The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1915-07-08

q; year of our Lord 1882. The fields
Z. are green, the early blossoming
of the honeysuckle gives q fra
.gralce to the air. At such a time, in
su L Il scene and such surroundings,
two hOrSenen meet. Both are men OF
striking appearance and proud pres
<,nce and are in the maturity of their
middle manhood. They are Stanleys,
cousins in blood. The one on the bay
hu- Ter, Judge Lamar Stanley, is
sn 9th of face, that is marked with
CT, i and Heavy lines. His face is
he 'sah and set, and the grim lines Of
hi cOuntenance set the grimmer at the
approach OF his kinsman, Colonel Ar
thu Stanley The latter rides his
chestnut saddler like a soldier Judge
st lley's seat is that of q huntsman.
E1 On as they ride they differ. Colonel
St.1iley's face is kinder. A white mus
tac-.e and imperial add to his soIdierly
appearance
In Richmond during the war Judge
Latlar Stanley had been high in the
councils of the cabinet of President
.Jer trson Davis. In the field lis
cou@in, Arthur Stanley, followed the
fortsnes Of thc Confederate arms is a
me Ilber OF the staff Of General Lee.
Crossing each other in love, crossing
each other IL martial, civic and social
am oitions, their mutual hatred grew
with their growing years. There were
de- causes for al this in the thwart-
ed social ambitions of the Judge. As
the scion of the elder branch OF the
AN arican Starleys, sTringing from
their COMMON ancestor, Sir Arthur
Sts LEY, gentleman atventlrer, who
care to America in 1915, Colonel Stan
ley 4feld possession of the precious fam
1y heirloom, the diamond from tho
Sky.
Lac family tradition ran that this
greet gem had fallen in a blazing me-
teoi at the feet of Sir Arthur Stanley
thr'e centuries ago Just as he was
about to be burned at the stake bv tho
lnctans, whom he had in some wav
affsNnted and aroused.
IAe legend was that the Indians had
deemed the falling meteor an omen
from the Great Spirit that the white
man about to be tortured was under.
The favor of his protection. This leo-
enc further stated that Sir Arthur
STANLEY himself had>so accented 4ba
d1a' tond from the sky as a token Of
supernatural favor, especially as The
IND ms had called it ''the fallen STAR,
and as "The Fallen STAR Sir Arthur
STANLEY himself had been called afta,.
MS oanishment from the court Of Kino
Games Of England for some wild esoo-
Pace of gallantry when he was bnt
turned of twenty-five.
1t the age stained family archives
KeI- IN the strong box at Stanley hall
the great mansion home Of Colonel
STANLEY there was the will of the wild
Sir Arthur, and at its end there was
sire nge prophetic clause. This clause
reaG that when the noble line of stan
aeys became extinct in England and an
ner OF the old Stanley earldom was
Sou@ht among the elder sons of tho
IAmorican family of Stanleys in yir-
tgln4a the diamond from the sky. tho
her age of the elder son of this older
branch, Should be borne and worn hack
20 ngland by the American earl when
ne came into his English earldom.
AT the time We Write-that is. ia
0unn, 1SS2-the last of the earls Of
STANLEY was a bachelor invalid and
Feclrse, without hope or desire Of an
heir.
Colonel Stanley had no son to suc-
ceed to the earlaom in England Ee
was married to'a fair young wife. who
expected shortly to become mother
We this child a girl it could have no
hop for the English great title in the
fam " nor to ever possess the diamond
from the sky.
O.. the other hand, Judge Lamar
Stan4ey had son, a sturdy bow of
three. His proud wife, equally with
himself, dreamed of day when this
boy should bear the honors and have
the vast estates Of the Stanley earl
dom and the wonderful, priceless dia-
moni from the sky.
AS the two horsemen, kinsmen and
bitter enemies, rode down upon each
other in smiling Virginia lane nel~
theg ,WeHld awefYg bis horse q hairs