Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1911-05-08

u1e6s - beauty In greater mooeuto
ana llSAer asgE0s 70 attain psr1e01i00
Of AapDtness."
And you are snsaged In forward
! ing that thsoryf.
yes" said the old man simply. r
have taken upon myself the task Of
| slorifying every homo in the world
with the prisonsd sunshine OF the cen.
turtles. Every abode Of man. however
humble. should be illuminated By the
light Of diamonds. The diamond 10
the most exquisite expression Of crsA.
tive love We have. The only trouble
u that we have not enough Of them.
Il has remained for met has rs.
mainsA for the poor old student Of
mysteries to md the key TO the true
Jewel wealth Of the universe. For
thousands Of years men have been
seeking diamonds In the ground. !
take them from the air"
In similar vein he ran on, his words
betraying the strange cropping Of =
clouded mind that in its time had
been nearer the truth than most mems.
There was something extraordinary
about the little old fellows brain. 1t
AARu NV O1&SAO0 A0SAOlb ~ AoNS sUS~.
attenuated by overstrain. It was after
. process of patient questioning COW
ering 20 long time that It ended In
the twilight. that Britz led the tireless
worker back to days before his arrival
In the asylum The protracted inquiry
taxed all the detectives skill in word
handling, for each time he lifted the
patients PROSTATE intelligence above
the horizon of sanity, It was only to
see 1t slip back in few seconds.
Fitch. scientist though he WAS. long
conversant with the phenomena Of the
mind as he had been, marveled at tho
Headquarters mans adroitness. Long
before Britz had finished his task the
doctor. In sheer WEAKNESS dropped
into a chair and stayed there In silent
attention. But the detective remain
ed on his feet, immutable as the In
carnation of will itself. and slowly.
cautiously, persistently piloted that
darkened intelligence out OF it, depths
back to 1T least . cleaning Of coher-
emit memory. So guided. 90 aided and
| lifted along the difficult backward
path, Martins mind reverted TO I'm
stances that hung like stalactites from
the cavern ceiling of restrospection.
It was In fash Of Intelligence. brief
" eliminated N twinkle Of daylight
seen from the recesses Of a cave, that
the old man recalled the great triumph
Of his strange craft.
II have made diamonds. yes" he
said in response TO . query from tho
detective. swift and searching a. .
rapier thrust, beautiful enough to
hang about the neck Of princess;
brilliant enough to glsrify the hut Of
q toiler in the fields: but there was
ons-ah!" His recollection rsvoled In
widening circles until its force was
spent Fer long time. his hands
motionless again. he sat gazing into
the past Britt. feeling that he was
ON the edge Of an Important disclos-
ure. waited patiently. Fitch scarcely
breathed.
II mind me-" the onettmo curto
dealer resumed. 'tof the one great lis
mond that came - the grand reward
Of all my lslor. All, that was . Aiar
mondl But though 1t was wonderful
achievement. I dishonored myself IN
tho making Gift for and = faint
dush deepened on his parchment
face. II fashioned it for Eain!"
/ Without IN instant's warning he
pushed away the bench, dropped his
face int his hands and gave way to
| grief that moved equally the man long
hardened to dissection Of the body
and Tho veteran crime hunter accus-
toned to vivisection OF the SOUL, Few
things are moro terrible than to $50
an old man weep. It is dual sur
render. for tears are the prerogattve
81 youth and womanhood. Britz and
Fitch with diniculty controlled their
own emotions Just for q moment, for
tears streamed over the ashen coun-
| tenance Of the broken amateur al.
chemist, and his wasted form wr1thsd
and rocked In convulsive sobS.
II have had my punishment" said
Martin when at last the tempest had
spent itself: ''but, oh, the long yeara
tho long years of remorse! Urged
by poverty. that enemy Of seekers aft
the temptation the stranger held out
4 to me. made the great diamond 20
he desired-and I gave It to him for
his gold!"
| The doctor glanced swiftly at the
detective and started to speak Brit1
raised a warning hand, and Fitch
checked his exclamation. Seating
himself for the first time the Central
ONCE mantle prober OF mysteries-
laid his hand encouraxinxly on tho
| diamond-maker's shoulder, and said:
There now: don't let It Distress
you 80 much Other men have done
things far worse than that"
Nothing could be worse" screamed
Martin, springing from the low stool
| on which he aat and facing his visi-
| tors in an agony Of abatement. II
| sold the delight Of my eyes. the light
q my life. the star of my soui-the
queen q Ill Jewels. the pursst, truest
most beautiful diamond the world has
ever knowni"
"Yss,. said the detective. but don't
forget 1t was yours to sell. You had .
right to do Is you pleased with It. !"
II had no such right" cried the n
chemist THAT diamond was tho
product Of my laboring hours.
brought It forth from the air. the sun