The Minneapolis journal., 1905-11-26


Grey, looking like another man, came
into the room where I was
daughter and devour in secret my own
he said, with q calm ignoring Of my
presence, at which secretly smiled
"This is the ,happiest moment Of my
cover s9vseea e5, you from the brink of the
"Mei Why. have never been so ill
. "I know; but I have felt as If you
were doomed ever since l heard, or
thought heard, in this city, and under
no ordinary circumstances, the peculiar
cry which haunts our house On the eve
Of any great misfortune. I will not
apologize for my fears; you know that
have. good cause for them, but today,
only today, have heard from the lips
Of the most arrant knave I have ever
known, that this cry sprang from him
self with intent to deceive me. He
knew my weakness; knew the cEy, he
died; and, wishing to startle me into
dropping something which I held, made
use Of his ventriloquial powers Che had
been mountebank once, poor wretch),
and, with such effect, that have not
been happy man since, notwithstand-
ing your daily improvement and con-
tinued promise Of recovery. But am
Ragpy Rs}gsp maeEgic sesxea and 9yfT a nnd
to hear his storyq Are you strong
enough for anything so tragic9 He is a
thief and murderer, but he has feel
ings. and his life has been curious
one, and strangely interviewer with
ours. Do you care to hear about 1T?
He is the man who stole our diamond. -
Ny patient uttered a little cry,
80, tell me,' she entreated, ex-
cited, but not unhealthfully; while I
was in an anguish Of curiosity I could
Mr.. Grey turned with courtesy to-
wards me and asked if few family
details would bore me. I smiled and
assured him to the contrary. AT which
he settled himself in the chair he liked
best and began a tale which I will
permit myself to present to you COM
plete and from other. points Of view
Some five years before, one of the
great diamonds Of the world was
offered for sale in an eastern market.
Mr.. Grey, who stopped at no expense
in the qualification Of his taste in this
direction, Immediately sent his agent
to Egypt to examine this stone, and #
he discovered it to be all that was
Cld1mCu LUZ duu W1tu1u Cuo IcdCu VI
wealthy commoner's purse, to buy it.
Upon inspection, it was found to be all
that was claimed with one exception.
In the center of one Of the facets was
flaw, but, as this was considered to
mark the diamond, and rather add to
than detract from its value as tradi-
tional stone, with many historical, &C.
ssociations, it was finally purchased by
Mr.. Grey and placed among his treas
suspicious man, he took delight in
exhibiting this acquisition to such Of
his friends and acquaintances as were
likely to feel any interest in it, and it
was not an uncommon thing for him to
allow 1t to pass from hand to hand
while he pottered over his other treas
ures and displayed this and that to
It was after one such occasion that
hand to replace it in the safe he had
had built for it in one Of his cabinets,
that it did not strike his eye with .ts
usual force and br1liancy, and on ex-
amining it closely, he discovered the
absence Of the tell-tale flaw. Struck
with dismay, he submitted It to a still
more rigid inspection, when he found
mond, but a worthless bit Of glass,
which had been substituted by some
cunning knave for his valuable gem.
For the moment his humiliation
almost equaled his sense Of loss; he had
been so often warned of the danger be
ran in letting so priceless an object
pass around under all eyes but his own
His wife and friends had prophesied
many times, and he had always laughed
at their fears, saying that he knew his
friends, and that there was not a
sacmp amongst them. But now he saw
; is proved that even the intuition. Of q
man well versed in human nature is not
} always infallible, and, ashamed Of his
past laxness and more ashamed yet OF
) the doubts which this experience called
up the false stone with his usual care
and buried his loss in his own bosom
: till he could sift his Impressions and
} recall with some degree Of probability
the circumstances under which this ex
change could have been made.
, It had not been made that evening
Of this he was positive. The only per
friends Of such standing and repute
that suspicion in their regard was sim
ply monstrous. When and to whom
, then, had he shown the diamond last
Alas, it had been a. long month since
!, he had shown the jewel. Cecilia, hi
youngest daughter, had died in the in
terim; therefore his mind had not beer
on jewels. A month!-time for his pre-
! back to the eastl Time for it to hav,
been recutl Surely it was lost to hin
;. forever unless he could immediatel!
! locate the person who had robbed hin
!, of it.
But this promised difficulties. HI
;, could not remember Just what person
! he had entertained on that especial da,
9 in his little hall Of cabinets, and, whel
! he did succeed in getting list Of then
. from his butler, he was by no mean
:. sure that it included the full numbe
7 Of his guests. His own memory wa
execrable, and in short he had but few
!; facts to offer to the discreet agent sen
: hear his complaint and act secretly i
!, his interests. He could give him cart
blanche to carry on his inquiries in tn
!, diamond market, but little else An
: while this seemed to satisfy the agent
it did not lead to any gratifying re
suit to himself, and he had thorol
made up his mind to swallow his los
: and say nothing about it, when on
n day a young cousin of his living i
great style in an adjoining county, in
Q formed him that in some mysteriou
!. way he had lost from his collection 0
arms unique and highly priced stilett
70 Of Italian workmanship.
n Startled at the coincidence, Mr.. Gre
y ventured upon question or SO .whic
o led to his cousin Is confiding to him tn
r. fact that this article had disappeare
l. after large supper given by him to
n number Of friends and gentlemen fror
r London. This piece of knowledge stil
e further conceded with his own expert