson rushed from the room in time to
catch 81 sht of the mau just as no was leaving
the tall old house for the street.
Down on the thoroughfare he followed him
some distance. keeping far enough behind him
not to excite his suspicious. aud after while
he had tracked him TO quiet street and seen
him enter house which bore evidences of
age.
Presently a man came out and looked at
his watch
That's not the man tracked to the house."
muttered Johnson. 81 didn't see him walk
that way-but heavens! it is the same man.
see now. He has changed his apparel and
his walk. That is the person who is getting
Armstrong into the net"
Once more Johnson followed the man, and
this time to his surprise, he tracked him TO
the very building where the Great Brazilian
Diamond Company" swindled its dupes as
coolly as Mephistopheles.
"In be goes" said johnson. He has an
other batch of diamonds from the Brazilian
mines He is playing as cool game as man
ever played but this one is mad"
Some overpowering curiosity drew Johnson
up the steps toward Col. Armstrong; room.
He reached the upper corridor in time to see
the figure of the man vanish inside the door.
and then he stopped He dared not intrude
upon the privacy of the interview which he
could imagine was going on between the two
men, and therefore, after waiting q spell, he
went back to stand on the street and wait
for Armstrong; visitor to leave him.
Johnson waited nearly two hours. The
night had closed round him and the lamps
were lighted all over the metropolis.
At last footsteps came down from the lofty
heart of that block, and Johnson drew back to
let the figure pass him.
1t came so near him that he was almost
brushed, and then the ex-Major turned into the
building itself He ran up to the door on the
fourth floor with a fear of impending evil tug
ging at his heart-strings.
He knocked, but was not admitted. Selling
the top frame of the door, with the agility of
his army days he drew himself up to the
transom and looked into the room.
1t was empty!
"Where is Armstrong;" cried Johnson as
he surveyed the apartment. He must have
been there when the fool called, but certain it
is he isn't there now. I've q mind TO emash in
the door,"
But he did not. In another minute be was
going down the stairs, when all at once he
thought of the back exit and turned back
again.
Suddenly he came upon child cropping its
way along the dark, greasy wall of the CORR
dor and in another moment he had stopped it.
Ibid you see anything of man in this part
of the block?" eagerly questioned Johnson.
"No, but / heard one. / can't see. Pm
little blind girl and my name is Lucy"
"But you heard man. you say2"
"a heard him praying out there where the
steps run down to the backyard"
"Praying?" johnson started.
at was Col. Armstrong / knew his voice."
continued the child.
/ my God the blow has fallen |" and with
this the ex-sodier rushed toward the end of
the corridor and stopped when he came in
sight of the steps, which zig-zagged to tho
ground.
The dread OF some tragedy seemed to pull
| him back, but he did not let it hold him. He
ran down the steps and hunted the yard over
al at once he stopped and picked up some
thing. 1t glittered in his hand; then he found
another stone just like il. He had picked up
diamonds, or their counterfeits, and the whole
| cramped yard seemed 10 be strewn with them.
But not glimpse of Col. Armstrong could be
obtained, and after searching the yard he went
| back. This time he put his broad shoulders
against the Office door and forced it In. As he
| fell into the room, almost losing his balance
something rolled underneath his feet and he
| picked it up. 1t was package of something
| tied with blue string and the moment he
| saw it he smiled.
1t was Great Brazilian " bonds, and john
son, who had seen it before, threw it on the
| table.
Armstrong must be somewhere" he ex-
! claimed. "As live, the bubble has burst I"
| By-and-by he fastened the door and hurried
| down upon the street. His first thought was of
the miserable mans family, and in that direction
be turned. But how TO present himself at the
| door to loving wife was the puzzling question.
| After interval of 20 minutes he rang the
| bell of Armstrong; home and saw the door