Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-06-17
: 1he KING Qf #
 DIAMONDS.
By Louis Tracy,
COPYRIGHT. 1904. By EDWARD J. cLoDE.
Author of .Winas of the Morning. 1.-The Pillar o Light" Etc.

separated for years. Can fate play us any, uncanny trick that will separate us again?' I "Well, sweetheart, fate, in the shape of Vale, Is coming for me at 6. Un- less you wish me to send for my man and dress here"-
 Sometimes cannot quite credit my good fortune" she said softly. Tell me, dearest, how did you manage to live until you were twenty-five with out falling In love with some other girl?" .s54
 .That Is ridiculously easy. Tell me how you managed to escape matrimony until you were twenty-two and you are answered" 7
 Philip, IT liked you that night I saw you in the square. You were woebegone little boy, but you were so brave and gave me your hand to help me from the carriage with the air Of young lord" ..,. ...
 And have cherished your face In my waking dreams ever since. You looked like fairy. And how you stuck up for me against your uncler.
 "Tell me, what did you think Of me when you saw me standing disconso- late in the park?"
 Tell. tell tell-it was nothing but sweet questions and sweet assurances that this pair of turtle doves had been seeking each other through all eternity.
 Their wedding was fixed for the mid dle of July. Sharp work, 1t may be said, but what need was there to wait: Mir. Abingdon was greatly pleased with Philips choice and urged him to settle down at the earliest possible date. 4 Mrs. Atherley, too, raised no protest. The sooner her beloved daughter was married the more rapidly would life resume Its normal aspect. They would not be long parted from each other.
 The young people had no housekeep- ing cares. Philips mansions were re- plete with all that could be desired by the most fastidlous taste. His yacht was brought to the Solent so that they could run over to Portsmouth on a motor car to inspect her, and Evelyn instantly determined that their honey moon in Etretat should be curtailcd to permit them to go for three weeks cruise around the British coast.
 This suggestion of course appealed to Philip. Nothing could be more de- llghtful. He whispered in Evelyn's ear that he would hug her for the idea at the first favorable opportunity.
 One morning. a day of June rain. a letter reached Philip. It bore the print cd superscription, "The Hall, Beltham. | Devon," but this was struck out and another address substituted. It was written in a scrawling. wavering hand. the caligraphy of a man old and very III. It rcld:
 My Dear Philip-r am lying at the point i of death. so 1 use no labored words 10 J explain why I address you in such man. | ncr. l want to tell you how bitterly i regret the injustice showed to your dear i mother and my sister. If. of your char | ity. you will come to ny bedside and as- ] sure a feeble old man of your forgive l ness. can meet the coming ordeal strong | In the certainty that Mary Anson will not | refuse what you have given in her be. ! half. Your sorrowing uncle.
 PHILIP MoRLAND.
 With this piteous epistle was inclosed another: -.-...... ... l Dear Mir Anson-I join my earnest sup i plication to my husband's that you will console his last hours with visit. He planes himself for what has happened | in the past. yet the fault was moro mine | than his-far more. For his sake will ingly admit 1t. And have been punished for my sin. Ruined in fortune, with my husband at deaths door, l am indeed c sorrowing woman. Yours faithfully. LOUISA MoRLAND.
 The angular Italian handwriting of the second letter recalled n faded script in his safe at that moment. The address in each case was a village on the Yorkshire coast. a remote and in. accessible place according to Philips unaided recollection of the map "Grange House" might be a farm or a broken down manor. and Lady Nor lands admission of reduced circum stances indicated that they had chosen the locality for economy's sake.
 These appeals brought a frown of in decision to Ansoa's brow. Ills unclt and his uncle's wife had unquestiona bly, been the means of shortening and embIttering hls mothers life. The mar might have acted in ignorance; tn; woman did not.
 Yet what could he do! Refuse a dy ing relatives last request. They oi one of them refused his r1otber's pitt ful demand for a little pecuniary belE at time when they were rich.
 And what dire nsschanee could have sunk them into povertyI Little mors than two months had passed sice sii Philip Morland was inquiring for hss Philip'sl whereabouts through Messrs Sharpe & Smith with q view toward ! making him his heir.
 Was the inquiry Lady Moriand's las' ruse to save an encumbered estatei Why was all pretense of doubt as tc Lis relationship swept aside So con pletelyf
 He glanced again at the address oz the letter and asked a servant tO brins him a railway gutle- Then be ascer tained that if be would reach ScarsdaIs that day be must leave London uo' later than npon- Tbere vas a journey Of nearly seven h01rs by rail: nr ehs1ce Of returning the sane night
 He went to the Eh-ary and rang uy Sar7e 6 Smith a the telera01e-
 A clerz sssu-ez hfn that Mr. sharpe vho attended t8 ST PhiIiV Mo-ia1d's affairs. had been <-zzozed to Dsvo1. shire the prsvf5us day