, 1916-12-07

my W use. We bobbed and grinned
In front OF each other.
Rather let's us stay here. We are
getting house ready" said Gladys
"Oh. yes!' said l.
You didn't get my letter at Para?"
No: l got no letter"
I've told William all about YOU.
said she. I'VE have no secrets. aui
so sorry about 1t. But 1t couldn't have
been so very deep. could 1t, II you
could go off to the other end Of the
world and leave me here alone? You're
not crnbby. are your"
No, no.. not at ALI I think I'll CO."
l was through the door when a
Fantastic impulse came upon me, and
went back TO my successful rival.
Twin you answer a question: i
asked.
We'll, within reason" said he.
How did you do it? Have you
searched for hidden treasure. or dis.
covered a pole. or done time on a
pirate, or flown the channel, or WHAT
Where is the glamour of romance?
How did you get it?'
He stared at me with a hopeless ex.
preston upon his good nat.
ured, scrubby little face.
Don't you think all this is a little
too p~ersonal?' he said.
well, just one question: | cried
What are you? What is your pro-
fession?"
81 am a solicitors clerk" said he
second man at johnson & Merivale's,
Al Chancery lane"
Good night" said / and vanished.
like all disconsolate and broken heart
ed heroes, into the darkness. with
grief and rage and laughter all sim.
mering within me like a boiling pot.
One more little scene and | have
done. Last night we all supped at
Lord John Roxton's rooms. and. sitting
together afterward, we smoked in good
~comradeship and talked our adventures
over. 1t was strange under these al
tered surroundings to see the old. well
known faces and figures. There was
Challenger, with his smile of cOnde-
scension, his dropping eyelids, his intol-
Grant eyes, his aggressive beard, his
huge chest, swelling and putting as he
laid down b law to Summerlee. And
Summerlee, too-there he was with his
short brier between his thin mustache
and his gray goats beard, his worn
face protruded in eager debate as he
queried all Challenger's propositions.
Finally. there was u host, with his
rugged, eagle face and his cold, blue,
glacier eyes. with always a simmer of
devilment and of humor down In the
depths of them. Such is the last pic
ture of them that I have carried away.
1t was after supper In his own sane
tum-the room of the pink radiance
and the innumerable trophies-that
Lord John Roxton had something to
say to us. From a cupboard he had
brought an Odd cigar box, and this he
laid before him OF the table.
There's one thing" said he, that
maybe should have spoken about be-
fore this. but | wanted 20 know a little
more clearly where l was. No use to
raise hopes and let them down again.
But it's facts. no hopes, with us now.
You may remember the day we found
the pterodactyl rookery in the swamp
what? Well. somethin' in the lie of
the land o my notice. Perhaps 1t
has escaped you, so 1 will tell you. It
was a volcanic vent full of blue clay
The professors nodded.
"Well, now. In the whole world I've
only had to do with place that was
a volcanic vent of blue clay. That was
the great De Beers diamond mine of
Kimberley-whati 3, you see got
diamonds into my head. l rugged up a
c%ontraption to hold off those sinking
beasts, and l spent a happy day there
with a spud. This is what l got"
He opened his cigar box. and, tilt
ing it over he poured about twenty or
thirty rough stones
Perhaps you think l should have
l know there are a lot of traps for the
unwary and hat stones may be of any
size and yet Of little value where color
and consistency are clean off. There
fore l brought them back, and on the
first day at home / took one round to
Spink's and asked him to have 1t
roughly u and valued"
He took u pill box from his pocket
and spilled out Of 1t a beautiful gilt
tering diamond. one of the finest stones
that l nave ever seen.
"There's the result" said he. He
prices the lot at a minimum Of f20O,-
900. OF course 1t Is fair shares be-
tween us. l won't hear of anything
else. Well. Challenger, what will you
do with your fifty t~housandT"
IF you really persist in your gen
erous view" said the professor, II
should found a private museum, which