The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1915-11-06
By ROY L. Me CARDELL

ed any more? Seventy thousand, sew.
enty thousand, seventy thousandr'
Homer Graydon. wealthy spend.
thrift that he was, grew ashen faced.
Seventy thousand dollars would tax
him TO raise. but Vivian Marston gave
him an alluring smile. and as his pride
was also at stake. he made an effort to
smile back at Vivian and nodded to
John Powell us If to say. go higher II
you cam
The rival bidder laughed recklessly.
Once more he felt all the daring care
lessness Of his wild youth as Arthur
Stanley of Stanley Hall.
Eighty thousand" he cried
Vivian was in a flutter of unholy de-
light to realize she was the inspiration
of the money mad rivalry between John
POWELL and Homer Graydon as they
eagerly bid for the bauble that had
been taliSman of death.
Eighty thousand | am bid by Mr..
Powell!' blanted the auctioneer.
Come, cCmc. Mr.. Graydon. DO not
let superstition stop you. The lion
would have killed the lady and the
jealous husband would have killed Sam
Santley even had this diamond not fig
ured in the case perhaps. All great
diamonds have their dramatic history.
Remember the Kohinoor and Orloff dia-
monds. This diamond may be lucky
stone for all we know despite what has
happened"
Arthur knew better. Blair knew bet
ter and so did Vivian and the English
lawyer, Smythe So did Durand. the
international diamond thief and swim
der And so did his accomplish and
jackal. the dapper Count de Vaux. But
Homer Graydon only knew that Vivian
Marston's favor depended on the dia-
mond.
"Eighty-fve thousand dollars!" he
cried; then he gulped and grew ashen
pale again. To raise $4,000 cash to
pay for this bauble to give n woman
would be his ruin.
Ninety thousand!' cried John Pow
ell.
Homer Graydon gave the auctioneer
| a negative jerk of the head in reply to
| his inquiring gaze.
Ninety thousand. Ninety thousand.
Are you all done? Ninety thousand
once! Ninety thousand. twice. Ninety
thousand, for the last timer He paus-
ed. "Going. going. gone! Sold to Mr..
John Powell for 100000
Arthur scrubbed check as the
crowd buzzed and swayed around him.
Vivian gave hysterical laugh and
clutched Arthur by the arm rs the auc-
tioneer handed him the diamond from
the sky. Then as the purchaser and
his little coterie of friends passed
through the dispensing crowd Vivian
| looked Homer Graydon In the face de-
him.
| In her room ut her modest hotel Es-
Their debated nervously with herself.
| The rank injustice done Luke. who
] hal been railroaded TO prison by the in
fuence of Blair Stanley and Frank
| Durand while Arthur had never inter
fered made her more bitter than she
had been at the strange attitude Ar
thur had taken toward her since his
recovery from his injuries. Rumors
that his mind was affected rs result
of his hurts were rife In Los Angeles,
where those who had formerly called
him 1.-THE golden man." now designated
Arthur as John Powell the mad mil
lionaire."
For herself she would never again
lntrude upon Arthur. surrounded as he
was by sycOphants and parasites who
worked him evil. But for Luke Lowell,
done great injustice, she would make
one last appeal before she returned to
Richmond and Iagar. The remorse
and contritlon Of Luke that he had
ever been disloyal to her and Hagar
Esther felt genuine. She determined
to take the English lawyer Smythe into
her confidence, and found occasion "a
send Quabba to Smythe with Il mes
sage.
Lawyer Smythe was also preparing
to leave Los Angeles. He had shipped
his precious deer head by express with
much mlsgiving and foreboding OF
harm Detailing II ere II reached his
dearly beloved England. where he was
shortly to follow. Like Esther, the &c
centric but loyal English lawyer was
becoming discouraged and dismayed a
p the puzzlinG conduct OF the American
heir. fugitive from justice in Nir
gin!a. fiourishing under the name Of
, John Powell, thousand leagues from
Stanley hall, Virginia.
~ confess Il Is an enigma to me-" h
' explained 10 Esther, "Of course. Blai
: - 49,. prUdor-Now then yo,