The Princeton union., 1903-02-12

ticular friend. 1t was thus that Gen
eral Vandeleur's secretary came to ad-
mire flower garden. The young
clergyman whistled softly to himself
as he stopped to examine the ground.
He could make out where Harry had
landed from his perilous leap. He
recognized the flat foot of Mr.. Rae
burn where it had sunk deeply in the
soil as he pulled up the secretary by
the collar. Nay, on closer inspection,
he seemed to distinguish the marks of
cropping fingers, as though something
had been spilled abroad and eagerly
collected.
upon my word," he thought, "the
thing grows vastly interesting
And just then he caught sight of
something almost entirely buried in the
earth. In an instant he had disinterred
dainty morocco case, ornamented and
clasped in gilt. It had been trodden
heavily under foot and thus escaped
the hurried search Of Mr.. Raeburn.
Mr.. ROLES opened the case and drew a
long breath CT almost Mortified aston
ishment, for there lay before him in a
cradle of green velvet a diamond of
prodigious magnitude and of the finest
water. 1t was of the bigness of a
ducks egg, beautifully shaped and
without flaw, and as the sun shone
upon it it gave forth luster like that
of electricity and seemed to burn in his
hand with thousand internal fires.
He knew little Of precious stones, but
the rajah's diamond was a wonder
that explained itself. A village child,
if he found it, would run screaming
for the nearest cottage, and savage
would PROSTATE himself in alteration
before so imposing fetch. The BEAU
ty of the stone fattered the young
clergyman's eyes; the thought of it's in
calculable value overpowered his intel
lect. He knew that what he held in
his hand was worth more than many
years purchase of an archiepiscopal
see that it would build cathedrals more
stately than Ely or Cologne, that he who
possessed it was set free forever from
the primal curse and might follow his
own inclinations without concern or
hurry, without let or hindrance, and as
he suddenly turned it the rays leaped
forth again with renewed brilliancy
and seemed to pierce his very heart.
Decisive actions are often taken in a
moment and without any conscious de-
liverance from the. rational parts Of
man. So it was now with Mr.. ROLES.
He glanced hurriedly round, beheld,
like Mr.. Raeburn before him, nothing
but the sunlighted flower garden, the
tall treetops and the house with blinded
windows, and in trice he had shut
the case, thrust it into his pocket and
was fastening to his study with the
speed of guilt.
The Rev. Simon ROLES had stolen the
rajah's diamond.
Early in the afternoon the police az.
rived with Harry Hartley. The nurs-
eryman, who was beside himself with
terror, readily discovered his hoard,
and the jewels were identified and in
ventoried in the presence of the secre-
tary. AS for Mr.. ROLES, he showed
himself in most obliging temper, COM
municated what he knew with freedom
and professed regret that he could do
no more to help the officers in their
duty.
"Still," he added, II suppose your
business is nearly at an end
by no means," replied the man
from Scotland Yard. And he narrated
the second robbery of which Harry had
been the immediate victim and gave
the young clergyman description of
the more important jewels that were
still not found, dilating particularly OIL
the rajah's diamond.
ut must be worth fortune,' OBJ.
served Mr.. ROLES.
''Ten fortunes - twenty fortunes"
cried the officer.
1.-THE more it is WORTH" remarked
Simon shrewdly, ''the more difficult il
must be to sell. Such thing has q
physiognomy not to be disguised, and
should fancy man might as easily
negotiate st. Paurs cathedral"
'Oh, truly" said the officer, ''but il
the thief be man Of any Intelligence
he will cut it into three or four, ant
there will be still enough to make hin
rich" ----
''Thank you," said the clergyman
"You cannot imagine how much you
conversation interests me- -"
| Whereupon the functionary admitted
that they knew many strange things il
his profession and Immediately afte
took his leave, ..,
MI. ROLES regained his apartment. l
seemed smaller and barer than usual
The materials for his great work ha'
never presented so little interest, AM
he looked upon his library with the ey
of scorn. He took down, volume b,
volume, several fathers of the church
and glanced them through, but the
contained nothing to his purpose
''These old gentlemen" thought he
ARE no doubt very valuable writers
but they seem to me conspicuously 1g
norant of life. Here am I, with lear1
ling enough to be a bishop, and I pos
tivelyado not know how to dispose Of