The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-09-19

blank amazement at the inspector, who
made this astounding assertion with u
dramatic gesture and infection when
naturally cannot be reproduced IN prlhU,
would be to utter the merest common
place. He seemed to take my stare for
one of incredibly rather than wonder,
for he said almost sharply:
"Ah, | see you are beginning to think
that / am talking fiction now; but never
mind. we will see about that later on.
You have followed me, ] have no doubt,
closely enough to understand that, hav-
ing exhausted all the resources or my
experience and such native wit as the
fates have given me, and having made
the most minute analysis of the clrcum-
stances of the case, | had come to the
fixed conclusion that the great diamond
had not been carried out OF the room
on the person of a human being, nor
had it been dropped or thrown from the
windows to the street-yet it was equally
undeniable that it had got out of the
safe and out of the ROOM"
"And therefore it flew out, l suppose"
I could not help interrupting, nor, am
afraid, could / quite avoid a suggestion
of incredulity in my tone.
"Yes. my dear sir,'' replied the in
spector, with an emphasis which he in
creased by slapping the four fingers of
his right hand on the palm of his left.
Eyes. it flew out. 1t few some IL or
IS miles before it returned to- the earth
in which it was born, if we may accept
the theory of the terrestrial origin of
diamonds. SO far, as the event proved,
l was absolutely correct, wild and all
as YOU may naturally think my hypothe-
sis to have been.
But" he continued, stopping in his
walk and making an eloquent gesture of
apology, 'being only human, l almost
instantly deviated from truth into error,
in fact, l freely confess to you that
there and then L made what l consider
TO be the greatest and most fatal mis-
take of my career.
Absolutely certain as | was that the
diamond had been conveyed through the
air to the Barkly hills, and that Mr..
Philip Marsden's shooting expedition
had been undertaken with the object of
recovering it, l had all the approaches
to the town watched till he came back.
He came in by the old Transvaal road
about an hour after dark. l had him ar
rested, took him into the house of one
of NV men who happened to live out
from the roots of his hair to the sOles of
his feet, and found-nothing.
"Of course he was indignant, and of
course looked a very considerable fool.
In fact, nothing would pacify him but
| that / should meet him the next morn
ing in the board room at De Beers, and,
in the presence of the secretary and at
| least three directors, apologize to him
for my unfounded suspicious, and the
outrage that they had led me to make
upon him. ! was, of course, as you
might say, between the devil and the
deep sea. l had to do it, and | did it
but my convictions and my suspicious
remained exactly what they were before
Then there began very strange. and
although you may think the term curl
ous. very pathetic waiting game he
tween us. He knew that in spite of hi,
temporary victory had really SOLVED
the mystery. and was on the RICH
track. I knew that the great diamond
was out yonder somewhere among tn,
hills or on the weld. and knew. too
that he was only waiting for my vigi
lance to relax to go out and get it.