Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1914-08-02
THE SUNDAY STORY
A HARD
DIAMOND
By EVERETT P. CLARKE =,
By EVERETT P. CLARKE


for a long while its only possessor. he
went to South Africa with his wife
and two little children to make his for
tune. leased some land and began to
hunt for diamonds. he picked up
nothing but very small stones for
awhile till one day he found one Of
extraordinary size. II was as big as
ian acorn.
Rainsley was unwise enough to show
the stone to John Bradner. a neighbor.
Indeed, be was not sure it was a dia-
mond until Bradner told him so.
The next day Rainsley was surpris-
ed Mt visit of Bradner with a consta-
BILE who had a search warrant for the
diamond, Bradner having put in a
claim that the stone had been found
on his land and he was the rightful
owner. Mrs. Rainsley, taking in the
situation and knowing that what they
sought was in her own bureau drawer,
took 1t when the searching party was
at another part Of the house and drop
ped 1t in a chink between two logs Of
which the house was built
The diamond was not found.
Joe Rainsley and his wife now had
problem before them. The stone was
q fortune IN itself. but unless they
could get 1t away it would be of no
Use>to them.
After considering many ways they
bit upon one which they hoped would
be successful. They determined to
leave their home, taking with them
the scanty supply of household goods
they possessed. Their living room
was decorated with rough plaster
head and shoulders of a child. Mrs.
Rainsley, who had some artistic skill,
made a replica of this and while the
plaster was soft embedded the dia-
mond in its center. Then she broke
the original into fragments, which she
buried in the ground.
Though Bradner and his officials
knew Of the Rainsleys departure, they
made no effort to recover the diamond.
The family went to the coast, whence
they sailed for America. They would
have been willing to pay the duty on
the diamond. but feared that Bradner
had sent an agent with them to at
tach it II they did so and to inform
the customs officers that they were
smuggling it into the country If they
didn't.
On the steamer with them was a
young Englishman named Cults, who
= won Mrs. Rainsley's good will by pay
ing especial attention to little Tommy
Rainsley, aged four years, and in this
way became intimate with the family.
! Cults talked a great deal about how
to outwit customs officers. Mrs. Rains
LEY placed such confidence in his meth
DDS and experience in smuggling that
she asked him If he had ever thought
. Of concealing small dutiable articles
in plaster ornaments. Cults said that
he had not but thought it would be a
. good way. Then he began to talk
about plaster casts, harping on the sub
b. Iect till Mrs Rainsley grew suspicious
, and, her suspicious once being aroused
!, she was soon sure that Cults was
Bradner's agent and would inform
. the customs officers that they were
smuggling a diamond concealed in
, plaster image.
The night before reaching port they
O smashed the image, and Rainsley con
r cluded to carry it in his mouth. As h'
- and his wife and children stepped
u ashore they were invited into room
r where all their baggage was taken
|. The baggage having been carefully ex
amlned, they were all searched, bu
nothing discovered. Rainsley had tn
stone we'll tucked away far back oil
one side of his mouth and gave no evi
Il ldence in speech or otherwise Of its be
a Kng there. He was congratulating him
t self that he had got his fortune safel.
e through when he was arrested on
n charge made by Cuts that he ha'
n stolen money from him. Cults declaI
2 ed that he had lost bank bills. the nun
Ders of which he gave. One of tn
bills was found in Rainsley's pocket
book. Cuts had put it there. Rains
ley was taken to jail.
Mrs. Rainsley followed her husban
to the jail and went with him to hi
cell. After he was locked in she aske
leave to kiss him goodby. This wa
granted. and the lips of husband an
wife were glued together and the dis
i. mond passed from the husbands mout
0 to the wifes.
The next day Cults secured privat
interview with Rainsley. telling hir
that he was sure OF conviction an
would be sent TO state prison for
term of years. Cults admitted that b
was Bradner's agent and for half IL
II terest In the diamond would withdra'
- the charge against him. Rninsley r.
e fused. Later Mrs. Rainsley called
l. see her husband and told him that 81
) had buried the diamond where no or
Of but herself could ever find 1t.
Is When Cults came again to the ia
Rainsley told him that Mrs. Rainsle
TO had put the diamond where no or