Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1905-08-26
= The King of Diamonds. ~
TALE OF MYSTERY AND ADVENTURE
By TRACY.
TALE OF MYSTERY AND ADVENTURE.
By LOUIS TRACY.

STRAIN their maddened animals from add
ing the havoc of e4Ind charges through
the streets to the general confusion
caused by the warning elements. Tele-
graph and telephone wires became not
only useless but dangerous. and the
suburban train service was consequently
plunged into a tangle from which it was
not eXtricated until midnight.
So general was the confusion. so wide
spread the public alarm, that the sudden
| cessation of the uproar at S o'clock
caused more prayers of thankfulness to
be uttered in the metropolis than had
been heard for many day But worse
remained. Thus far the lightning had
been appalling, brilliantly lurid, but
harmless. At 10 o'clock the storm ragged
again, this time without the preliminary
downfall of rain, and the lightning,
though less sensational in appearance.
was demoniac in effect, levying a toll on
human lives, causing fires and general
damage to property, accounts of which
filled many columns of the newspapers
next morning. This second outburst was
succeeded by neavy and continuous rain
At the hour when the theaters emptied
their diminishing audiences into the
streets London wore its normal rain
sodden aspect 1t was not until the fol-
lowing day that people fully understood
the magnitude and terrifying results of
the later display.
About Il quarter to I, while the first
storm was at height, a carriage and
pair dashed into fashionable West End
square and pulled up outside a mansion
cast in the stereotyped mold of the early
Victorian period The horses, overfed
and underworked, had been rendered
frantic by the drive through the park
from the further west. Fortunately.
they knew this hating place, or the
coashman would never have succeeded in
stopping them. As it was, they sweatcd
white with fear. and the footman, shout
ing to the occupants of the carriage that
he could not attend to the door, ran to
their heads after giving a vigorous tug
at the house bell
A boy, tall and thin, and scantily at
tired for such weather, who lad taken
shelter in the dark portico of the man
sion, ran forward to offer his services at
the carriage door A bundle of evening
papers, covered with a piece of sacking,
somewhat impeded the use of his left
hand, and, as it happened. in his right
he held a large bun Oh which he had Just
commenced to dine.
Before he could turn the handle the
carriage door opened from the inside. \
man sprang out.
Get out of the way" he said, impe
tiently, and the newshoy obeyed, glad
that he had not followed his first impGlse
and flung away the bun.
A vivid flash of lightning made the
horses rear and plunge
Look sharp, ELL" cried the stranger,
in no more cordial tone. Gather your
wraps and jump out. On night like
this these nervous brutes-"
A peal of thunder that ratified the win
dows interrupted him. The two animals
reared and backed with one accord. The
plucky footman, hanging onto the cross.
bars of the bits. was lifted off his feet
and banged violently against the pole.
He was forced to let go, and fell, stag
gering backward some yards before he
dropped. There was a smash of iron and
wood, and the near hind wheel of the
carriage damned against the curb. A
slight scream came from the interior.
Certain that the vehicle would turn over
slammed the door and sprang clear. In
doing so he tripped over the newsboy and
fell heavily on the pavement The boy,
quicker to note that the breaking of the
pole had given a momentary respite,
rushed into the roadway, throwing away
both precious bun and still more precious
stock of unsold papers.
He wrenched the other door open, and
shouted:
"This way, madam! Quick!"
Madam" was quick. She sprang right
into his arms. and proved to be a girl of
IL or theraabouts, dressed all in white,
and wrapped in an ermine cloak.
Over went the carriage with fearful
crash The coachman managed to Jump
from the box into the roadway. He re-
tanned the reins and whip in his grasp,
and now, losing his temper, dashed the
struggling horses savagely. This cowed
them, and they ceased their antics
The boy and the girl found themselves
standing on the sidewalk, close to the
ruined vehicle.
"You have saved my life!" said the
girl, sweetly, and wI,hout any trace of
the nervousness which might naturally
be expected after such narrow escape
from a serious accident.
The boy noted that her eyes were large
and blue, that she wore a great shining
ornament in her hair, and that she APP
pea ed to be dressed in somewhat fanci-
full man, er. thougn the big cloak she
wore concealed the details.
The door of the mansion opened, and
servants came running ont.
%,,ddaD1v tho boy rpppiyoJ violent
blow on the side of the head
"Confound your shouted the man who
had fallen on the pavement, why didn't
you get out of the way when told your"
The boy, astounded by such recogni-
ton of his timely help, made no reply,
but the girl protested vehemently.
'Oh, uncle she cried, why did you
strike him? He got me out of tn car
riage Just before it turned over. lie did,
indeed"
Another vivid flash of lightning illum-
incd the scere. 1t lit up the group with
startling brilliancy. The boy, still some