The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1903-11-15
copyright. 1908. 7y Lawrence J. Anhalt)

Va uaI projections. yet take col
lective pride in some special
attribute or possession OF their race. The
O'Gradys. for instance fiatter them
selves on owning a genuine banshee:
the AIacsniffs think highly or the hoary
tower built by Noah Macsnin to escape
a second food: and the F1tztudors are
proud OF their royal descent from a
frail ancestress and a dissolute king
Such-lke trifes give satisfaction to the
most aristocratic families. and raise
them On their own estimation above
the commonaity. These do not recOs-
nize Adamic relationship. otherwise than
that they belong to the human race.
The Dreuxhelds having made money
by army contracting during the PENN
sular war, cast round for some fetch
to boast of. to expatiate on. and TO bore
their friends with. They had no ances-
tors worth talking about; their baronial
halls were a recent purchase. and the
family ghost OF The former prOprietors.
not being a fixture. had passed away
with the ancient stock. Ultimately they
hit on Jewels as the most respectable
things to be proud of and, in pursuance
OF the idea, they acquired twenty-four
diamonds. the like of which had never
been seen since Aladdin looted the cave
of the lamp.
These were not all bought at once.
or BY one person. such wholesale buy
ing would have reduced the whole af-
fair to the level of a Bond Street pur-
chase. The collecting OF these gems
took time and money. and possibly the
loss of immortal souls. For the last
nifty years. every member OF the family
who could beg. borrow, buy. or steal a
particularly fine diamond, forthwith
contributed the same to the Dreuxfieid
fetch. Each jewel. worth no end OF
money, had a history. reputable or
otherwise, and, finally. four-and-twenty
gems OF the first water were brought to-
gether to constitute the heirloom Of the
Dreuxflelss.
The fetch ever consisted OF these
twenty-four dia1 londs. but the stones
varied in the setting according to the
taste OF the Mrs. Dreuxfeld then in pos
session. They glittered a tiara for dis
play at St James, or famed a jeweled
belt for a waist sometimes they separ-
ated into bracelets OF Twelve gems
each. or again collected into a neck
lace shooting twenty-four sparks of fire
In this latter form they were now, as
the present Mrs. Dreuxield's fine neck
and shoulders formed an admirable
background for the display Of their
splendor.
Experts valued the necklace at 10000.
ard it fully justified in worth and ap-
pearance the pride of its possessors.
An the thieves in London had seen
those diamonds going TO court on the
fair neck OF Mrs. Dreuxfield. and had
calculated the chances Of getting them
into their clutches. They never found
an opportunity OF stealing them, how
ever. as When not in use they reposed
IN the strone-room Of Dreuxfield Hall,
Malvern. the key OF which was attached
10 the squire's Watch-chain. Yet. not
withstanding the irnpossibiiity Of a sue
cessfrI raid. one famous cracksman
swore loudly tkst he would yet steal
the Jewels. SO far he had not sue
ceeded. His name was Cracky Bill
OF Whitechapel. and he was wanted By
the police Cecil Dreuxheld. who had
lately succeeded to the property. was
a young man OF thirty. whose parents
lying within a year Of each other had
left him and his wife IN possession OF
the Hall and the diamonds. With them
lived CeciTs sister Kate and Mrs.
Dreuxleld's uncle. Josiah Onslow. The
young couple were handsome and agree
able. the sister was a pretty girl. fond
OF the curate. and the uncle a bad
tempered ancient who owned an ivory
leg. This latter curiosity deserves
special mention.
II is not every man who possesses
an ARTIFICIAL limb made Of ivory, and
the major Che had retired from the
service Of the II. z. I. with that rank
was as proud OF it as was Pelops OF
his ivory shoulder. Not born a Dreux-
field. he took no especial interest in the
necklace. but bestowed all superfiuous
pride on his ivory leg. Onslow had
Imagination. and should have been a
novelist. IS IL was. he told storie.
about that leg which outvied the
Arabian Nights" There were fifty dis
tinct narratives as TO how he had lost
bis limb and gained the artificial under
standing. He never repeated himself
and lied Ike journalist short OF news
The leg was turned like that Of a
pianoforte. and carved out OF all
smoothness. II anyone asked him II
IL was vegetable ivory. he threw every
thing handy at the head Of the in
quirer.
vegetable ivory. you qualified fooIt
ne would roar. NO Genuine ivory
elephants tusis. bless me- The Rajal
OF Dum-Dum gave me the leg for los
ing my own in Killing a heavenly ele
plant that blessed nearly killed him"
The adjectives IN tlsas speech must b
read contrariwise.
Onslow was not nice man. and N