Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1906-06-28
the other
DIAMONDS.

They were Observation-Disclosures OF
price! l knew 1t in a moment. AS
moved the taper to and fro above them,
and watched the fire glow and tremble
in their depths, l knew that held that
which. would buy the crazy inn and
all it's contents a dozen times over.
They were diamonds! Gems so fine,
and of so rare a water-or had
seen gems-that my hand trembled as
1 held them, and my head grew hot,
and my heart beat furiously. For a
moment l thought I dreamed, that my
fancy played me some trick; and
closed my eyes and did not open them
again for a minute. But when | did,
there they were, hard, real, and an
gular. Convinced at last, in a maze OF
Joy and fear, I closed my hand upon
them, and, stealing on tip-toe to the
trapdoor, laid first my saddle on it,
and then my bags, and over all my
cloak, breathing fast the while.
Then I stole back; and, taking up the
light again, began to search the floor,
patiently, inch by inch, with naked
feet, every sound making me tremble
as | crept hither and thither over the
creaking boards. And never was
search more successful or better paid.
In the fragments of the sachet found
| six smaller diamonds and a pair Of
rubies. Eight large diamonds I found
, on the floor. One, the largest and last
found, had bounded away and lay
against the wall in the farthest corner.
1t took me an hour to run that one to
earth; but afterwards I spent another
hour on my hands and knees before I
gave up the search, and, satisfied at
last that I had collected all, sat down
on my saddle on the trap-door, and, by
the last Pickering light of a candle
which I had taken from my bag,
gloated over my treasurer treasure
worthy Of tabled Golconda.
Hardly could | believe in it's reality,
even now. Recalling the jewels which
the English Duke Of Buckingham
wore on the occasion of kia visit to
Paris, in 1926, and of which there was
so much talk, I took these to be as fine,
though less in number. They should be
worth $4,000 crowns! And I held them
in the hollow Of my hand-I who was
scarcely worth 10000 sous.
The candle going out cut short my
admiration. Left in the dark with
these precious atoms, my first thought
was how I might dispose of them safe
]y: which I did, for the time, by secret
ing them in the lining of my boot. My
second thought turned on the question
how they had come where l had found
them, among the powdered spice and
perfumes in Mademoiselle dc Coche.
foret's sachet.
A minutes reflection enabled me 10
come very neal the secret, and al
the same time shed a flood of light or
several dark places. What Cion had
been seeking on the path between the
house and the village, what the good
wife Of the inn had sought among thu
sweepings Of yard and floor, I knew
now-the sachet. I knew, too, VIA
had caused the marked and sud
den anxiety | had noticed at tn,
chateau-the loss of this sachet.
And there for a while came to {
check. But II step more up the lad
der Of thought brought all in view. II
a flash | guessed how the Jewels hat
come to be in the sachet; and that |
was not mademoiselle but NJ. de Coch
eforet who had mislaid them. And
thought the discovery 80 importan
that began to pace the room softly
unable. In my excitement. to RENAL,
still.
trs NJ continusAl