Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-11-18
kindly excuse me a few moments; a

Leaving the room he assembled the stairs
to his library.
Putting the receiver to his ear he spoke
and was greatly surprised to hear Sir Hen
rvs voice.
MY dear Amy. I am going to surprise
YOU began Sir Henry. II want you to
give Gray some choral. 1 know you have
some. Drug him at once and In half an
hour I will come to you and give you
greater surprise than he did. If you value
those purple diamonds you will do as
ask My standing as q man and scientist
VIII be sufficient to you when L tell you
that Gray is a clever thief and / am the
only one who can prove 1t and restore to
you the diamonds which he now has Sc
curely hidden in his possession. You do
| not want a scandal at your house, SO trust
| me and do as L ask. VIII your
| The general hesitated, as well he might.
Drug guest, and a man whose reputation
was apparently unimpeachabe? But as he
| hesitated he remembered that, really, he
| knew nothing about Gray, who had in a
| manner forced himself upon him. What he
| had heard was from rumor and reports for
| which he had never had sought a basis,
| the personality of Gray had so pleased him.
! However, he knew Sir Henry thoroughly
| as did all the world.
| Yes" he answered after minute, !
! VIII do as you say / have every confidence
| in you as man and friend.
! He left the library. went to his chamber
| and took from his medicine case small
| bottle of choral He slipped it into ms
| to the dining room having also picked up
box of recently collected stones which ne
| knew none of the party had SEEN
He made his excuse for his absence ana
| finding the party about to break up said:
Gentlemen, If you will give your atten-
| ton to these new stones for few moments
| l WILL myself, mix a stirrup cup which we
will drink to Mr.. Gray's honor.
He opened the case passed out the CON
| tents. and calling for hot water proceeded
to mix compound of Scotch whisky
! lemon and bitters at the sideboard. Watch-
| ing his chance when the guests were group
| ed around the lower end of the table where
| he had purposely placed the 1eWels, ne
| dropped into one glass portion OF the
| choral.
Taking this glass in his hand he bade the
| attendants pass the others to the guests 70
| Mr.. Gray he presented the glass he held,
and taking another from passing waiter
| said:
Friends to Mr.. Gray
The toast was drunk and one by one the
| guests left the room and the house.
OBTAINING Gray in conversation a1ter an
| the others had gone, he watched the eneSt
Of the choral. All at once 1t did its wo s,s
| and Gray's head dropped forward on nus
| breast and his body settled in the chair.
| Remembering Sir Henry's mention OF the
| diamonds, he went to the case IN "lliSh
! they belonged Resting in their velvet COM
partment lay the two purpie-heai 'eu u'a
monds .,o
lust then Sir Henry was shown into the
room. "Ah." he exclaimed, "a perfect NE IKE,
ness and real enough they appear. bue
walt" Going to the unconscious Iray, iis
nulled out his cuff fumbled a moment WIN
the Leaval button, and held out IN lile
palm of his hand purple hearted o.itin .ln,
He put It down beside the two IN the tray
and instantly their brightness seehieo W
dull and fade.
Taking four other diamonds from an
other compartment, he arranged the 81
in the form of a cross on the tdoie' INC
81 ,iagy
ton. ,. =
Producing from its case In his pocket a
silvery tube, he asked the wondering gen
eral to turn off the light. 49,
He did So and stepped back to the taple'
where his astonished eyes beheld an out
lined cross of dimly, yet steadily SHINING
light with the upper portion missing.
Sir Henry fumbled with the stones; ne
held the tube over them again ana paf'
of the missing top was restored
Turn on the light moment, uIl redch
GRAY" he said. The general did so. SIT
Henry pulled out the other cuff ana turned
the Leaval button uppermost.
Now shut off the light and come mere
he directed. and when the general had
reached the chair he saw CLEAN of lght
apparently coming from the Leaval.
Now, If you will light up again. Will
explain
The light was turned on. the scientist
sprung apart the short antennae OF the
Leaval, it's ring cases opened ana IN d
cotton-lined cavity lay the Second Eio.et
diamond. Holding out the tube, S.r Henry
said: ~,
This contains radium, which has the
peculiar power of causing diamonds 10
fluoresce, or seemingly light up when
brought near a sufficiently large amount OIL
radium IN the dark.
II regret to say. 1 was distrustful of Mr.
Gray from the beginning. L Drought TINS
tube along intending to give your guests
an exhibition of its power with some or
7 have nSNclOmStriC
frances and the workers or mediums OF
whom l know several make no objection
to entering the trance in the strongest
light I noticed Gray's eagerness for the
violet gems. l think he influenced your
choice; he has strong hypnotic eyes, ana
| mistrusted that substitution of fake
diamonds would result.
II thought of my tube Of radium.
leaned across the table with the tube hid
den from a possible view of its glow by
Gray, and held it so that under his hands
l could perceive the dim light of the dia-
monds responding to the action or the
radium. l never took my eyes from those
spots of light and saw them moved about.
l heard faint click, and, when he threw
up his arms at the end IN the darkness
saw the spots rise in the air and knew
where they Were. 1t was a clever piece of
business and the Leavals are ingenious bits
OF work / wonder why he wanted them so
badly There is a story unfinished, my
friend that we never shall know.
you to send him to his rooms in your car
riage with your valet. No; 1 Will go. L
will be super"
The generals face had been sight TO
watch during Sir Henry's explanation, with
wonder, incredulity, anger, relief passing
one after another over his countenance.
He thanked the scientist heartily and
agreed with him in keeping the matter
quiet. Together they carried the sleeping
man TO the waiting carriage, and, driving
to his rooms. placed him upon his bed with
loosened clothes and left him there.
Before ordering the carriage Sir Henry
had replaced the false gems in the but
tons.
He may never know he said; but nat
urally you will not give him another
chance.
The general did not. He never saw Gray
again. but the next week the footman
brought to him one of the Leaval buttons,
which had been loosened and had fallen on
the carriage rug during the drive TO the
explorers rooms. This now occupies
prominent position in one case of Sir
George Almy's gems.
Cocktail at Three Forks.
From the Anaconda Standard
81 was standing in the bar room In re-