Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1899-12-07
ABILENE WEEKLY REFLECTOR ABILENE KANSAS DECEMBER zB-TwvE PAGES

Then the man in the ditch went on.
"You're right. didn't want your
watch. The diamond is mine"
"Aha!" said Marsden. II thought
80. / knew there was something
wrong about that blessed diamond.
Did you see me wearing it?"
"No."
did some one tell you wore it as
a scarf pin?"
"Yes."
"And you found where I lived and
watched here for me tonight?"
Eyes," ! r
"Well, you can't 60 on talking in
the condition you are in. Come to
my house and let me. give you drink.
1t isn't far"
There must have been something
very frank and convincingly honest
in the ring of Marsden's voice, for the
man actually did consent to 60 with
him, even leaning on his arm for sup
lport on the way.
They entered the house together,
stealthily, for everyone else was in
bed, and the lights all out. Marsden
struck match and lighted his high
wayman friend to his own den, where
he soon found ways to stimulate his
powers.
II am stranger to you, you see,"
said the guest, recovering his voice
after a mouthful of diluted brandy.
1t was not the face OF thief, Ger.
tainly. 1t was rather the face Of q
well-bred, if not intellectual, man,
but it was unshaven and suggested
that its owner had fallen upon hard
luck. Otherwise, it was not at all an
uncommon face.
"You have treated me fairly" he
said, 80 far, at least. Tell me where
you got my diamond, and will tell
you how lost it,
"Yonr diamond If It is yours" said
Marsden, was won by me at game
Of cards. | staked a thousand dollars
In American money against it. The
game was played in the smoking room
Of an American steamer"
| "Was it an elderly man you were
playing WITH"
eyes. A BRAZILIAN, | believe--wore
the stone in ring
1.-THE impudent scoundrel! Any
thing peculiar about his eyebrow"
! zone eyebrow had cut across 1t
that gave it a peculiar tilt
"That's rght-the left eyebrow"
y And the gentleman always spoke as
II his mouth was full, didn't hep"
"He did. You have described him
perfectly. He was wealthy Bra
zilan.'
1 II beg your pardon. He was my
maternal uncle, Charles August Froeh.
man. Nix father borrowed money
from him to buy shares in his con.
founded bogus enterprises and gave
him mortgage on everything we pos.
sessed. 1t was understood, when the
. mortgage was drawn on our house.
hold effects, hat my mothers jewelry
was not included. At my fathers
death the damned rogue put in legal
claim for the Mona diamond, because
he said, it was set in a ring which
! my father wore and not my mothers
The lawyers advised my mother to lie,
1t go, for fear of the expense and un
certainty Of litigation. In that way
the scoundrel got possession of jewe
worth as much as three times all tn,
money he had lent my father. Wher
his watering tricks were foun(
out, he had to leave England. Tha,
was five years ago"
"That was when | met him." sale
Marsden.
! "And now at last have beer
obliged to come to this country ant
try to earn living as n car con
ductor. | can't complain of that; as
was always an isle, good-for-nothinl
! fellow"
"H'm,' said Marsden. "And youl
uncle mean, the Brazilian gentle
man-said this stone was called the
Mona diamond from the name of tn,
negro who found it in Brazil. Was
that correct?'
"Perfectly."
snow please give me your own ad
dress and--is your mother still liy
ing?'
The wouId-be highwayman gave
both. That night he slept in Mars
den's house. A month later he SAILED
for England, Storage passenger, bu
rich, for the eccentric Marsden hat
made him "A present of the Mona dia
; mond.