The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1911-03-16
i HE DIAMOND SHIP
MAX PEMBERTON
Author of Doctor Xavier" 1.-The Hundred
Copyright Appleton

at night what had happened during the
day In this dismal world of politics and
an; lie monde GU son amuse by calling
those who differ from you knaves and
decrying all merit save that which
makes its particular appeal to you.
Rarely then did I find her in that
merry mood OF girlhood in which I
caught her--,how long it seemed ago
at the fete, at Kensington. If her face
betrayed the seas dover of heightened
coior and eyes unspeakably dark. she
mad boone less the child and more the
woman, and she lived as one tortured
between two mills of doubt-knowing
the past and fearing the future, but
unctNFs ious of the present. Between
US there stood the impossible barrier
OF the truce we arrived at upon the
deck OF my yacht, White Wings. I
was never again to tell her what she
was and must be to me--never to speak
or mans love prevailing above all
else, more precious to him than all
else under Gods fair sky; never to
speak of 1T until l could carry the sec
ret TO her and say: This is your birth
right, such were the days of your child
mood" l had pledged my word. and
the BOND was honor Time might re-
deem IL or time might bring the ultim-
ate misfortune upon mel knew not
nor mad the courage to prophesy.
SO London became the city of my de-
sire, and in London my work began. To
say that labored at it necessarily, in
deed, is to do little justice to actually.
The mystery went with me wherever l
turned. 1 wrestled with it through
nights of bitter dreaming; 1t followed
me to the streets. to the theaters, to the
houses of my friends. It prevailed
above every other occupation; II would
start up even in the blue eyes which
would envelop little Joan herself as a
veil which hid her true self from me:
1t would stand out black and clear upon
every page wrote-a sentence irrevo-
cable, the very apotheosis of the tor
ture of doubt. The secret or the years
or darkness said the voice. i hid
myself from the light and still ! heard
It's message. 1t spoke to me above the
city's clamor and hum OF throngs The
secret, or the night! What an alter
native was that
We had made a fair passage home
from the Azores and come straight TO
London. Losing none Of the precious
hours, l went Immediately to Scotland
Yard, and from Scotland Yard to a
friendly Minister'S room at Whitehall,
and there / told this story as IL is
written in this book and as time has
not changed it, If / met with incred-
ulity, blame no one. Ny cables home
had warned the police OF much
that l would tell them, and more that
remained mere surmise. Murray HIM
self-my old friend Murray, whose
suppositions had sent me upon an err
rand as strange as any in his calendar
Murray assured me that the police of
France, OF Germany, OF America, and
of Portugal were already advised OF
that which he'd been done, and of the
evidence upon which it was being done
But even he had begun to lose faith
I'VE have searched the houses you
named in Paris" he said, land there
are half dozen men under lock and
key. They have arrested five in Ber-
lin, and the world has read the story
OF the coup made In New York. To be
frank with you, that is all we can do
Imroth appears in none of these sue
cesses. He is not named anywhere.
There is no trace of him-not a word,
or letter. or trinket. The Governor
of the Island of Santa Maria declares
that the mines there are just what
they pretend to be; that he has been
over them with General Fordibras. and
that he finds the general very simple,
soldierly gentleman. AS to your Dia-
mcnd Ship-they will believe in that
when she comes to port. l have traced
the various steamers you have named
to me. and their papers are in all cases
correct To be candid, DR.. Fabos, If
Imroth himself had come to this office,
/ should have no evidence to offer
against him. There is only one of his
company threatened, so far, by your
revelations, and she is Miss Fordibras."
We laughed together, as.d i showed
him at once that ] was not disappointed.
You are face to face with a master"
/ exclaimed, land you expect to find
child's toys in his hands. II Valentine
Imroth Is to be hanged by any thieves
den in Germany or in Paris--to say
nothing Of London-then is he q hun
dred miles from being the man I met
at Santa Maria. or that man who COM
mands the Diamond Ship. Do not
believe it. Murray. The success of this
organization is a success of delegation.
Nine out of ten, men in Imroth's en-
ploy have never heard his name, never
seen him, or become aware Of his ex-
istence. The greater rogues, who form
his cabinet. are as little likely to be
taken in any, :. Cafe des Assassins as
Imroth himself Is likely to make a
speech at Westminster. We have
touched the fringe Of splendid IA
brio, but threads of 1t only are In our
hands. Today, at the Admiralty, Sir
James Freeman tells me that q second
cruiser will be dispatched to the South
Atlantic next week. If they discover.
the derelict, I shall be astounded. Ask
none. It Is mere premonition Sit
ting here in London. can depict that
sagging hulk as clearly as II I watched
her from the deck OF my own yacht.
She is drifting there. peopled by devils.
a ship Of blood and death-drifting
God knows where, without hope or idea
or haven. She may so drift to the Day
of Judgment, but man will never dis
cover her. That is my belief have
no reason for tt admit freely that
It is ridiculous"
Murray did not quarrel with my point
of view, but assuredly he could not
help me. No trace Of Imroth had been
discovered; Fordibras had not been
arrested, nor had any news Of him
come from, Santa Maria. The house
there, understood, was shut up, and
the so-called miners had left many
weeks ago In steamer for Europe.
The most diligent search had revealed
none of those caverns of treasure
which l believed (and still believe) to
exist. There were implements for
drilling and blasting. FORCES, cranes
and cartridges. but of secret habita-
ton, none. The Valley House was de-
clared to be an Americans within, the
passage one of old existence,
and perfectly well known to every in
habitant. Such simplicity I judged
to have been bought at a handsome
price. Gold alone could have set these
peoples tongues wagging SO pleasantly.
They were bought to a man, Muir
ray / said; land unless we care to