The Ekalaka eagle. [volume] (Ekalaka, Mont.) 1909-1920, 1915-06-04

'lON. =.
Our young gcntlcman's first words
informed me that his discoveries coh
corning the wicked colonel and the dla-
mond had begun with a visit when ne
had paid before he came to us TO HIS
fathers lawyer at Hampstead.
chance word dropped 10y Mr..
when the two were alone one day ai'-
err dinner revealed that he had oee''
charged by his father with a p1r'n'
dav present to be taken to Miss Rachei.
One thing led to another. and 1t ehde"
in the lawyer mentioning what !"
present really was and how the lr!eio
)v connection between the late coioliet
and Mr.. Blake, ST.. had taken its flse'
The facts here are really so eAtia"A
binary that l doubt If ! can trus. NY
own language to do justice to thein'
I prefer trying to report Mr.. Ffanh-
Inns discoveries as nearly as may W
in Mr.. Eranklin's w words.
"You remember the time, be''e'-
edge" he said, "when my father WAC
irving to prove his title to that ui-
lucky dullelom: Well, that was aiso
the time when my uncle Herncas.'e
returned from India. My father us
covered that his brother-in-laW was III
possession of certain papers winch
were likely to be of service to MN n,
his lawsuit. >Hc called on he olole'
on pretense of welcoming him Dach y
England. The colonel was not to pe
deluded in that way. You wan some
thing he said, or you would never
have compromised your reputation NY
calling on me- My father saw the one
chance for him was to show his manu-
He admitted at once that he Wanteo
the papers. The colonel asked TOT IL
day to consider his answer. HIS ah-
swer came in the shape Of a most eA-
tr%aordinary letter, which my friend the
LAWYER showed me. The colonel began
nv saving that he wanted something Oh
nv father and that he begged to pro-
pose an exchange Of friendly services
between them. The fortune OF war
that was the expression he used-haa
placed him in possession OF one OF 'ne
) largest diamonds in the world, and ne
had reason to believe that neither ne
, nor his precious jewel was safe In any
t house in any quarter of the glope
2 which they occupied together. lndel
these alarming circumstances ne had
2 determined to place his iamon IN the
f keeping of another person. That per
!, sen was not expected to run any risk
e He might deposit the precious stone
t in any place especially guarded anC
set apart-like a bankers or jewelers.
4 strong room-for the safe custody O.
valuables of high price. His main per
sonal responsibility in the matter wa:
to be of the passive kind. He was U
9 undertake, either by himself or by
" trustworthy representative, to receive
g at Il prearranged address on certain
prearranged days in every year a nor
e from the colonel simply stating tn
D. fact that he was a living man at tina
n late. I'm the event of the date passln!
70 over without the note being received
T the colonel's silence might be taken a
a sure token of the c%olonel's death d.
murder. In that case. and in no Other
certain sealed instructions relating t
IL, the disposal of the diamond and dc
- posited with it were to be opened an
followed implicitly. If my father chos
~. TO accent this strange charge the colo
nel's papers were at his disposal i
;. return. That was the letter.
nj 'My father" he said. "got the paper
w he wanted. and never saw his brother
in in-law again. from that time. Yea
after year. on the prearrangcd day:
the p~rear"nngel letter came from IN
Mt colone! and WAS opened by the lawye
~ have seen the letters in Il heap. a
of them written in the same brio
n, hus;uesslikc form of words: 'Sir-Th
NJ is to certify that | am still a hvln
or man. Let the diamond be. John Herr
ar CASTLE That was all he ever Wrot
~, and that came regularly to the dl,
49, until some six or eight months sine
~. when the form of the letter varied fl
the first time. 1t ran now: 'Sir-Th(
=" tell me l am dying. Come to me al
-: help me to make my Will The laWy'
- went and found him in the little subj
ban villa. surrounded by its ON
- grounds. where he had lived alone ev'
at since he had left India. He b%equeath'
10y the moonstone as Il birthday present
his niece on condition that my faith
--
us . would act as executor. My father
'" first refused to act. Oh second though
vi however, he gave way, partly becau
''' he was assured that the eXcutorsh
would involve him in no trouble; part
because the lawyer suggested, in X
chefs interest. that the diamond mig
III be worth something after all.
I''t You have heard about the colono
Jul will: now YOU must hear what happt
ed after the c%olonel's death. 1t W
ma formally necessary to have the d
SIX mond valued. before the will could
SIX proved. All the jewelers. consulted
once confirmed the %colOnel's ASSERT
n a that he possessed one of the largest d
monds in the world. Conceive my
full theirs establishment! He had ht
s. within a hairs breadth of refusing