The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1915-11-03

curves, skirting the edges of
sheer precipices, the buck
board sped on its thirty mile trip from
the south portal of the mine tunnel in
the mountain to the small depot that
was the nearest rail connection of the
mines with civilization. The drivers
face was wreathed with a cheerful
smile of appreciation at the honor he
felt was his in conveying so fair a
young woman and so odd and so in
teresting a parsonage as the foreign
of the blackboard.
Esther listened to the driver with
seeming attention. but her thoughts
were far away.
The old feud of the Stanleys would
not down. Girl as she was, Esther felt
inspired with blood hatred. which is as
strong as blOods more kindlier ties
and stronger. That Blair was in her
thoughts, more in contempt than fear,
while of his gypsy companion and ac-
complete, Luke Lowell, she thought not
at all, may not be strange if propin-
guilty has the subtle influence it is
supposed to have. As the blackboard
sped along toward the base of the
mountain Blair Stanley and Luke Low
ell had gained the mountain summit
in their long and arduous tramp from
the mine portal to the other side of the
range
Blair's fieldglasses were focused upon
Esther, it would seem, at the very mo-
ment her minds eye was focused upon
him.
There goes Estherr' cried Blair,
putting down the fieldglasses and
pointing to the blackboard that NOV
ed, mere speck to the naked eye,
along the road far down below. I'VE
can intercept her yet by dropping
straight down this cursedly steep
mountain" Blair added.
Luke grunted a suriy assent, and
the two desperate adventurers-the
gentleman, so called, and the gypsy
started down the rough, straight noun
tain trail at as brisk a pace as they
dared attempt. That Arthur Stanley
was or was not what he seemed was
wildered on the edge of a great secret
of which he had bat the faintest
glimpse and grasp. He only remem-
bered that Matt Harding, Hagar's long
dead husband, had trafficked with the
gentlefolk of Stanley hall and had
made his Gypsy fortune thereby.
Luke also knew that Esther had the
document that was the essence of this
Stanley secret. It also concerned the
diamond from the sky, Luke knew
Luke had no love for Blair Stanley. He
determined upon two things. One was
that no harm should befall Esther, for
whom Luke had long held wild affec-
ton. The other resolve concerned the
diamond. Seemingly the accompliee OF
Blair Stanley In his desperate schemes
to regain and possess it, yet In the back
of his mind Luke Lowell felt his deep
est joy would be when he throttled
Blair Stanley and tore the diamond
from his weakening grasp.
AS Blair and Luke speed down the
mountain over a rocky and half oblit
Grated trail to intercept Esther, Marina
duke Smythe, guiding himself by the
sun, plods along the road at the base
of the mountain. Marmaduke Smythe
is imbued with one idea. The idea is
that England, home and beauty" as
he expresses it to himself, lie to the
east. So at sunrise he has faced the
east and plodded from his campfire,
carrying the suit case, his gun and the
deer head, which more and more he has
come to believe is bona fide trophy
of his prowess as hunter in the Amer
lean jungle. The diamond from the
sky means little or nothing to Marina
duke Smythe
How it came on the veldt | cannot
for the life of me imagine" he muses..
Il only know, Marmaduke Smythe, you
are a, bally ass to have ever left Eng
land TO find the Yankee heir to the
Stanley earldOm.''
These reveries were ended abruptly
by a succession of pistol shots. The
startled lawyer next heard pounding
clatter of .hoofs and the rattle of wheels
coming behind him.
''The savage Iroquois have tracked
me down. he cried. and stood stock
still too frightened tn move. And then