Arizona republican., 1915-08-29

others eyes. he added surlily. Hager's gone daffy; that's why she told me. Rut she don't talk to anybody now, and I know she didn't tell anybody else. They would only think she was raving if she did Mrs. Stanley has taken her to Richmond to an asylum. Mrs. Stanley has the girl Esther with her. They are at Mrs. Randolph's. where the ball was" adds Luke
 John Powell" breathed a sigh of relief. Then all Is well with Esther, at least. He does not question Lowell further. realizing ifLovell knew aught concerning Esther the gypsy would have blurted it out.
 And so Luke Lowell, gypsy blackmailer and " John Powell,' sheep herder, part. But the gypsy goes across the desert to the nearest desert town and railroad station he searches, ever searches, for the diamond from the sky. He has not told John Powell" of the diamond; even now he half believes that it was but a hgment of his heat crazed brain.
 Some miles across the desert travels a desert Indian family They have two horses. One the buck rides al his ease. and the other drags a travois-the two rude poles fastened to the horse. the ends of which drag across the desert, and lashed to the poles are the Indians goods and chattels. Beside the travois trudges the squaw. On her back her papoose sleeps. strapped to its board. in the sun. Across the desert the travois scratches its way. The eyes of the sQuaw fall upon the fresh tracks that it makes A little spray Of sand sprinkles over something that glistens brightly in the The squaw stoops down and gathers up the diamond from the sky and wakes her papoose to shake the new found gleaming trinket plaything be- fore its beady eyesl
 So the days pass in Virginia and Cali forna alike. John Powell" ceases to bF sheep herder, and taking with him nearly S10O,0O0 cash in his battered old valise. un known to any man. he bids good-by to hi' friends at the sheep ranch and, pausinA only in Los Angeles to buy a becoming outfit of business clothes. he goes to tho adjacent oil fields to. as he says to himself grimly, buy himself rich,
 He writes to Esther, guardedly and with out signature from Los Angeles. The let ter reaches Esther in the nick of time Mrs. Randolphs maid gives it to her. in forming her that Mrs. Stanley has issued orders that if any letter should come to Esther that it be delivered to Mrs. Stanley first
 The prosecutions of Blair Stanley have become intolerable. And when Esther has gone defantly to Blair's mother Mrs. Stan ley has taunted her With the cruel retort that she. Esther, is baggar on the bounty of the mother of the man who honors her with an offer of marriage! Further. Mrs. Stanley jelly reminds Esther that since Hagar has lost her reason no trace of the supposed wealth Of Hagar be found. The operation necessary to restore BaSar's mind will cost s1.O0O. If Esther accepts Blair, Mrs. Stanley informs her. this money will be forthcoming and the operation will be performed.
 It is the point of Esther's tongue to speak and declare herself for what she is. the legitimate daughter of the late Col. Stanley and the heir at least of the de- pleted estate of Stanley hall. But she coun- sels herself to the wisdom of silence. For Arthur Stanleys sake-though, in truth, he is not Arthur Stanley, but Hagar Hardings son-Esth ther keeps silent of what she knows of her true status and the written proofs in her dead fathers handwriting that she has hidden at Stanley hall concerning all this. She bows coldly to Blar's mother and walks away with head erect.
 Safe in her room, she impulsively resolves to seek out Arthur and tell him all She takes the vase of roses and places it the window sill That night Quabba waits. shaded from the moon by the wistaria vine, at the side of the Randolph mansion. That night a girlish figure chambers resolutely from the window and down the vines. and Esther Stanley is gone with a hunchback with all her devoted heart-over the hills and far away!
 fro BE CoNTINUED.1