Graham guardian., 1911-10-13
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CHAPTER i.
Ii the Diamond horseshoa.
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In the Diamond Horseshoe.
A girls scream clashed with the
sopranos high note In the Jewel
Song, and In a moment the Metropolis
tan Opera House was In confusion.
The cry. half suppressed. broke the
spell peculiar to Faust" night. The
somewhat portly Marguerite. her
voice soaring like cage-born bird
suddenly freed, was decking her ma
ture person with the glistening stage
gems left on her scenic doorstep by
the suavest of devils. As the singer
hung about her neck the rope OF pearls
with which Mephisto planned to fet-
ter her soul. Mrs. Missioner, swinging
her fan with freer motion. struck
the slendcrest part of her diamond
collarette. The blow was sharp. The
golden thread on which the choicest
Of the Missioner Jewels In their per-
forated settings were strung. snapped.
Instantly most OF the freed drops of
frozen IRE that constituted Mrs. Mis-
sioner's magnificent necklace--the
one with the, Maharanee diamond
were rolling on the floor of the box.
Mrs. Missioner, as the little scream
broke from Dorothy March. debu-
tante she had taken under her wing
for the evening, clutched at the few
diamonds that fell into her lap. Miss
March drew her skirts tightly about
her ankles and shrank into corner
Of the box, making room for the man
who sprang to Mrs. Missioner's aid.
Before another moment sped, Curtis
Griswold was ON his knees scooping
together the scattered Jewels with
snow-gloved hands, Bruxton Sands,
slower OF movement, bent with more
dignity to the task. In the next box,
separated from Mrs. Missioner's only
by low velvet rail, man Of Orien-
tai features and complexion turned
to watch the scramble for the Jewels.
Though he did not stir from his place,
his hawk-like face seemed to thrust
itself into the center Of the excited
group.
Continue! CONTINUED" the singer
urged, as she bent her gaze from the
box to the conductor,
What's the matter? Go on! Go
ont" the stage manager cried in UNI
dertones from the wings. Ushers in
the back Of the house sought to cover
the confusion with ill-timed applause.
The moment was big with potential
tragedy. One CRY Of "Fire!" might
have sent those thousands of startled
women and men battling along the
aisles In an elemental fury OF self.
preservation. Mere prolongation OF
the situation without that terri
BILE tocsin might have ended in
smaller panic. But the liquid tones
Of the soprano soaring again in the
Of the Jewel Song re-
blamed the attention of the audience,
The conductor, evidently eager to hide
his own momentary loss OF poise, fair
" lifted his men through the intri-
cacies of the accompaniment.
Of action by the stage
restored order behind the
scenes
Nothing Of all those incidents struck
the sense Of anyone In the Missioner
box. All four Of its occupants were
concerned for the immediate recovery
Of the diamonds that had sprung from
Mrs. Missioner's neck to her lap. and
then stampeded across the floor.
ariswold. still on his knees. rescued
the greater number. Sands. q man of
action az well as of millions, picked
up the larger gems. Miss March
shrank further into her corner OF the
box. and dragged her petticoats ever
more closely until her immature form
seemed chiseled In tulle.
Look In all the corners--look
everywhere" Mrs. Missioner urged
There's one behind the chair" she
pointed.
There's another" cried Dorothy.
pointing at Griswold's feet. A glance
from the dark stranger In the next
box directed the searchers toward
still another part OF the floor, and
svery move was rewarded by the re-
covery Of cleaning stone. One by
pne. by twos, by threes, the diamonds
were gathered. and still the search
went on. Fast az they scooped them
up. Sands and Griswold poured the
glittering treasure into Mrs, Mis-
sioner's lap.
Are they all there? asked the
millionaire.
mo. no." answered the widow.
There are several more. Please look
again-look everywhere. Dorothy.
help me count them"
Griswold and Sands renewed their
search. peering into the remotest cor
ners. pushing chairs about, looking.
gasping with the zeal Of
Klondikers. urged again and again
by the owner Of the jewels.
The glittering horseshoe of the Met
ropolitan deserves Its name. The
Kafirs Of Kimberly, the pearl-divers
Of Polynesia, the gold-seekers OF the
Klondike. the diggers into earth's Sc
crets the world over toll ceaselessly
to maintain the brilliance OF that big
jewel show. They send their dia-
monds and rubies and emeralds and |
their pearls and opals and
gold, to CLEAN on the heads and
breasts and gowns of women whom
the industry Of one generation, or the
luck Of another, has
crowned with riches. A night at the
opera Is a parade OF the wonders
gems can work and of that which. too
pften. gems can buy