The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-12-03
CHAPTER Ix.-(continued.)

!
Notwithstanding this he might have
failed in his daring attempt if he had
not been favored by circumstance no
one could have foreseen. A daughter
of the house, Cecilia by name, lay
critically i'll at the time, and Mr.. Grey 8
Still the probabilities are that he would
have noticed something amiss with the
stone when he came to restore 1T to
its place, if just as he took it in his
hand there had not arisen in the air
without wierd and wailing cry which
at once seized upon the imagination OF
the dozen gentlemen present, and so
thrust the box he held unopened into
the safe and fell upon his knees, a
totally unnerved man, crying.
:"The, banshee! the banshee! My
daughter will die!'
Another hand than. his locked the
safe and dropped the key into the dis
tracted father g pocket. II
Thus superhuman daring COMBINED
with special intervention Of fate had
made the enterprise a successful one;
and Fairbrother, believing more than
ever in his star, carried this Invaluable
jewel back with him to. New York.
The stiletto-well, the taking Of that
ceased to blush. He had not stolen it;
he would not steal SO inconsiderable an
object. He had merely put it in his
pocket when he saw it forgotten,
passed over, given to him as it were.
That the risk, contrary to that involved
in the taking Of the diamond, was far
in excess Of the qualification obtained,
having made the break, and acquired
the curio, he spared himself all further
thought of the consequences, and pres
emily resumed his old life in New
York, none the worse to all appear
ences for these escapades from virtue
and his usual course of fair and open
=. But he was soon the worse from the
jealousy of the wife which his new
possession had possibly won for him.
She had answered all his expectations
as mistress of his home and the OK
ponent of his wealth; and for a year,
nay, for two. he had been perfectly
that, he had been triumphant, espe-
cially on that emorable evening when,
after cautious delay Of months, he
had dared to pin that unapproachable
sparkler to her breast and present her
thus bedecked to the smart set-her
whom his talents, and especially his
far-reaching business talents, had made
Recalling the old days Of barter and
sale across the pine counter in Colo.
RADIO, he felt that his star rode high
and for a time was satisfied with his
wife's magnifcence and the prestige
she gave his establishment. But pride
is not all even to man Of his daring
ambition. Gradually he began to real
ize, first, that she was Indifferent tt
him, next, that she despised him, and
lastly, that she hated him. She had
dozens at her feet any of whom was
more agreeable to her than her owl
husband; and, tho he could not put his
finger on any definite fault, he -soor
wearied of a beauty that only glowec
for others, and made up his mind tx
part with her rather than let his heart
be eaten out by inappeasable longing
for what his own. good sense told hin
would never be his.
Yet, being naturally generous, he
was satisfied with separation, and
finding it impossible to think Of he1
as other than extravagantly fed, waited
on and clothed, he allowed her a goot
share Of his fortune with the one pro
viso, that she should not disgrace him
But the diamond she stole, or rather
carried off in her naturally high handed
manner with the rest Of her Jewels
He" had never given it to her. She
knew the value he set on it but no
how he came by it, and would have