The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1915-07-22

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doctors gate. The footprints were of
well shOd men of small and shapely
feet, it was reported No passing rough
marauderS, no outlaw negro desper-
ADDE'S had part in the murder and rob-
berry in the doctors study, nor had any
such struggled In deadly combat in his
garden, it was whispered. The matter
was mystery as we'll as murder and
the morbid neighbors gathered in and
around the cottage Of the dead man
and whispered greedily.
Meanwhile the dazed and bleeding
Blair Stanley had strange home cont
ing in the night. His mother, that
proud, cold woman, worthy mate of
the grim judge who had persisted
strangely in wild mountain pass
nearly a generation agone, loved her
son seemingly only through her cold
ambitions.
you do not know when a day may
come that you may be in a position to
save the life Of the heir of Stanley"
she had said often significantly. Blair
understood his mother we'll.
1t was known by all the Stanleys
that the diamond from the sky had
vanished strangely the night Colonel
Stanley had expired alone in his IL
brary, this preceding by a few days
only the tragic death Of Judge Stanley
in the mountain pass, also, it was
thought, alone.
This was eighteen years ago, but the
Stanley feud was not dead with it's
protagonists, those elder men Of that
elder day. It Slumbered in the bosom
Of the younger generation. 1t smolder-
ed hidden, yet burning not the less, in
the bosom Of the judges taciturn wild
ow, Blairs mother. She had always
believed with a bitter suspicion that
encompassed all Of the long dead Colo
pel Stanley's friends that Dr. Lee had
taken the diamond from the sky in
the confusion attending the colonePs
sudden demise.
DR.. Lee was a relative Of Judge
Stanley's widow, for all the better
families of Fairfax We're of kith and
kin. The Judges widow believed the
doctor held the great diamond in his
secret custody if for nothing else than
to keep it from the hands Of the Judges
family through any legal process they
might attempt during the minority of
Arthur Stanley I'd.
Hence it was that when the nerve
shattered Blair, with ashen face and
bloody brow, confessed to his waiting
mother that he had seen the diamond
In DR.. Lees aged hands she was not
surprised. When he half 1ncoherently
admitted to her that the old doctor had
died In the struggle for the diamond
she expressed no compunction for the
doctors death Or revulsion at the deed
of her son that caused it.
But when he told her that Arthur
Stanley, the one life that stood be-
tween. them and all their ambitious
desires, had been in the grasp of Blair
did her mood Of austere interest change
to cold fury.
You need not add your reproaches
to my own" painted her son. But it
was luck, the devils luck, that all at
Stanley hall possess. I would have
killed him. 1t was in my mind, in nv
heart
But be wrested the pistol from nv
hand as though from the hand of
yard, down the deserted village street
to the graveyard to kill me and rob me
Of the diamond with the ease of a
giant
Well said his mother, eve must
hope for another, better chance. Mean
while if you are sure that your strue-
giles were not seen you had better lie
hidden until l can learn what suspi-
clons are aroused. If you are missed 1
Will say you are gone to Richmond.
Even If Arthur Stanley hears no more
OF you he will think still that he has
slain You. He will keep SILENT
CHAPTER vi.
Wanted For Murder.
WNHE flush of hope came back to
@ the ashen face Of Blair Stan
81 ley. Il remember now," he
said; eve trampled upon his
guitar in the doctors garden in our
struggles. He will be accused of caus-
ing the doctors death. And who will
believe him if he in turn blames me?
Il will keep hidden, as you say,
mother. The fact that he has the dia-
mond and the doctor had it in his keen
ing up to his death will damn him.
Thinking me dead, he may f1y-who
knows?'
His mother nodded, and then, seeing
the dawn was breaking by the growing
light outside, she crossed the room to
the old fashioned fireplace and eressed
hidden spring. With wondering eyes
Blair saw the whole fireplace from
hearthstone to ceiling turn as one GEN.
ter pivot and swing half out into the
room and half back into a great recess
ia the wall.
"A hiding place built by your Tory
greatgrandfather," said his mother.
Fairfax was all for the American
arms during the revolution, all EXCEPT
your great-grandfather. WASHINGTON
accused him of hiding and harboring
spies for King George; but, though
they searched here they never found
them," she added grimly.
In the niche behind the chimney
Blair noted small bench, or pallet.
reading lamp of old design, and sundrv
other crude comforts
Oh will find it comfortah]e
enough, remarked his mother
For one of the few times Blair could
remember his proud cold r,othar Sof+