The Washington weekly post., 1899-05-23
CHAPTER ".

CHAPTER ".
VIshnager found Airs. Denison IN the
library alone.
Il am glad 10 find you alone" he said.
Il wanted chance OF talking to you"
Il knew you did" she said quietly. Let
US talk then
Nishnager vas surprised.
Do you also know what wanted to
talk about7 he asked.
Yes You know now that the diamonds
were never in the cases which / gave you
In the draving-room at Arbrow. You
had forgotten that you never opened the
cases then; In fact. you gave the detec-
tives the impression that you had ae-
tusiiy seen the diamonds before they
were packed Up. You also know that
those diamonds are stfll in my posses
sion There Is curious attraction about
diamonds for vain woman, and am
very vain. l cannot 20 for many days
without wearing them, so long as / have
them. need not necessarily wear them
in public, but / must put them in my hair
and round my neck and see how / look.
The other night, as / stood before the
glass. / heard your step in the garden
below. / did not see you, but l knew
your step"
We'll" said vishnager. 'ft is rather a
bad business, isn't ii? How was it the
detectives did not find the diamonds in
your roomg'
Because they searched the room and
did not search me. The diamonds have
never left ne. 1 am wearing them now,
hidden"
She opened her big eyes wide and looked
very straight at him
why do you say IT is bad business?"
Because / should have been bound to
replace those diamonds. and they are Of
very considerable value. In fact, your
little act Of vanity the other night loses
you twenty thousand pounds-and loses
ne still more"
'Indeed?" she asked,
YES 1t loses me my faith in you.
which certainly was worth far more than
that 10 me. However, / only wanted to
say that | am going to make things easy
for you. Something can be arranged. We
can invent a story that"
stop" she said, ''or / shall lose my
faith in you also. You might possibly
have purchased those diamonds and Of
fered them to me. but 1 should not have
taken them. No power on earth would
have made me take them"
Then what was your motive?'
She laughed
II am afraid / must give you some of
my very private and personal history, If
it won't bore you. You know that man
aged all my mothers business affairs for
herr"
Il do. She told my sister that you man
aged them exeellently."
Ruf aid mt rnapooa thor,
Thev are well looked after now, because
1 had a lesson which taught me that
there were many kinds of business which
l did not understand and that had better
leave In the hands or competent men. The
lesson would have cost my mother about
ten thousand pounds. I did not want her
TO know anything about II. and for that
reason / wanted to sell my diamonds and
replace the money. But l did not want
nv mother to know anything of the Incl
dent or to know that had sold my dia-
monds for the purpose. did not want my
friends to know that had sold the dia-
monds. The sale of diamonds is rather
humiliating confession of financial weak
ness YOU know. $50 1 arranged that Ii
should be believed that the diamonds were
lost or stolen, and that should sell them
1t was mad idea and not very well car
ried out. l am sorry I ever had the idea,
but l was not counting upon your re-
placing the diamonds at all, and / would
not have taken them from you. l have
been fool in my desire 20 avoid hu-
initiation. and I have been very vain.
have given you lot Of trouble, for which
am sorry. But 1 have not been dishon-
est.
very long conversation followed. and
Mrs. Denison looked particularly happy
at dinner that night.
A few days later the detectives theory
was triumphantly vindicated. A parcel
was found sealed with the Harston arms,
containing two Jewel cases with one dia-
mond tiara and one diamond necklace,
hidden under some stones in an old
quarry. 1t was Vishnager himself who
fond it and the detective has not done
Dragging about it Yet. He has an addi-
tional theory that the thief left the parcel
there. meaning to come back for it on the
following day, when he was prevented,
probably by arrest for some other offense.
And Ellen Vishnager is quite reconciled
to the idea OF her brothers marriage,
which iG "a ha paHt