The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1915-10-07
The Diamond
From the Sky
By ROYL. McCARDELL
Copyright, 1915, by Roy L. Mccardeh
Copyright, 1915, by Roy L. Mccardeh
CONTINUED from page 8. }

Continued from page 81
In the library an hour later DR.. Lee
stood over the shattered colonel. "Lis-
ten to the truth" said the doctor. ut
Is idle for you to rave. have told
you, you have aLeurSm Of the heart,
and another attack like this may be
your death. You cannot hope to live
to marry a wife who may yet bear you
a son."
II will never marry again.. cried
Colonel Stanley in anguish. Il have
loved but one woman. could love but
one woman, and she is dead: But, by
heavens. l will cheat Lamar Stanley
and all his brood. | have $4,000 in
yonder safe | will buy the male child
born to the gypsy woman. will hide
away Dly own flesh and Haod, my lit
tie daughter. and have her reared ten
derly, yet in secret. And the gypsyS
brat at my death shall be the Earl or
Stanley In England and possess the
diamond from the sky. That will be
fine for Lamar Stanley and his vermin
offspringr' And he laughed and shook
his hands in bitter rage.
II mean it. and you must help me.
You hate Lamar Stanley, for he ruined
you Nanny Lucy hates him. He
killed her twin brother in cold blood.
Conner
In the glow Of his campfire Matt
Harding gazed greedily at the wealth
beyond his widest dreams that Colo
mel Stanley had reused him from bis
ftful slumber to pour into his lap.
Hagar. reused from her fevered
dreams, felt her babe being lifted from
her bosom. The rural gypsy husband
and father seized her by the throat as
she feebly struggled. He gagged and
bound her hastily as he might and
emerged painting from the tent. carry
ing the swaddled babe which he hand
ed to the colonel and the doctor.
Does my wife object?' he asked to
the doctors question. "Say, governors.
she would sell every child she expects
to have for half the money. Well be
twenty miles away by sunrise and f1f-
ty miles more by another day. Well
be gypsy kings aud queens and you'll
never hear of us again.
Back at Stanley hall the doctor and
the colonel entered secretly by the IL
brary window and bore the babe up
stairs to the waiting nurse. Reluctant
ly and yet resolved like all the rest,
the faithful colored nurse arrayed the
gypsy child in fine linen and hung
about its neck 1.-The diamond from the
sky" while the little daughter. born to
Stanley hall. whimpered beside its fair
dead mother.
In answer to the summons to STAN
ley hall came Judge Stanley, the kins-
man enemy and the English barrister.
It was strange group that gathered
In the colouel's library. the English
barrister. the ~rlm. bitterly disappoint-
ed judge. silently facing Dr.. Lee and
Colonel Stanley.
A pull at the bell rope and the weep
ing colOred nurse entered the library
bearing the black haired, dark eyed
babe. male child in Stanley hall, pre-
sumptive heir to an English earldom,
and blazing on its breast was the dia-
mond from the sky.
Over the gypsy campfire within the
sound Of human call from Stanley
hall bereft and frenzied mother tore
herself loose from her bonds. Like
tigress, she threw herself upon her
husband and demanded her child.
When he told her of the bargain and
showed her the money that came from
It she cursed him and the gold and,
seizing jagged burning billet from the
fire, she struck Matt Harding down
and, leaving him prone on the ground,
she rushed to Stanley hall to regain her
frstborn.
The gypsy reused himself from the
stunning blow and FASTENED after her
ere she could spoil all his greedy