The Washington times., 1901-10-20
Bald0rtOn'S Diamonds

There was a short pause, during which
| the speaker slowly blew out cloud of
smoke.
sheer carelessness, ~ he resumed in a
| strident tone. Take the case which hap
| pened few weeks ago: A commercial
| traveller in our line, while at a big ter
minal station, wished to send a wire to
| his tirIn. What did he do but go to the
| telegraph office and put his bag on che
| floor while he scribbled his wire at the
counter. When he had finished he turn
| ed round and found that his bag had
| vanished. Apparently 1t never struck
this very smart traveller that~any station
| Iounger would take advantage of so
promising a situation"
But" put in the small-featured man
with light hair and blue pince-nez "ac-
cording to the newspaper reports he put
his foot by the bag safeguard"
Put his foot in it, you mean,' was
the disdainful rejoinder. Il say the man
was an idiot. why did he not put the
bag on the counter by his side He could
! have kept his eye on it there"
| For moment the speaker was SILENT
if waiting for a reply. AS no one among
| the little group gathered round the fire.
| pace showed any i.cnnation in that direc-
ton he continued
There's me. I've represented Shoburn
and Company, of Hatton Garden. for fif-
teen years, and during that period have
never lost cents worth of goods. l al
ways recognize the possibilities of the
| case-what might happen. No matter
where / happen to be, the brown leather
| handbag that has carried tens of thous-
ands of dollars worth of stones is always
| kept in sight and within easy reach. When
| | lunch at midday. the bag is placed on
the table before me. / take no risks"
| You always carry a revolver, don't
YOU. Raidertong' queried he of the blue
pince-nez, in a somewhat awed voice
That's so. I'm no greenhorn, L can
| assure you. When things look suspicious,
| as they do occasionally. my hand is al
| ways on the shooting-iron."
Just then one of the club walters an
nounced that Mr.. Horatio Baiderton's
| brougham was in readiness below.
We'll" said he, rising out of the cas-
| lest chair in the smoking room, you may
| lay our bottom dollar that what L have
| to say is correct. Tomorrow 1 may have
stones to the tune of 100000 In my bag.
| They will be as safe as If in the strong
room at the Bank Of England.
| He took his departure, conceit and self
assurance showing in every movement of
his sleek. well-cIothed figure.
| Then conversation gradually languish-
| ed, as 1t often does in club smoking
rooms, and each man sat in silence. ap-
parently absorbed In the serious occupa-
ton of putting out volumes Of tobacco
smoke
| One of them, however, who sat a little
apart from the rest. whom he eyed some
what cynically, was engaged with
| thoughts entirely different He had taken
| no part in the conversation, to which he
| had been perforce listener, as his per-
usal of the evening papers was rendered
| impossible so soon as the talking began
Now, he had other things to think o..
Nobody at the club knew exactly who
he was That he had; been an army"
man was evident from his walk and man
ner Besides, he stood on the club books
| as Capt N r. Forbes. But who his pep
pie were, or where he came from, he
never enlightened anyone on these sub
| jects. and, as a Consequence. nobody
could give any definite information con-
| cerning him.
| As matter Of fact, he had been cash
| tered through inability to pay gambling
debts He went by the name of fraser"
| in those days. and nc one was likely to
search out his past by looking over old
army lists.
Just now, however, the present occu-
| pied the whole of his attention. For some
| time he had been in low water financial
| ly. Since his dismissal from his old reg
| iment, his fortunes had been depressing,
| TO say the least. When the income
| amounts to nil, state Of pecuniary EN-
| barrassment is sure to be right at hand.
Such was the position in which the ex
| ca.F ND hoa haa
the nature of his thoughts. when idly list
ening to the strident Dragging of the dia-
mond traveller, an idea-daring in It's ma
| ture-had flashed across his mind.
So far, with all his failings-which were
| many-he had never wandered into the
| path of open felony. But the present oc-
| casion was too tempting. He must either
| retrieve his fortunes or sink altogether;
| the present condition of things could not
possibly continue.
| Counting over tn, II pbable actions of
| the travelling Baldertor on the following
day, he came to the conclusion that he
| would have the best chance of success
when that parsonage lunched. He knew
| where his intended victim took his mid
day smack a little-known restaurant,
! chosen for Its quietness and respectable
ity. The scheme was extremely daring.
but ne mad never lacked courage.
| When he left the club that night his
| whole line of action was clear and decid-
| ed upon. and he made his way to his
| rooms bent on performing a deed. the
| very boldness OF which was It's surest
| guarantee of success.
| Mr.. Horatio Balderton sat In the lunch
! con room at Jamesons restaurant, quiet
| respectable place just of Oxford Street
| 1t was stiu early in the forenoon and
| there were only two others in the room
| besides himself. This suited Balderson.
| however. He had chosen the place be
| cause it was never crowded: 1t seemed
safer, and safety was very much desired
| by him.
Placing his bag on the table close to his
left hand, he sat to work on the roast
| chicken with a gusto that betokened
| splendid appetite combined with a keen
| relish for the good things of life.
He was just getting into his stride, as
| it We're, when the glass door at the lower
end of the room swung open and admitted
gentleman clad In strict. If somewhat
threadbare clerical attire, whose long
| white locks and furrowed face betokened
| him to be well past the prime of life In
his hand he carried a small handbag and
some half dozen magazines of the re
ligious journal type.
Hesitating moment, he then walked
slowly and stifly toward vacant table
close alongside that at which the COM
mercial man sat. Balderton stopped eating
moment and eyed theaged cleric severe
ly-eyen suspiciously.-s He felt annoyed