Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-01-12

mis- Vile. he was cOnfrlnted With the
evidence Of guilt and a confession
forced.
CHAPTER XXIII-Continued)
Recalling the old days of barter and
sale across the pine counter in Col
orado, he felt that his star rode high,
and for time was satisfied with his
wife's magnificence and the prestige
she gave his establishment. But pride
Is not all, even to man of his daring
ambition. Gradually he began to rea-
lie, first, that she was Indifferent to
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 own
husband; and, though he could not put
his finger on any definite fault, he
soon wearied Of beauty that only
glowed for others, and made up his
mind to part with her rather than let
his heart be eaten out by unappeas-
able longing for what his own good
sense told him would never be his.
Yet, being naturally generous, he
was satisfied with separation, and,
finding 1t impossible to think of her as
other than extravagantly fed, waited
on and clothed, he allowed her good
share of his fortune with the one pro.
viso, that she should not diagrace him.
But the diamond she stole, or rather
carried off in her naturally highland
ed manner with the rest of her jewels.
He had never given it to her. She
knew the value he set on 1t, but not
how he came by 1t, and would have
worn 1t quite freely II he had not very
soon given her to understand that the
pleasure of doing so ceased when she
left his house. As she could not be
seen with it without occasioning pub
lie remark, she was forced, though
much against her will, to heed his
wishes, and enjoy it's brilliancy in pri-
vate. But once, when he was out of
town, she dared to appear with this
fortune on her breast, and again while
on visit West,-and her husband
heard of it.
Mr.. Fairbrother had had the jewel
set to suit him, not in Florence, as
Sears had said, but by skilful work.
man he had picked up in great poverty
in remote corner of williamsburg.
Always In dread of some complication,
he had provided himself with second
facsimile in paste, this time of an
astonishing brightness, and this fac
smile he had had set precisely like
the true stone. Then he gave the
workman thousand dollars and sent
him back to Switzerland. This imita-
ton In paste he showed nobody. but
he kept 1t always in his pocket; why.
he hardly knew. Meantime, he had
one confident, not Of his crime, but of
his sentiments toward his wife, and
the determination he had secretly
made to proceed to extre1nities il she
continued to disobey him.
This WIS man of his own age or
older. who had known him II his early
days, and had followed all his for
tunes. He haG been the master of Fair.
brother then. but he was his servant
now. and as devoted to his interests
as If they were his wn,-which. in a
way, they were. For eighteen years
he had stood at the latter's right hand,
satisfied to look no further, but. for
the last three, his glances had strayed
a foot or two beyond his master, and
taken in his masters wife.
The feelings which this man had for
Mrs Fairbrother were peculiar. She
was mere adjunct to her great lord,
but She was a very gorgeous one. and
while he could not imagine himself
doing anything to thwart him whose
bread ne ate. and to whose rise he had
himself contributed, yet if he could re.
main true to him without inuring her
he would account himself happy. The
day came when he had to decide he.
tween them, and, against all chances
against his own preconceived notion
OF what he would do under these cir
cumstanees, he chose to consider her.
This day came when, in the midst
OF growing complacency and an in.
tense interest in some new scheme
which demanded all his powers. Abner
Fairbrother learned from the papers
that Mr.. Grey, Of English Parliamen-
tay fame, had arrived in New York on
an indefinite visit. AS no cause was
assigned for the visit beyond a natural
desire on the part Of this eminent
statesman to see this great country
Mr.. Fairbrother's fears reached a sud,
den climax, and he saw himself ruined
and for ever disgraced if the diamond
now SO unhappily out of his hands
should fall under the eyes of Its own.
ef' whose seeming quiet under it's loss
mad not for moment deceived him.
waiting only long enough to make
sure that the distinguished foreigner
was likely to accept social attentions.
and SO in all probability would be
brought In contact with Mrs. Fair.
brother, he sent her by his devoted
servant peremptory message, in
which he demanded back his dia.
mond;. and upon her refusing to heed
this. followed 1t up by another, in
which he expressly statad. t1,at 10 ,ha