Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1899-12-07

MARSDENS MONA DIAMONDS.

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Over and over again John Marsden
had been told that his nocturnal ram
bic would bring him in contact with
unpleasant citizens. II he had con.
tented himself with walking upon the
main highway that ran past his subur-
ban home, his midnight walk, which
he said was absolutely necessary to
his getting sleep when he went to bed,
would have ben safe enough. But
there were byways in that neighbor-
hood, some of them narrow, many Of
them with evil regulations, all Of them
very dark and entirely deserted by
honest citizens at qus'ter to one in
the morning-which WAS Johns fa-
vorite hour for solitary strickland
these queer byways were his favorite
strolling paths. Again. II he had had
nothing about him TO tempt footpad,
his friends would not have been SO
solicitous. but fos man in whom
there was no susp, zen Of foppery,
John Marsden carried q remarkable
collection Of valuable jewelry about
bis person. There was his watch. with
. circle of brilliants and a remarkable
enameled miniature act in the back
presented to him a. a souvenir by
famous foreign actress whose life he
had saved in a railroad wreck; there
was also a wonderful old intaglio
blackstone. an heirloom, which he
wore in huge signet ring; and lastly,
there was, as general thing, the
Mona diamond, which ought to have
been kept in museum, or safety
vault,but which John Marsden per-
sisted in wearing constantly as
cravat pin.
He said he wore the Mona diamond
for luck, but no one who knew him
believed that the man had even one
superstition. 1t would have been
worth the while of any footp;d to
engage professional assistance just to
get possession of the Mona diamond
and hundreds of persons connected
with that profession knew that Mr.
Marsden always wore the stone in his
cravat 1t was wonder stone, no,
by any means as large as a pigeon
egg, or even sparrow's, it is I'VE
only about the size Of the point o. =
mans index finger, in fact, but Of q
lusture so dazzling and SO peculiar
that the jewelers. and lapidaries Of
Amsterdam, who still remember Il
from the days before it crossed the
Atlantic, say 1t is unmatched in all thu
world.
And at last the warnings Of Johr
Marsden's friends were justified. II,
was walking On a dark. calm autumn
night, along one of his favorite by
ways, with row of blank windowless
brick walls on his right and on hi,
left ditch and rail fence. when ther,
was sudden leap Of something from
the ditch, and hand flew straight a.
his throat.
1nstantly-as If he had been expect
ing to met the attack just at that spo
John Marslen's left fist darted gu
and up and there was a sound lik,
the word Chow" followed by an
other like the fall of bale of hay OF
the earth, Then he leaned forward
cautiously, and the next moment h,
was glad of his caution. The maj
leaped to his feet almost as soon i
seemed, as he had touched the ground
anc then. instead Of drawing hniit
or pistol, he went at John in the mos
approved pngilistic fashion.
Very likely if the fight had been in {
12-foot ring, by daylight, begun il
regular form, the other man might
have won the Mona diamond-suppos
ing it to have been the prize. As i
was the footpad had been taken by
surprise and. still worse Morsden'
very bony fist had fitted itself snugl,
into the delicate space between the tri
angle of the lower jaw and the Adam
apple. The mere fact that his antago
mist had recovered himself so quickly
after such a blow assured Marsdel
that he had no ordinary fighter to dea
with. Still, that first blow placed Thu
other man at disadvantage, and tn,
fsticuffs did not last long. In lesi
than two minutes, Marsden's assailan
was back in the ditch from which h,
had sprung on him. only now he lay
kicking eonvulsively and coughing il
a way that meant. as Marsden knew
internal hemorrhage.
Now when you have been assaulted
on lonely road in the small hours
and the assault has been with the evi
dent intention of stealing your valua
bles. you are generally inclined rattle
to go your way rejoicing and ieav,
well enough alone, If you have been 81
fortunate as TO knock the intending
thief silly, That is what most peopl
would do. But Marsden was in many
ways unlike most people He sat OF
the edge of the roadside ditch lifted
the mans head and famed his fac,
until, in the darkness. he could detec
signs of recovery.
Feeling better now" he said
The only answer was struggle t,
cit up, which ended in the heater
mans sinking back, exhausted. Thei
there was another pause, and Marsdel
began to be really alarmed. He hat
almost made up his mind to go AM
look for water when the patient sud
denly made one more violent effort
succeeded in sitting up and stared a
him.
"Who are you?" were the first word
that came, in a hoarse, balf-strangle'
whisper. You're not a policeman
"Oh M" gaiff Maredpn ''I'm unt