Middletown transcript., 1898-05-07
thing had leaked into the papers, ana
somebody had got to be scapegoat. and

"YoM apparently mean me, purser"
here was close and handy. I guess
they wouldn't have been human if they
hadn't sacked me.
"And the Liverpool-New York run
would have missed its best purser, " said
Pitcairn. "Old fellow, here's your most
excellent and honored health But did
the fools of police never stumble upon
your Farren man?"
"Not they, ''said Horrocks. $50 far
as know the fellows never come up to
the surface-till now"
whats this?'' said Pitcairn. "Do
you really mean to say he's in this
smoking room right nows"
"That's what I mean," said the
purser. II suppose he's been sick or
sorry or something before, but anyway
this is his first appearance on this ship,
so he's been under the surface now for
exactly five years and one month-and
perhaps he may have something to
/ explain.
The purser lit his new cigar, and no
one spoke. The only sounds were the
noises of the ship and the faint clash Of
the seas outside.
The purser got his cigar in full blast
and looked at the glowing tip medita-
lively. "Dundas is the name he's ship
ped under here" he observed at last.
"Pity for some people, isn't it, that they
can't change face as handily as they
can alter signature?"
81 beg your pardon, T" said the little
quiet man with sloping shoulders who
sat next to Vereker, "but you apparent
ly mean me, purser. My names Dun
das, and through seasickness this is my
first appearance in this room. Did an
mex this celebrated gem?'
"You did," said Horrocks grimly.
"Well," said the small man, 81 ap-
pear to be more fortunate than thought
and far more fond Of the salt water.
What do you think, Vereker? Just five
years and month agoI think you said,
purser?"
Sir Randall Vereker did not answer
at once. He lay back first and laughed
| till tears ran down the crows feet at
\ the corners of his eyes. But at last he
sobered down and got his voice again,
and said he: "Purser, I'm afraid you've
got the wrong pig by the ear this time
| Five years ago from now Mr.. Dundas
was second secretary in the British em-
bassy at Peking. was doing work at
Shanghai then and saw him constantly.
In fact, I've known him all my life.
The purser said, "Oh!' and looked
red and foolish. Dundas, however, had
some more to add on the subject. "Your
man Farren," he said, sis evidently
very much like me in personal appear
ance?"
"Or I shouldn't have tumbled into
making such mistake" +" said the pur-
ser.
Precisely. Well, just before I came
here happened to be in Shanghai, and
a doctor / knew there told me they'd
got my double in hospital Out of Curl
osity went to see him, and must say
| the pair Of us were as much alike as
two-er-hock bottles. It wasn't fat
tering find, because the other poor fellow
was clean mad. He'd lump OF rough
crystal almost as big as a pigeons egg
which he fancied was diamond that
everybody was trying to steal from him.
| Curious shaped crystal it was, too, with
markings like three accurate concentric
circles intended in one end"
"My great Scottl' said the parser.
"And cross just around the corner
from the other end, long shaped, and q
bit of faint yellow smudge down one
side?'
"That's the thing" said Dundas.
"Why, man," shouted the purser,
"it's the King Diamond itself you re
talking abouti There couldn't be an
other like it. =
"But I tell you," said Dundas, sit
was no diamond at all. 1t was only
some sort of crystal that was not hard
enough to scratch glass, and no man that
was sane would have taken it for any
thing else when he came to handle it. y
"Whewl" said the purser, and mop
ped q moist forehead with his pocket
handkerchief
'tDid you ever have the gem you were
talking Of in your fngers?" asked Vere-
ker.
"Come to think of it, I never did, !"
the purser admitted "It was sealed be-
fore me and then delivered into my
charge, and I gave receipt.
"Then, if an outsider might form a
theory" said Vereker, the real stone
was stolen somewhere at the Cape and q
forgery sent home so that the theft
| .;-lL - - ,5;Soo,-ovo5 &;II nc iako an
hour as possible. How those thieves out
there must have chuckled when they
heard Of Farren g. Go. coming ex
machina to help play their game"
Christopher Mosesl" said the purser
thoughtfully. you're right, Sir Ran
dal. That's the game for thousand.
And where's that stone now by any
ohance2'
| "Ah, there you're asking me too
much, !" said Vereker. "But shouldn't I
say it was broken up. When it had Off
cially ceased to exist, 1t could be very
easily amuggled out Of the Cape, and
once it got carted away to the east there
would be heaps Of purchasers ready to
buy and hold their tongues for little
discount. A shah or an Indian rajah
never cares about big diamonds his
tory so long as he gets it snugly into his
treasury, Very likely, to hazard another
guess, itwas brought home in your own
steamer, not many yards away from its
bogus cousin. That would have been
the safest way to dispose Of It.
The purser sighed. "Well, +" he said.
''I shall give an official report Of this
to my old con6pany. for the sake Of help
ing to clear my own ticket. And they
can act how they please But il that
stone were mine / guess I'd sell my
present interest in it for Just two fin
gers of whisky.
Pitcairn struck bell, and the smoke
room steward came toward him. "Apro-
pos, " he said, "what'll everybody have?
It's my shout. / fine myself drinks
round for interrupting. I thought 1t
was merely ships chestnut we were
going to have. I'd no idea the purser
was going to put his foot In IL % deli
Il ciously with Mr. Dnndaa