Semi-weekly herald., 1911-12-04

tho most exquisite expression Of croar
tive love we have. The only trouble
Is that We have not enough Of them.
1t has remained for met has re
mained for the poor old student Of
| mysteries to find the key to the true
I 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 a
! clouded mind that In It's time had
been nearer the truth than most mems.
| There was something extraordinary
about the little old fellows brain. 1t
had not cracked; rather. 1t had been
attenuated by overstrain. 1t was after
q process Of patient questioning Gov
ering so long time that 1t ended in
the twilight, that Britt 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.
SCltHuSl tnOueu lie Whb, lOHB
convefsant with the phenomena of the
mind as he had been. marveied at the
Headquarters mans adroItness. Long
before Britz had finished his task, tho
doctor, In sheer weariness dropped
into chair and stayed there in silent
attention. But the detective remain
ed on his feet. immutable the In
carnation Of will itself. and slowly.
cautiously. persistently piloted that
darkened intelligence out of its depths
back to at least a cleaning of coher-
ent memory SO guided, so aided and
lifted along the difficult backward
path Martins mind reverted to In
stances that hung like stalactites from
the cavern ceiling of restrospection.
( 1t was In a lsh of intelligence, brief
| ly eliminated as a twinkle OF daylight
seen from the recesses of a cave, that
the old man recalled the great triumph
of his strange craft
81 have made diamonds, yes" he
said in response to a query from the
detective. swift and searching as a
rapier thrust, beautiful enough TO
/. hang about the neck of princess;
~ chohtsh " SiOiilg INC hul Vi
toiler in the fields but there was
one-ah!" His recollection reveled in
widening circles until its force was
spent For a long time. his hands
mouonless again, he sat gazing into
the past Britz, feeling that he was
on the edge OF an important disclos-
ure. waited patiently Fitch scarcely
hreathed
81 mind me-" the one-time curio
dealer resumed, "of the one great dia
mond that came as the grand reward
OF all my labor. All, that was a dia-
mond! But though It was a wonderful
achievement. dlshonored myself in
the making of II for" and faint
flush deepened on his parchment
face, 81 fashioned 1t for gaini''
Without an instants warning he
pushed away the bench. dropped his
face into his hands and gave way to
grief that moved equally the man long
hardened to dissection of the body
and the veteran crime hunter accus-
toned to vivisection of the soul Few
things are more terrible than to see
an old man weep. It is dual sur
of youth and womanhood Britt and
Fitch with difficulty controlled their
own emotions just for a moment. for
tears streamed over the ashen coun,
tenance OF the broken amateur al
chemist and his wasted form writhed
and rocked in convulsive sobs
81 have had my punishment" said
Martin when al last the tempest had
spent itself; but, oh the long years
the long years Of remorse, Urged
by poverty that enemy of seekers aft
er truth and beauty. succumbed to
the temptation the stranger held out
to me, | made the great diamond as
he desired-and I gave 1t to him for
his gold"
The doctor glanced swiftly at the
detective and started to speak. Britt
raised warning hand, and Fitch
checked his exclamation. Seating
himself for the first time the Central
Office man-the prober OF mysteries
laid his hand encouragingly on the
diamond-maker's shoulder, and said:
There now; don't let It distress
you so much. Other men have done
things far worse than thati"
Nothing could be worse" screamed
Martin. springing from the low stool
on which he sat and facing his visi-
tors In an agony Of abasement. II
sold the delight of my eyes, the light
Of my life, the star of my soul-the
queen OF all jewels, the purest, truest,
most beautiful diamond the world has
over knewni"
Yes" said the detective. but don't
forget It was yours to sell You had
right to do as you pleased with 1T"
81 had no such right" cried the al
chemist. That diamond was the
product Of my laboring hours I
brought 1t forth from the afr, the sun
shine, the silver water. the milk OF
the moon. as an Aphrodite is fashion
ed Of dew and mist 1t was not a mora
stone; 1t had thought and sense and
soul; It was miscrocosm of the
marvelous!"
Fitch could not hide his astonish-
ment at the learning and poetry the
fearfully agitated old man displayed.
Britz himself. had not his thoughts
been focused vigorously on his pur-
pose, would have stopped to wonder