Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1907-12-13
locate the person who had robbed him


carry on his inquiries In the diamond
| market, but little else. And while this
| seemed to satisfy the agent, it did not
| lead to any gratifying result to him
self, and he had thoroughly made up
his mind to swallow his loss and say
! nothing about 1t, when one day young
cousin of his living in great style in an
adjoining county informed him that In
some mysterious way he had lost from
his collection of arms unique and
highly priced stiletto of Italian work
| manship
Startled by this coincidence, Mr.. Grey
ventured upon question or two which
led to his cousins confiding to him the
fact that this article had disappeared
after large supper given by him to a
number of friends and gentlemen from
London. This piece of knowledge, still
further coinciding with his own expe-
rience, caused Mr.. Grey to ask for a
list of his guests in the hope of finding
among them one who had been in his
| own house.
His cousin, quite unconscious of the
motives underlying this request, hasten
ed to write out this list, and together
they pored over the names, crossing
out such as were absolutely above sus-
picion. When they had reached the
end of the list, but two names remain
ed increased. One was that of a rattle
pated youth who had come in the wake
of a highly reputed connection of theirs
and the other that of an American
tourist who gave all the evidences of
great wealth and had presented letters
| to leading men in London which had
insured him attentions not usually ac-
corded to foreigners. This mans name
was Fairbrother, and the moment Mr..
Grey heard it he recalled the fact that
an American with a peculiar name, but
with a reputation for wealth, had been
among his guests on the suspected
evening.
Hiding the effect produced upon him
by this discovery, he placed MS finger
on this name and begged his cousin to
look up its owners antecedents and
present reputation in America; but not
content with this. he sent his own
agent over to New York whittier, as he
soon learned, this gentleman had re-
turned. The result was an apparent
vindication of the suspected American.
He was found to be a we'll known cit
izen of the great metropolis, moving
in the highest circles and with rep
utation for wealth won by an extraor-
binary business instinct
To be sure, he had not always en-
joyed these distinctions. Like many
another self made man, he had risen
from mental position in western
mining camp to be the owner of a
mine himself and so up through the
various gradations of successful life
to position among the foremost bust
ness men of New York In all these
changes he had maintained name for
honest il not generous dealing. He
lived in great style, had married and
was known to have but one extrava-
CANT fancy. This was for the unique
and curious in art, a taste which, if re-
port spoke true cost him many thou
sands each year.
This last was the only clause in the
report which pointed in any way to-
ward this man being the possible alb
stractor of the Great Mogul as Mr..
Grey's famous diamond was called. and
the latter was too just man and too
much of a fancier in this line himself
to let fact of this kind weigh against
the favorable nature of the rest. So he
RECALLED his agent, double locked his
cabinets and continued to cOnfine his
display Of valuables to articles which
did not suggest jewels. Thus three
+l..,t, lou ha hn nd
mention made of a wonderful diamond
which had been seen in New York.
From its description he gathered that
1t must be the one surreptitiously alb
stracted from his cabinet and when,
after some careful inquiries. he learned
that the name of its possessor was
Fairbrother, he awoke to his old sus-
piciOns and determined TO probe this
matter to the bshom-but secretly.
He still had too much consideration to
attack Il man in high position without
full proof
knowing Of no one he could trust
with so delicate an inquiry as this had
now become, he decided to undertake
it himself. and for this purpose en-
braced the first opportunity to c,sDss
the water He took his daughter with
him because he had resolved never to
let his one remaining child out of his
sight. But she knew nothing of his
plans or reason for travel. No one did.
Indeed, only his lawyer and the police
were aware of the loss of his diamond.
His first surprise on landing was to
learn that Mr.. tairbrother, Of whose
marriage he had heard, had quarreled
with his wife and that, in the separa
ton which had occurred, the diamond
had fallen to her share and was con
sequently in her possession at the pres
ent moment.
This changed matters, and Mt