Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1916-02-07

from the sky-and an earldom farther
away than even distant Warwick
shire?
The diamond from the sky and the
earldom were not for her. They were
never To be the possessions Of her son
either, IL would seem
Dead men lay between and a living
man. a wanderer and q fugitive. and
the earl, old and feeble. 4 helpless in
valid for years. still fingered Oh And
Arthur Stanley. prescribed as a muir
derer though he was. bore a charmed
life that stood bet her son aud
the earldom and the diamond from the
sky.
The diamond from the sky Itself was
gone. vanished from the sight OF man.
As for her son. that son vas infatu-
ated with a worthless woman Vivian
Marston would make a lit mate for
Blair Stanley. son she had borne aud
reared
But bitter as all these reflections
were. the Stanley pride was strong in
the breast of Blair's mother. Bad a.
he was. she thought. ii were better he
never possess the diamond from the
sky or the Stanley ear.irm with such
a woman 10 share these great posses
sions.
And then the judges widow saw
coming toward her IIagar Harding.
the present mistress Of Stanley hail.
AT the sight OF Hagar Mrs. Stanley
stiffcnei. and instinctivciy all The old
hopes and All the old hatrcds lcared
again within her withcrcd breast. She
rose rs il t~enter her house AMI ignore
IIagar. but Hagar stayed her with "A
gesture.
gar In even tones. II have with me
the proofs hat ycur son and not Ar
thur Stanley Il guilty OF the murder
OF nr. Henry Ice" And she Indicated
with n meaning gesture tile fist black
portfolio she carried. the same porto
Ito Detective Blake had brought from
Richmond.
Hush whispered the judges wild
ow tenSely. Come inside" And she
lcl her strange guest within the por-
tails Of her home and up 10 the living
room.
Here Hagar without n further word
showed her the photographs OF the
thumb prints left by the murderer In
Dr. Lees study ana the photograph OF
the returned ~dishonored check, with
the fatal inky thumb print OF Blair
Stanley resting against his signature.
as though he had attested 10 II.
Il will get my son He Is ONE
where about the house. cried Mrs.
Judge Stanley. What II the price
YOU ask for your silence? | cannot
think you would come here except to
bargain"
My price Is an easy one." replied
Hagar. Il ask that you and all your
friends receive my daughter Esther
ana myself ia Fairfax. | have only
this to say: Deem me who you may.
my daughter Esther is OF as high birth
and blood AS the proudest families OF
Fairfax"
What you ask can he arranged, I
feel sure" said the judges widow. re-
gaining her cold composure. wait
here till ] find my son"
Mrs. Stanley bowed and hurried down
10 the porch. where she called loudly
for Blair. thinking perhaps he was In
the garden or at the stable.
Meanwhile Blair In the Tory hiding
place" behind the chimney had heard
every word that had been uttered In
the room. In his hands he clutched "A
mass OF bank notes. Thrusting them
In his pocket. he touched the spring
and pushed aside the swinging fire.
place n~oiselessly.
Hagar stood by the table. her hack
TO the fireplace. watching the door. Ia
her hands were the discriminating pho
tographs Of the thumb prints Of Blair
Stanley.
As she turned ~ the sound OF Biair's
advance he struck her down with the
heavy iron poker. and She fell a. the
floor n though lifcicsS. ~ "A crumplcpI
heap.
As Blair STOPPED Ia seize the photo
graphs ~ his guilty thumb prints that
had fallen 10 the floor n CLEAN ~ steel
on the table caught his eve. II was
the sherif-s handouts that Vivian
MnrSton had brought ~ the house with
her and left for blair. rs she said
mockinCly. AS n souvenir OF III. white
knights leap"
Hagar moancl aud stirred. Blair
could hear his mother calling him In
the hallway now. lie seized the hnnl-
cuffs and claspcl them ~ the unr--
siSting wrists 81 IIn.Hr
Picking her NJ. he thrust her IN the
"Torv's hiding place" ami hastily
swung the wall back ~ position. Icav-
ing the unconscious AMI manacled form
Of Hagar imprisoned 10y the broken
open chest In the dnrkcncd niche.
Al this instant he heard ht mother
on the threshold and turned aud fed
with the photographs and the stolen
money by the door that led 10 the inner
ovIns nnd was gone.
Far nVyny a naI.~zF 49, r,#l. "a