Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-12-01

1 nlUneTtOa rendered 1t unnatural.
4 The doctor started for the tent.
There was the quickness of surprise
! in his movement and the gesture he
made to the magistrate, as he passed
in, re-awakened an expectation in my
breast which made me doubly watch
full.
Providence was intervening in our
favor, and I was not surprised to see
him presently reissue with the nurse,
| whom he drew into the shadow of the
trees, where they had a short confer
ence. Ii she returned alone into the
tent after this conference / should
know that the matter was at an end
and that the doctor had decided to
maintain his authority against that of
the magistrate. But she remained out
side and the magistrate was invited to
joine their council; when they again
left the shadow of the trees 1t was to
approach the tent.
The magistrate, who was In the
rear, could not have more than passed
the opening, but thought him far
enough inside not to detect any move
ment on my part, SO took advantage
of the situation to worm myself out of
my corner and across the ledge to
where the tent made a shadow in the
moonlight
CTouchinlg close, and laying my ear
against the canvas. listened.
The nurse was speaking in a gently
persuasive tone. imagined her kneel-
ing by the head Of the patient and
breathing words into his ear. These
were what heard:
You love diamonds. have often
noticed that. you look so long at the
ring on your hand That is why I
have left 1t stay there, though at
times have feared it would drop off
and roll away over the adobe down
the mountain-side. Was I right?"
eyes, yes" The words came with
difficulty, but they were clear enough.
ITS of small value. like 1t be-
cause
He appeared to be too weak to
finish.
A pause, during which she seemed
to edge nearer to him.
We all have some pet keepsake, /"
said she. "But should never have
supposed this stone of yours an mex
pensive one. But / forget that you
are the owner of very large and re-
markable diamond, a diamond that is
spoken Of sometimes in the papers.
or course, If you have gem like that,
this one must appear very small and
valueless to YOU"
Eyes, this is nothing, nothing" And
he appeared to turn away his head.
| Mr. Fairbrother! Pardon me, but
want to tell you something about
that big diamond OF yours. You have
been Ill and have not been able to
read your letters, so do not know that
your wife has had some trouble with
that diamond. People have said that
1t Is not real stone, but a well-exe-
cuted imitation. May write to her
that this Is q mistake, that It Is all
you have ever claimed for it-that is,
am unusually large diamond Of the
first water?"
| listened in arnazement. Surely,
this was an insidious way to get at
the truth IA womar's way, but who
would say it as not a wise one, the
wisest,, perhaps, hich could be taken
under the circumstances? What would
his reply be? Would it show that he
|
was generally believed, both by those
about him here and those who knew
him well in New York? Or would the
question convey nothing further to
him than the doubt-in itself an in
sult-of the genuineness of that great
stone which had been his pride?
A nlurmur-th was all it could be
called-broke from his fever-dried lips
and died away in an inarticulate gasp.
Then, suddenly, sharply, a cry broke
from him, an intellgible cry, and we
heard him say:
mo imitation! no imitation! It was
a sun! a glory! No other like 1t. 1t
lit the air! 1t blazed, it burned! /
see it now! see"
! There the passion succumbed, the
strength failed; another murmur, an
other, and the great void of night
which stretched over--T might almost
say under us-was no more quiet or
seemingly impenetrable than the sill
ence Of that moon-enveloped tent.
Would he speak again? did not
think SO. Would she even try to make
him? I did not think this, either. But
I did not know that woman.
Softly her voice rose again. There
was a dominating insistence in her
tones, gentle as they were; the in
sistence Of a healthy mind which seeks
to control q weakened one.
You do not know of any imitation,
then? 1t was the real stone you gave
her. You are sure Of 1t; you would be
ready to swear to It if--say Just yes
or no." she finished in gentle urg-
ency.
Evidently he was sinking again into
Inconsistencies, and she was Just
holding him back long enough for the
/ necessary word
1t came slowly and with a dragging
information, but there was no mistak-
Ing the ring of truth with which he
spoke.
! Eyes," said he.
| When heard the doctors voice and
felt movement in the canvas against
which / leaned, took the warming
| and stole back hurriedly to my quart
ers.