The Weekly Journal. — 1904-07-15 (Hartlepool, Cleveland, England)

CHAPTER XXXI. SIR OCTAVIUS BURKE.  Miss O'Leary came back to earth from the heaven in which she was sailing. "The diamonds!" she exclaimed. " Teresa, not—not the diamonds you were robbed of in Dublin?" Miss Driscoll glanced out of the tail of her eye across the northern waters of the bay. In imagination she saw the hotel at North Wall. "Yes," she said, " thene.elves. They've found them, Fanny, or rather," she exclaimed, changing from a surprised to a woe-begone one, " they've found some of them. Look at this now—here it all is in the paper." Sho pointed to a column which was headed in heavy black letters: " Strauge Sequel to a Dublin Mystery," and pushed the newspaper over to her companion to rend. While Miss O'Leary read and marvelled, Miss Driscoll sat and thought. She was wondering about many things, hut chiefly of the tragedies which had attended the diamond necklace. The story which was enfolded in the newspaper was that of the Lower Abbey Street tragedy, of the disappearance el the diamonds, of the subsequent detection of lii!ner, and of the latter's arrest and suicide. The robbery of the diamonds from a lady's person during the lady's residence at a Dublin hotel was referred to, but the lady's name was not given. Full justice was done to everything, and a description of the now despoiled and mutilated necklace was " They don't mention your name, Teresa," said Miss O'Leary. disappointedly. "I was hoping they would do that." " Nu," said Miss Driscoll, "they don't. But it doesn't matter, Fanny. Look there, now," and she pointed to a closing paragraph which stated that the necklace was at that time in the hands of Inspector Davidson, of Dublin, who had just returned with it from North I'all. "Look at that, I tell you. In Davidson's hands. and—well, Davidson knows whose property it is." "Perhaps he's written you at Castle (leery. crow, Teresa," suggested Miss O'Leary. "You see 'twas only last night he returned to Dublin."  "May be and may be not," said Miss Driscoll. " But I'll soon settle tho matter. Come into the hotel, runny. and let's get ready for Dublin. We'll catch the train for Westland Row, and see Mr Davidson at once. I'm not going to have my diamonds—what's left of them—knocking about in tho pollce offices. Come away." Within an hour Miss Driscoll and Miss O'Leary were shown into Inspector Davidson's office. Ho seemed somewhat surprised to on.  them, bet made no remark until they had seated themselves. And then: "Why, Mies Driscoll," be ezelaimed, "you must have come by one of these new airohips they're talking about. It's only an hour since I wired to you. and here you are. That's quick work from Limerick." "I haven't come from Limerick," said Mime Driscoll, rather acidly. "I am Maybes at Ringstra, and I saw the article is the "Irish Times,' and so I naturally came straight to you. I want my diamond necklace, Mr Davidson—or what is left of it. I beer it's been pretty badly treated. It's had its history." The inspector sighed, and unlocking a riet took out a small packet. Be laid it on the before him, and looked at Miss Driscoll and sighed again. " Yes," he said, " about half the stones are gone, Mina Driscoll. And, as you say, it's had its history. If that thing were mine, he continued with some show of sentiment, " I should throw it into the sea. I shouldn't like to have it about me after knowing where it's been." " Oh, fudge, man ! " said Mina Driscoll. "What do I care about where it's been? It isn't alive—it can't talk. And dianionds are diamonds." "Ye-es," said the inspector, dubiously. "And I've heard some of these precious stones have malign influences. I don't know enough about Ruch thinos to he able to express an opinion on such a point, but the history of that necklace %mad incline me to believe It. If you've rest that article in the pallets you'll know nothing but crime has dogged the fortunes of theae diamonds ever silwe they came into your possession. I suppose you ladies will wear anything in the shape of gems," he continued, with a sly glance at Mks O'Leary, "but I wouldn't like to wear anything that had been where that necklace was Tor a while—round the body of a corpse that was being worried by sewer rats. Ugh ! " " Did you ever hear of such sickly sentiment!" exclaimed Miss Driscoll. "What do I care about rats Rats don't eat diamonds. Let me see what the human rats have done to them, Mr Davidson. I'm like all women—l want to see my property." The inspector smiled a little wearily as he undid the wrappings of the parcel, lie toipit out the mutilated necklace and laid it on his desk. Miss Driscoll and Miss O'Leary left their chairs and drew near to examine it. Davidson laid a hand on it as the impatient owner will about to take it up. "One moment, Miss Driscoll," he said. "I suppose there's no doubt whatever that the diamond necklace is your property?" "My property?" said Miss Driscoll. "You knot" its my property." That's just what I don't know," answered Davidson. "I know it was in your possession on the night of the robbery at North Wall, and I know bow it came to be in your possession. But how did the man Finney come to get hold of it. " What have Ito do with that?" answered Miss Driscoll. " It's neither here nor there." "Yes," said Davidson, rising and retaining his grasp on the necklace, "it's both here and there. Miss Driscoll, you'll pardon me, but this necklace was stolen from its real owner sonic years since. It's real owner has turned up this morning and established his claim by indisputable evidence. lie's in the next room— he wishes to see you." As he spoke Davidson threw open the door of the apartment and revealed the face and figure of—Sir Octavio. Burke!