Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1904-07-06
I'm Order
For Diamonds
Lcopyrlsht. Ia. by Q. D. lewis !

them to send down u man with dia-
monds for marriage presents. 1t was
added that his carriage would meet
the man at the station at 6 o'clock in
the evening. | was the one selected to
| so, and | reached Morpeth on time
with $4,000 worth of diamonds con-
cealed about my person.
A carriage awaited me. but l had
hardly taken a seat in il when | had
queer feelings. The outfit was too
common 10 be owned and publicly
used by such man as Sir james
| Blankt0n. and the two men on the box
didn't appear at all like servants.
made bold to say:
! "See here, men. | think there is d
mistake. | think have got Sir james
| Blankton mixed up with Sir james
pashtoa- 1t Is the latter who owns
n large interest in a Manchester cot
ton factory, isn't it?'
| 1t may be. but dunno" replied the
Ran who was driving as he pulled up
Afs horses
well, you see, I wanted to show
him some of these new dyes for cot
] tons"
'Is that your line, sir?"
'~fes. ! have ten new coisrs Just out.
| | am sorry for the blunder, bat | am
| willing
Then what the bloody blazes did
you get into this turnout forT"
TO see Sir James Blankton, of
course. | got 1t In my head
"Oh, blow your 'ead and your 'eels
keSd Mn, turn about and drive the
| blo0Inin' ass back to town.
''Ill be shot If / does!' replied jim
He can get right out ere and take
'isssIf back ea his own legs aad Ss
blowed to him.
When | had walked the two miles
| and reached town, l went to a hotel
Inside of five minutes l had learned
that Str James BlanktOn lived IN the
| opposite direction to that | had taken
| Further, that the gentleman and his
| wife had been in Scotland for several
| weeks. 1t did not take me long to
| figure it out to my perfect satisfaction.
1t was II put up job to rob the London
house through me. and it had been put
up with the aid Of some one at Sir
| James Blankton's house
started for London by the o'clock
train. The night had come on dark and
stormy and there were but few pas
sengers from Morpeth. There were
two plain women ticketed TO Durham
and u man about forty years old OF
pleasing sdGress ana seztSsi aspeag-
aisss.. Ths tsur OF bs wSse szSsered
Sate ito HiRas compartment An soon
sss We fell into conversation the mcn
gave me to understand that he lived
at Beverly, town about fifty miles
| down the line, and from certain WORDS
let fall gathered that he was a prom
incnt public official OF the place.
didn't exactly reply that l was in the
dye line, but he probably inferred as
much from what l said. | was glad Of
his company. He was well posted, 4
| fair talker.
The women got out at Durham and
| left US alone. We passed Darlington
and were stlll the sole occupants of
! the compartment ME- Arnold, as he
had given his name, had been sitting
epResite me for an hour, As the train
cleared Darlington, however. he rose
aF and yawned and said:
Il am sleepy, and yet l can never
get a wink of sleep on the train. By
the way, found a curious coin on the
street at Morpeth today. Can you make
| anything of it?"
| He had coin in his fingers as he
| stepped over to me | reached out a
| hand to receive 1t when he seized me
by the throat with both hands and HAD
me on my back in a second. l was no
match for him in strength. He gripped
my throat SO suddenly and so fiercely
that l was deprived of all powers OF
resistance. Bending over me, with his
knee on my chest, he finally let up on
his clutch and said;
Don't be foolish now. l know you
and am after those diamonds"
lie drew Il wicked looking knife and
held It In his teeth, while he used some
stout cord TO tie my hands behind my
back Why didn't l resist? Simply
because his clutch on my throat had
almost paralyzed me. When he had
taken the key of my Gladstone from
ele Of my pockets he turned me over
and said:
Now for the sparklers. l know you
shifted them TO the bag when you were
at the hotel. A deuced fine layout, and
Fac cash value must be close to 10000.
lis pretty haul indeed. and no risk
attending IL"
! He placed the Jewel case in his pock.
OF, lighted a cigar and pleasantly CON
sknHed:
Take II easy, my boy. The next
stop IS North Allerton, and I shall gag
yeu and leave the train there. You'll
| be discovered at Leeds or sooner"
was so mad aud my throat hurt me
so much that made no attempt to re-
ply. After compile OF minutes the
train slackened speed, and in sixty sec
onds more it had come to standstiH.
/ - To- F.Cl,