Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1894-02-02
The FOrtescue Diamonds.

Terrace Park place is the aristocratic
name that shrewd real-estate man
has given to row OF suburban resi-
dences he has put up for rent.
Terrace Park place consists of thir-
teen dwellings. These dwellings were
constructed by contract and are all
alike.
Jack Atherton, my best friend, with
his wife, lives in Terrace Park place.
| was there in the morning after the
great Fortescue diamond robbery.
The papers had given much space
under the largest and most sensational
head lines to the robbery and l had
read it through in all its details. A
house had been mysteriously entered
no one of the inmates had heard n
sound; diamonds variously estimated
at from $50, to 800, 900 had been
taken; nothing else had been touched.
My mind was full of this affair when
] called on Jack.
Il bought new ring yesterday,
said my friend, and proceeded to tell
me why 81 never wear much jew
elry,' he said, "but 1 like to own
little as an investment. This one cost
me $50, and it is certainly worth $50.
You must see it and admire it. And
he produced casket
| could not help seeing something
of the other contents of jacks box,
and | at once took him to task for his
carelessness in keeping so much prop
erty of that sort in his house, espe-
cially when it was not worn and used.
Jack laughed at me. ''The whole
boxful wouldn't sell for 81, 900" he
said, ''and the risk of taking and dis
-pesiag Of it is too great To- make ssS=
speculation paying one. ! am always
at home at night; sleep with revol-
yer where can put my hand on it; l
am light sleeper; my jewels are as
safe on my dressing table as they would
be in any bank vault in the city. |
tell you, Dick, they can't play the
Fortescue game on me
''Pshawl' said ], 'anyone could
come in here, without the slightest
difficulty, and take everything you've
got.
"I'll bet you $500 on it" said Jack.
"I'll take it, " replied L
And then we both laughed "How
long shall the time be?" he queried
"khree months said l. He agreed,
/ was younger than 1 am now, and
correspondingly less wise, and stopped
to consider neither the danger nor the
possible consequences. l was going
to rob Athertons house, as a friendly
proof of the truth of my opinion.
That was all there was to that.
! thought it likely that Jack would
be watchful for a few nights. That
wager of $500 would have tendency
in that direction He might even
have a suspicion. So | waited a week
The night | selected was the darkest
one had ever known. The rain fell
in torrents. | had purchased, from
time to time, and in various places, an
outfit that seemed to include all that
was necessary.
At about midnight [ climbed over
the alley fence and proceeded to light
my dark lantern-or rather proceeded
to try. To my intense disgust every
match l had was so thoroughly water
soaked that ignition proved absolutely
impossible.
threw away the dark lantern | had
to. Imoved carefully onward towards
the house and stepped and stumbled
onto and over every imaginable sort of
rubbish and debris.
| found a basement window unfas-
tened absolutely unfastened. l hadn' t
thought of thing like that. The
circumstances almost took my breath
away. / wondered, rather resentfully,
if Jack had left it so on purpose-if
this meant task of some sort for me.
1t was really unfortunate to have the
work made so easy for me. had some
SS or $40 dollars worth of tools, all
needless now, in one of my pockets
/ took them out, threw them aside
and opened the window. | slipped in
and let myself down as far as l could,
while holding on with my hands.
swung my leg around searchingly but
carefully. A fellow wouldn't want to
drop into tub of water or onto :
sleeping dog, even if his best FRIEND
was sleeping upstairs and had an easy
way of believing all he heard and for
giving all he suffered.
Then [ went upstairs.
l think l was fully an hour in get
ting to the door in which l expected
to find Jacks box And | hadn
found locked door anywhere.
had, however, found more furniture
in the dark, than 1 should have sup
posed was needed in the entire thir
| teen houses in the row.