River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1913-12-25

| think there must be some malign
Providence that sends our enemies
across our paths just when we think
that We have put them out OF our lives
forever How else can one account
for the meeting between Sir julius
Robinson and Mary Boyd?
It happened aboard the Linlithgow,
one Of the older vessels or the Allan
&c passenger feet. There were not
many OF US, and We soon became init
mate The man in my cabin was, l
fancied, a Russian or Austrian by
birth he called himself Baron
Nikolai and seemed possessed Of I'M
limited wealth Sir julius Robinson
and Van Aam were South African
diamond magnates about to pay visit
TO America in order to float some COM
pany. and after the lights were turned
out In the smoking room the four OF
as played poker into the small hours
Of the morning in Sir Julius cabin.
Nlkolai always won: afterWard when
our association had become close. /
learned that cards were one means
whereby he made his living But that
S neither here nor there; if he took
rom the rich, he had supreme COM
passion for the poor. indeed, he
posed as a sort Of Robin Hood called
himself, whimsicalIy. leyeler of for
tunes, and claimed his own share az
mddleman in these transactions.
Sir Julius and Mary Boyd met on
The deck the second morning | saw
he fat man grow pale; he put one
hand out to steady himself against the
rail Of the ship and as the girl swept
by, not deigning to notice him, he
looked after her with a scowl. 1t
was Mary herself who told me of the
circumstances later
1t was a very simple story. Her
father had been one of the first dis
coverers of diamonds in the river
Vaal. Robinson and he had been
partners; when Boyd fell sick of ty-
phoid fever Robinson possessed himself
# his claim through some legal Chi
,anery. Boyd emerged from the hos
pital to find himself penniless. His
wife died in priyation not long after
ward, and Mary was adopted by a
poor family Of the district. She edu-
Gated herself, became a school teach
ar, fell in love with a visiting Ameri-
can, and was now on her way to
savannah, the terminal port of call,
to marry him.
Meanwhile Robinson grasping his
stolen prize, had flourished. He be-
came millionaire, was knighted, and
had put Mary Boyd out of his recollec-
lions.
When Nikolai heard the story his
eyes blazed.
Il have learned one thing in the
course of my experience, Summers, >
he said to me. NO man can sin and
get away With it. Somehow, some
where, Robinson will make restitu-
ton"
Who will compel him if the courts
can't?" | asked
II Will" he cried
1t was on that same evening that
Robinson, insolent and flushed with
wine, pulled from the inside of his
shirt silken cord at the end OF which
was hung a chamois leather bag. He
tossed it on the table and opened it. A
handful of brilliant pebbles tumbled
out
DO you fellows know what these
are?" he hiccoughed.
Uncut diamonds" replied Van Aam
sharply. Put them away and don't
be a fool, Robinson"
Why shouldn't be fool if I want
to-" demanded the millionaire. Il got
the coin, amt I? Can't | be a fool
il it amuses me? Yes, diamonds,
gentlemen; uncut, but worth a cool
half million. These are my samples
and if l can't float the biggest capita
ized company in the trade on the
strength of them, why I'll pitch them
into the sea. No, | won't either-Tll
hang them around pretty Mary Boyd S
neck for a love gift"
l longed to break his own neck.
Nikolai nudged me under the table
and. looking up | saw him frown
slightly. | understood the warning;
knew that he had conceived some
scheme which | must not spoil by pre-.
cipitate action.
Worth a cool half million, gentle
men, went on the millionaire, gather
ing up his samples "Pounds-not
dollars. Sometime I'll tell you how
| jumped old man Boyd's claim when
he was sick. / spose Mary's painted
me as black as Satan to you: what ?
Well. if l hadn't jumped his claim
he'd have jumped mine. Amt all fail
in business?" He took the last stone
in his hand and toyed with it thought.
fully. I'D give this to Mary for one
kiss he mumbled, but l know she
wouldn't do it, She's bounded me for
years and hates me like poison be.
cause | wont be blackmailed. Shed
want more than one-two, | reckon
Shut up, julie" said Van Aam, kick.
ing him. You've had too much cham.
payne"
The snip was rolling heavily in the
trough of the seas. 1t was the end OF
the tenth day; on the next we might
look for land As | turned into my
cabin l fancied that | smelled smoke
but l was dog tired from the long
play, and must have Undressed and
tumbled into bed without knowing
what l was doing, for the next thing
that / remembered, after turning the
handle of our door. was hearing the
sound of hurrying feet above us. The
next minute Nikolai was shaking me
by the shoulder.