Union gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1899-1900, 1899-12-15
i. The MONA diamond. :.
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have turned highway robber just to gel
the Mona diamond?'
At that question the man seemed ta
start. Marsden waited few seconds
and then reepated, Tell me about 1t. ,
Where did you get it?" was at first
the only answer vouchsafed him, and
that in a vehement, angry whisper
Then the man in the ditch went on
You're right. didn't want YOU
watch. The diamond Is mine"
"Ahaw said Marsden. 81 thought SO
about that blessed diamond. Did you
see me wearing it?'
"No."
Ibid some one tell you 1 wore it as q
scarf f-pinT'
"Yes."
"Well, you can't go 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 go with him
even leaning on his arm for support 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 highwayman
friend to his own den, where he soon
found means to stimulate his powers
II am a stranger to you, you see, -
cafd tho Of q
mouthful of diluted brandy.
It was not the face of thief. certain
ly. 1t was rather the face of a we'll
bred, If not intellectual, man, but it
was unshaven. and suggested that its
owner had fallen upon hard luck. 9th
erwise, 1t was not. at all an uncommon
face.
"You have treated me fairly" he said.
$50 far, at least. Tell me where you
got my diamond, and I'll tell you how
l lost it."
"Your diamond-if 1t is yours" said
Marsden, was won by me at game of
cards. 4 staked $1,000 In American
money against 1t. The game was played
In the smoking-reom Of an ocean
steamer"
WAS It an elderly man you were
playing with?''
"Yes. A Brazilian, believe-wore
the stone in ring"
'The impudent scoundrel! Anything
peculiar about his eyebrow
.'One eyebrow had cut across it that
gave 1t peculiar tilt"
'"That's right-the left eyebrow. And
the gentleman always spoke as II his
mouth was full, didn't hep
HE did. You have described him
perfectly. He was Brazilian"
81 beg your pardon. He was my ma
ternal uncle, Charles August Froeham.
My father borrowed money from him to
buy shares in his confounded bogus en-
terprises. and gave him mortgages on
derstood, when the mortgage was
drawn on our household effects, that
my mothers jewelry was not included.
At my fathers death the rogue put in
a legal claim for the Mona diamond,
because, he said, 1t was set in ring
which my father wore and not my
mothers. The lawyer advised my moth
er to let it go. for fear of the expense
and uncertainty of litigation. In that
way the scoundrel got possession of a
jewel worth as much as three times all
the money he had lent my father.
When his stock-waterings tricks were
found out he had to leave England.
That was five years ago"
THAT was when I met him." said
Marsden.
"And now at last have been obliged
to come to this country and try to earn
a living as car conductor. can't
complain of that; was always an idle,
good-for-nothing fellow"
"Hm," said Marsden. "And your
uncle-I mean the Brazilian gentleman