The Ekalaka eagle. [volume] (Ekalaka, Mont.) 1909-1920, 1915-11-05
The God Of the Moon.


cousin under pressure of ne
cessity to Mr.. Luker.
Mr.. Luker would consent to
lend Mr.. .Ablcwhite the sum Of $4,000
on condition that the moonstone was
to be deposited with him as a pledge.
II at the expiration Of year from
that date Mr.. Godfrey Ablewhite paid
$4,000 to Mr.. Luker he was to receive
back the diamond rs a pledge redeem
ed. If he failed to produce the money
at the expiration Of the year the pledge,
otherwise the mOOnstOne, was to be
considered as forfeited to Mr.. Luker,
who would in this latter case gener-
ously make Mr.. Godfrey a present Of
certain promissory notes Of his relat-
ing to former dealings, which were
then in the money lenders possession.
Mr.. Luker drew out the necessary
documents on the spot. When they
We're signed. he gave Mr.. Godfrey Able
white two checks. One, dated June %,
for 600. Another, dated a week or,
for the remaining balance-f1,70O.
How the moonstone was trusted to
the keeping of Mr.. Luker's bankers,
and how the Indians treated Mr.. Luker
and Mr.. Godfrey, after that had been
done, you know already.
The next event in your Cousins life
refers again to Miss Verinder. He pro-
posed marriage to her for the second
time-and, after having been accepted,
he consented, at her request, to con-
slider the marriage as broken off. One
of his reasons for making this conces-
sion has been penetrated by Mr.. Bruff.
Miss Verinder had only a life interest
in her mothers property, and there was
no raising the missing 100000 on that.
But you will say, he might have
saved the $4,000 to redeem the pledged
diamond, If he had married. He might
have done so, certainly-supposing nei-
ther his wife nor her guardians and
trustees, objected to his anticipating
more than half Of the income at his
disposal, for some unknown purpose,
In the first year of his marriage. But
even If he got over this obsatcle there
was another waiting for him in the
background. The lady at the villa had
heard of his contemplated marriage.
She felt the utmost contempt for MI.
contempt If he made a handsome pro-
vision for her. Otherwise, 1t would be
contempt with a tongue to it. Miss
Verinder's life interest allowed him no
more hope Of raising the "'proyision"
than of raising the 100000.
How he tried his luck again with an
other lady and how that marriage also
broke down on the question Of money,
you know already. You also know of
the legacy of $4,000, left to him shortly
afterward, by n of those many ad-
mirers among the soft sex whose good
graces this fascinating man had con-
trived to win. That legacy, as the
event has proved, led him to his death.
I have ascertained that when he went
abroad, on getting his $4,000, he went
to Amsterdam. There he made all the
necessary arrangements for having the
diamond cut into separate stones. He
came back. in disguise, and redeemed
the moonstone on the appointed day. A
few days were allowed to elapse, as a
precaution agreed to by both parties,
before the jewel was actually taken
out of the bank. II he had got safe
with it to Amsterdam there would have
been just time between July. 1849, and
February, 1850, when the young gen-
tleman came Of age, to cut the diamond
and to make marketable commodity,
polished or unpublished, Of the separate
stones.
I have only to remind you, before
closing this report, that there is a
chance Of laying hands IN the Indians
and of recovering the moonstone yet.
They nre now there is every reason to
believe, on their passage to Bombay
in an East Indiaman.
I have the honor to remain, dear sir,
your obedient servant, Richard Cuff,
late sergeant in the detective force,
Scotland Yard, London.*
'Note.-Wherever the report touches on
the events of the birthday or of the three
days that followed it. compare with Bet
teredge's Observation-Disclosures III to Nv.