The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1917-01-02

horror"
But here stopped her. saying
1t would be better for her not to
talk about it, and asked her to
walk to the bank with me.
On our way l explained the ma
ture and cause of my errand, and
why l wanted her present.
We paused long enough at a
jewelers. to see one of the wit
nesses l had in mind, and then
went on to find Struber waiting
on the bank steps.
He observed Miss Fox's pres
ence with some surprise. l vouch-
safed no explanations, merely re-
marking. Zone of my witnesses. p"
I'VE might as well go inside
and see Mr.. Hail." 1 added, nam
ing the bank president. II am
expecting someone else along
presently; We'll have to wait a
while"
Mr.. Hall greeted us affably.
Before l could offer a word to
account for our intrusion, the
gentleman for whom l was wait
ing arrived. He was a Mr.. Johan-
mes Aartsen, diamond buyer for
the jewellers where l had called
and regarded as one of the fore
most diamond experts in the Uni
ted States. He was short, stout,
elderly Hollander. After intro
auctions were made l addressed
the banker.
NOW then, Mr.. Hall, l want
first to get a package from my
safe-deposit box, then, IL it is
convenient, l would like for all of
us to retire to the directors room.
| shall not detain you long; but I
wish each of you to bear witness
to a statement / shall make, and
to something l have to show you"
made haste to secure the dia-
mond and rejoin them in the di-
rectors' room.
When l laid the crumpled ball
of tissue paper upon the table, of
those present Mr.. Aartsen alone.
l fancied, guessed the nature of
its contents. AS we seated our
selves, | caught a CLEAN of COM
prehension behind the Dutchman' 81
thick-lensed glasses.
Without delay l plunged into
my story. When l had finished |,
handed the diamond to the jew
eler.
Struber offered the first COM
ment.
"Phoney?" he asked in a mat
ter-of-fact tone.
Aartsen glared at him, but
Struber was in nowise abashed.
He added:
Must be the real thing. then"
l addressed myself to the ex-
pert: There seems to be no ques-
tion of the gems genuineness.
MIR. Aartsen: perhaps you can give
us an estimate of its probable
value"
"Value!" he growled. eff say
one hundred thousand dollars
maybe the first customer offer
you two hundred thousand =
maybe more, before somebody
else ged 1t. 1t is of little gonse-
quence. Not many men can buy
a diamond like this"
His next words fairly lifted us
out of our chairs.
What is of consequence isl
know this diamond. Eighteen-20
years ago-I have the RECORD
somewhere-it was cut under my
in Amsterdam"
We stared at him dumfounded
found voice to cry:
Man. how can you be SO posi-
tive?'
Aartsen shrugged his should
ers.
ut is my pisiness to know-to
be positif. I could identify all the
famous diamonds"
He contemplated the brilliant
fondly as he pursued:
but this diamond, 1t is differ
emit. Its history is hidden from
the world. Nobody knows where 1t
game from. From the day it last
touched the felt-wheel until now
mean people like N.Y.
self who keep track of such
things-nopody knows where it
has been. 1t disappeared. 1t is a
"Can you tell u.s." / asked him,
the circumstances under which 1t
was entrusted to you for cutting?"
Something, yes," he confessed.
One doesn't forget a thing like
hat.
Besides something has been
IN the bapers of late that set me
10 going back into the past--back
10 when l was very young man
in Amsterdam, in the employ of
Jakob and Everard Opzeomer.
"Everard Opzoomer himself
game to my room late one night
and woke me up. 'Ged up and
1ress and gone with me, he said. !
1--WE walked to his house. He
led the way to room at the rear,
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