Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1907-08-20


your name and address you will reveal
that locality?
Philip grew red.
"Is 1t fair" he said, with curious
iciness in his tone, that man of your
age should use his position and knowl.
edge to try to trip boy who Is brought
before you on false charge"
1t was the magistrates turn to look
slightly confused. There was some
asperity in his reply.
81 am not endeavoring to trip you,
but rather to help you to free yourself
from a difficult position. However, do
understand that you refuse to answer
my questions"
81 dor' The young voice rang
through the building with amazing
ferceness.
Mr.. Abingdon bent over the big book
in front of him and scribbled some
thing
"Remanded for week." he NUT
tered.
Downstairs" growled the court
jailer, and Philip disappeared from
sight. The magistrate was left gazing
at the packet Of diamonds, and he call
ed Isaacstein, the clerk Of the court
and two police inspectors into his pri-
vate office for consultation.
Meanwhile London was placarded
with Philips adventures that Saturday
evening. Contents bills howled in their
blackest and biggest type, news vend-
ers bawled themselves hoarse over this
latest sensation, journalistic ferrets
combined theory and Imagination in
the effort to spin out more copy"
Scotland Yard set its keenest detec-
tives at work to reveal the secret Of
Philips Identity, while Isaacstein, act
ing on the magistrates instructions,
wrote to every possible source Of in
formation in the effort to obtain some
clew as to recent meteeric showers.
No one thought Of connecting the
great storm with the diamond mys-
terry" Meteors usually fall from a
clear sky and are in no way affected
by atmospheric disturbances, their
normal habitat being far beyond the
influence of the earth's envelope Of air.
And so the 'hunt for the meteor"
commenced and was kept up with zest
for many days. "Have you found it?"
became the stock question Of the hui
morist and might he addressed with
impunity to any stranger. particularly
II the stranger were nice looking girl.
No one answered "What?" because Of
the weird replies that were forthcom-
ing.
The police failed utterly In their ef-
forts to discover Philips identity or
residence. Johnson's News, Mile End
road. might as we'll be In Timbuktu
for all the relation II bore to Lulgate
Hill or Hatton Garden. An East End
policeman might have recognized Phil
ip had he seen him. hut the official de-
scription of his clothing and personal
appearance applied to thousands Of
hobbledehoys in every district In Lon
don.
Two persons among the 100000 OF
the metropolis alone possessed the
knowledge that would have led the in
quirers along the right track. The doctor
who attended Mrs. Anson In her last
illness, had he read the newspaper
comment on the boys speech and man
nerisms, might have seen the coinci-
dence supplied by the Christian name
and thus been led to make some fur
ther investigation. But his hands were
full of trouble Of his own account. A
dispenser mixed prescription wrong
ly and dosed patient with half an
ounce Of arsenic instead Of half an
ounce Of cream Of tartar. The suisse
quent inquest gave the doctor enough
to do, and the first paper he had lei
sure to peruse contained bare refer
ence to the diamond mystery" as re-
vealing no further developments. He
passed the paragraph unread.
The remaining uncertain element
Centered In old O'Brien, the pensioner.
Now 1t CHANGED that the treasury had
discovered that by u clerical mistake
in warrant the old man had been
drawing twopence day in excess of
his rightful pension for thirty
years. Some humOrtst In Whitehall
thereupon sent him demand for f1O3
and IL shillings, and the member OF
the Whltechapel division vas COM
pelled to adopt stern tactics In the
house before the matter was adjusted.
and O'Brien was allowed to receive
the reduced quarterly stipend then
due. During that awful crisis the poor
old fellow hardly ate or slept. Even
when 1t had ended the notion remain
ed firmly fixed in his mind that the
"murdherin' government had robbed
him of a hundred gowlden sovereigns
an more"
As for newspapers, the only item he
read during many days was the ques-
ton addressed by his "mimber" to the
chancellor Of the exchequer and the
brief reply thereto, both Of which were
fixed beforehand by mutual arrange.
ment.
In one instance the name given and
afterward repudiated by the boy did
attract some attention. On the Mon
day following the remand a lady sat
at breakfast in O select West End ho-
tel and languidly perused the record of
the case until her eye caught the
words "Philip MOrland." Then her air
| of delicate hauteur vanished, and she
left her breakfast untouched until,
with hawklike curving of neck and
nervous clutchIng Of hands, she had
read every line Of the police court ro'
nance. She was tall, thin, aristo-
cratic looking woman, with eyes set
too closely together, curved nose like
the beak of bird Of prey and hands
covered with a leathery skin suggest,
| Ing talons. Her attire and pose were
elegant. but she did not seem to be
a pleasant sort of person. Her lips
parted in a vinegary smile as she read
She evidently did not believe one word
of the newspaper report In so far as
| the diamonds were concerned.
"a vulgar swindle!' she murmured
to herself. "How is 1t possible for a
police magistrate to be taken in In such
manner? l suppose Isaacstein knows
more about it than appears OH the sur
face. But how came the boy to give
that name? 1t Is sufficiently uncom
mon to be remarkable. How stupid II
WAS of Julie to mislay my dressing
-, y+ x,,o,,Id ha rooIly Interesting tC