The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1912-07-26
CHAPTER 1.
In the Diamond Horseshoe.

tan Opera House was In confusion
The cry, half suppressed. broke the
spell peculiar to a Faust" night. The
somewhat portly Marguerite. heI
voice soaring like q cage-born bird
suddenly freed, was decking her ma
ture person with the gllstening 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 a freer motion, struck
the slenderest 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 fire 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. q deou
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 q corner
of the box, making room for the man
who sprang TO Mrs. Missioner's aid.
Before another moment sped, Curtis
Grtswold 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, a 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
. 7oup.
Continue! Continued" the singer
I sged, as she bent her gaze from the
box to the conductor.
What's the matterf Go on! Go
on" the stage manager cried In un-
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
sisles In an elemental fury OF self
preservation. Mere prolongation OF
the situation without that terri
bic tocsin might have ended in a
smaller panic But the liquid tones
of the soprano soaring again In the
pyrotechnics Of the Jewel Song re-
claimed the attention of the audience.
The conductor, evidently eager to hide
his own momentaTy loss of pOise, fair
ly lifted his men through the intri-
oacies of the accompaniment
Promptness of action by the stage
manager 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. |
Griswold, still on his knees, rescued |
the greater number. Sands, q man of |
action as we'll as of millions, picked |
UP the larger gems. Miss March |
ehrank 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 glance |
from the dark stranger In the next |
box directed the searchers toward |
still another part of the floor, and |
every move was rewarded by the re-
covery of a cleaning stone. One by
one, by twos, by threes, the diamonds |
were gathered. and still the search
went on. Fast as they scooped them
UP, Sands and Griswold poured the
glittering treasure into Mrs. Mis-
sioner's lap.
Are they all thereH" asked the
millionaire.
NO. no." answered the widow.
"There are several more Please look
egain-look everywhere. Dorothy,
help me count them"
Griswold and Sands renewed their
search, peering into the remotest cor
ners. pushing chairs about, looking, /
reaching, 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
Kaflrs 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
90 maintain the brilliance of that big
Jewel show. They send their dia-
monds and rubies and emeralds and
sapphires, their pearls and opals and
sold. 10 CLEAN on the heads and
breasts and gowns Of women whom
the industry Of one generation. OF the
stock-market luck Of another. has
crowned with riches. A night az the
opera IS a parade Of the wonders
gems can work and Of that which, too