The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1915-11-11
THE
DIAMOND FROM
THE SKY
Continued from Second Page)

and his accomplice, the dapper Count
de Vaux, who had so strangely pro-
jected themselves out from Yivian's
past, lured by the strange rumors that
had reached the upper tendon of the
crook world regarding the fabulous
value of the diamond from the sky
and its last appearance among men in
the last train robbery.
If everybody has a past it be-
hooYes no one to ask awkward ques-
tons. Blair, sullenly at times and
again with some show of fellowship,
accepted association with the debonaire
and polished Durand and the dapper
and cunning Count de Vaux. But alone
with Vivian, Blair made his muttered
protests.
These old friends Of yours have their
nerve" he growled. ITO hear them
talk you would think that once they
got their hands upon the diamond it
would be booty of the diamond pack,
to be sold abroad and the money divid-
ed. / like their impudence. Blast
longs to me lawfully, if Arthur Stanley
dies, and that it will belong to me, and
I will give it to you if I can ever get
my hands upon it, whether he lives or
dies?
Now, do keep your temper, my dear
boy" eoaxed Vivian. I'VE are in no
position to let Durand and De Vaux
suspect anything Especially must they
never suspect that the man they know
or have heard of as John Powell is
Arthur Stanley. They would black
mail him all for themselves. As it is
now. we need the help of such capa-
BILE pair in getting all we can of the
Powell millions, on share and share
alike arrangement But the diamond
wen fight for that when it is found.
fancy, Blair. my dear, you and / will
be a match for our clever friends, Du-
rand and De Vaux, when it comes to
the question of who will get the dia-
mond."
Blair grinned his appreciation of Wv
ian's subtle plan, and seemingly he
worked hand in glove with ''the pack"
from that on.
1t was pay day at Mammoth. Nam
moth, as Peter Huff would say, was
'some burg" Mr. Huff should have
known; he was the proprietor of Pete's
Palace, the one amusement and. public
accommodation enterprise at Mann
moth. 1t was dance hall and bar
room and a restaurant combined. Mon
ey flowed like water at Mammoth,
which was i'm the center of the newly
opened mines in the mountains where
John Powell and other magnates were
putting in more money than perhaps
they ever would get out, as is so often
the case with mines.
But things We're at a lull when Frank
Durand arrived. He had received word
from some underground source that
several of the train robbers who had
escaped after the holdup in which tn
diamond from the sky was taken from
a woman -Vivian-consortet
at Pete's Palace at Mammoth. A few
signs in the underworld fraternal cod
and Pete and Durand were in confer
ence. A few words overheard by +:
hulking gypsy fellow at the bar and !:
third person was party to the con
versation. This person.Was Luke Low
ell, who, retracing his steps in searcl
of work, had encountered at Mammoth
I the wandering desert Indian. In hin
Luke had proof to substantiate to Du
rand his story of the diamond from
| the sky.
Its at the bottom of the seal" con
Guided Luke gruffiy.
Mammoth would seem magnet tina
draws together many concerned in thi
strange story From two worn horse
alight Esther and Quabba, tired ant
hungry. Pete's Palace is getting crowd
| ed now, but it is the only place il
| miles that offers refreshments for maj
| and beast, and some of the men arr
beasts. One of these leans against the
lunch counter and leers at the wor1
and exhausted girl who has entered
with the foreign looking little bunch
back.
Arthur, speeding through the wilder
ness in his high powered car, that goes
direct and leaves train systems far be
hind, has picked up a strange wanderel
in the wilds-an exhausted English
lawyer, carrying deer head by a strap
handle and too tired to talk.
Pete's Palace fills up; the dance is al
its height. Arthur, who as John Pow
ell has furnished. as an employer, most
of the money that is being spent in
Pete's Palace, arrives with the tired
lawyer for refreshments ere speeding
on in his feverish search for Esther
He has not raised his eyes at the door
when there is an outbreak by the coun-
ter that attracts the attention of all
A man has grasped the shrinking Els
Their, saying, "Come on, kid, and
dance!' As he clutches her the neck
of Esthers blouse is loosened, and the
diamond from the sky bangles. blaz-