The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-11-08
CHAPTER 1.

-, youth at school. 1t has often
~ very useful to me in my work at the
,n, But one evening not very long ago
was particularly pleased by the possess
.,or If this accomplishment. Why? 1
citing in my little study reading, or
thor dancing through an old diary
St,h flx-r. 20 &eep with most common
d,bla regularity n the days when life
mas not such terrible rush as it has
..,oe become. The diary was old and al
.,ost tattered 1t bore the date, 1872. The
shorthand characters were somewhat
torltv in construction but even yet were
legible.
There was one entry which startled me
and brought back with rush the MEM
orv of a tragic incident which occurred
soon after taking up the position of man
ager of the Updale Bank.
The entry was as follows: Miss Phil
lnson and her father deposited with me
a box of Jewels. Value countless, price
less Put them in the strong room, and
kent the gas burning day and night, with
an electric bell connecting the box and
my rooms"
That was all, but it was enough to make
the old, grim, tragic story pass before my
eve once more. AS 1 sat and pondered
over the book there came into my heart
feeling of loneliness which had been
created by the sight of the sweetest, pref
test face l ever saw-in fact, 1
might as we'll confess, the only
face which ever crept through my
ewes into my heart. Then behind
the face there seemed to rise the
glorious luster-the terrible luster-of dia-
monds. and then, out of the heart of this
Mster there came the face of another
one who found a premature grave be-
cause he loved a woman-and box of dta-
monds-not wisely, but too well.
In a few words will tell the story as it
happened.
One dark November morning was go
ing through the ledger when a tall, pow
erful-looking gentleman, of middle age,
and young lady entered.
Just a word or two in private, Mr.
Norman" said the gentleman, whom L
recognized as Mr.. Phillipson of the
Grange.
I left the counter and showed my visit
of the general office. Then for the first
time 1 saw that Mr.. PhilEpson was carry
ing a bag which appeared to be very
heavy.
Are we alone?" he asked
absolutely" 1 replied.
mo fear of any eavesdropping?"
None whatever. The secrets of this
room never get outside these four walls
That is well" he replied in a business
like tone of voice. and commence unpacK-
ing the bag with as much composure as
a commercial traveller who was certain
of a big order.
Then, in a moment there was a sight
before me fit to dazzle the eyes of any
man l had handled gold in such large
quantities that it had become almost as
Valueless as dross in my eyes, but had
not bargained for such treasure as was
revealed to me by my visitors. There
We're diamonds of enormous size and In
tense brilliancy; there were sapphires
throwing a bewitching light through the
small room; there were rubies, pearls,
emeraIds; nay, the whole wealth of the
Iholes seemed to be displayed before me.
ana yet, these stones were almost dun,
compared to the light which cleaned In
the eyes OF the lady. Oh, 1 can see those
eyes now. The sublime fire is still flash
ing across me now as / write this nara
tive.
need not tell you how 1 have got
possession of these priceless Jewels" my
visitor said, calmly.
replied -'-'''''
They now belong to my daughter. ana
uesire you to keep them in absolute
surety Tor a time. Our wherea bouts will
uncertain for some months and it will
We impossible for us to carry them about
WI US or course, you realize the I'M
portahce Of keeping this interview a Sc
1rvslI,
i up 70 anyone without written author
ny from my daughter"
ala Mlil give you an inventory of the Jew
s' written in cypher readily understood
W US but by no one else. I will never
c c,t with these precious stones until the
NSRnef IS handed to me-
Yes, Mr.. Norman, that precaution seems
SO oe the only one we need take 1 may
te9.,S mat no one knows anything of these
se4s-eEcept-a young gentleman who Is
ulG-alIVe or mine. He is not, however
tar 70 give US any trouble in the mat
Mats a. ne IS a gentleman who can be i'm
pncltly relied upon"
al you will accompany me I will show
tbo .le strong room and explain to you
n,r - ecautlons which / will take for the
said "OsOiule security
1T or some reason or other trembled as
tba , aeu the bag of precious stones out of
tho ieNAAi iihlO the SIfOnR room in
80 1e cellar below. examined every stone
NJ e presence Of my visitors, and made
fr,a9 OF it. l counted the number, and
wa,, 70 describe every stone in such a
wilma g mat could recognize 1t from the
cons, sn description. This was a task of
elan 95uerable difficulty, and a long time
ir ,opsed before 1 put them into strong
roooI oouhd box, which 1 placed in the
uorD VII where all the documents of value
in ,r stored. Then / set the electric bells
building. i""s an through the
blo iou see sir, that it would be lmpossl-
ont .or any one to remove that box with
~ ing all those bells in motion, and.
beus hardly say, that the moment those
a snei made the least noise l should have
prs, rl'Ielent force of men on the spot to
or enI any mischief"
sire an. ain satisfied My daughter may de-
tod,, 70 remove the jewels from your Gus
90 p0eIore so many weeks are over"
c,,nha. lsht, sir; the moment receive the
NJ. i shall give them up"
bard, rhlilipson and his daughter shook
dr. win me, and we parted. I tried to
mo-. nyselt back to the ledger, but / could