Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1901-11-30
THE BEAUTY STONE.

I.
and you mean to tell me that the
stone has brought you bad luck? Ha! ha'
It's too funny for words. My dear chap,
you've got liver On!'
Horace Midwinter sat bolt upright on
the single, and PITCHED five pebbles iii
succession into the sea before replying.
We'll, all l can say is that / wish you
were in my place, then, Arthur" he re-
sponded, sullenly.
80 do l. Why, that Beauty Stone is
worth good bit OF money to you any
day, and if you are tired of bad luck you
can easily get rid Of it" by giving the
talisman to me. I'm always open to
break my luck when Il stone like that's
at the bottom of it."
$50 l would, only-well, there's a fas-
cination about the thing somehow. Do
you know how ! got hold of it? Given
me by a poor wretch of an Arab dying
of a gunShot wound in the desert-mur-
dered, probably. | did my best for him,
so he gave me the stone, and said there
We're only three like it III ~1;2tclce, and
that it would bring me luck if l carried
ii about with me. He died, of course.
obviously, or he wouldn't have been
fool enough to give you the stone"
We'll, | took it back to Cairo, and the
niggers just grinned and said the stone
would kill me. 1t brought luck to a COLI
ored man. they said. but to a white one
death. The niggers are right and the
Arab wrong, unless he he'd,
But you're not dead yet"
mo; soon shall be. though The ves-
sci / came. back to England in ran on
the rocks, and ! only escaped drowning
by tive skin of my teeth and a life-belt.
| was knocked down in Piccadilly by a
cab within a month of my return, and
then had near go with blood-poisonlng.
| came down here for a change a fort
night ago. A few nights after my ar
rival. as left the house in the evening to
go for stroll, brick fell from the roof
Of house and smashed to pieces on the
pavement almost at my feet, thrown at
me by someone, no doubt. Now, to
crown it all. a shot was fired at me as |
was walking along the cliff late last
night
"You were shot? BY whom?"
Don't know. 1t was too dark to sec.
The information has got into the papers
that | have one of the famous Beauty
Stones in my possession. and that |
carry il about with me; so | suppose
some one else wants it. Might have
asked for it in a polite manner, though.
/ think | shall try the police, if there is
such thing as a bobby TO be found IN
quiet hole like this
Worse thing You could do. The police
would only mess up the whole business.
Try and find the culprit yourself. Do
you usually walk along the cliff at
night
YES, about 10, generally. But that's
not the worst Of it, Arthur. She refused
me today for the second time.
"A woman i'll the case, Ell? What's
her nameE"
"Oh. you know her we'll enough, re-
s4,,4l
here because she was staying in the
town, and hoped to so back a happier
man than | came. hut it's this unucky
stone that's upset everything. You We
never heard of Minnie Davenport | sup
poSe?"
Good heavens! Not Jacob Daven-
ports daughterG"
Yes. Why not|'
She's already engaged
TO whom"
Myself"
Midwinter stared into his companion
face scientifically. Then this was the man
who had robbed him of all he loved best
in the world, his old college chum, Ar
thur Herman. He could not believe it.
DO You mean what You sayE he
gasped.
YES, l do, And I'll thank YOU not to
| treSp3SS ON my preserves in future" re-
| Piled Herman. severely. Then. changing
| hapS YOU would need less persuasion to
give me the Beauty Stone now YOU know
| allg Good luck to yourself AMI bad ia
me ought to make matters even, chg
Midwinters hand flew to his waistcoat
| pocket.
He pulled out the end of his watch
| chain, and attached to il was gold set
| ting in which lay a large pink stone that
| glistened in the sun with strange lu-
minenee suggestive of the opal. For a
moment he gaZed at it intently. as if in
| thought, then replaced it IN his pocket
with decision.
Ne Arthur he said, slowly "Giving
| this tone 70 you won't bring ME the love
| of the woman who has already pledged
| herself 10 YOU. and under the cirCum
| stances | scarcely desire that it should
Good luck or bad, the Beauty Stone snail
| remain, mine.
| \ savage look as of pent-up passion
! burned in the others eyes for a second
! then as quickly melted away
| "Goodhy for the present he said
| And rising to his feet he strobe swiftly
| in the direction of the town.
II.
! Midwinter scarcely knew why ne lin.
gered any longer in IittleSea. He had
Minnie Davenport. and that was sufii
| cient To sweep away all enjoyment Of
the SalubriouS surroundings. In the
evenings he skunk into dark corners OF
the pier and watched her in silence as she
sat Il short distance away listening to the
lively strains of the hand. She was ig.