Show t 4 Diamonds H I i i f 0 1 I S. S 4 h Y VICTOR ROUSSEAU tL COPYRIGHt CHAPMAN YOU COWARDLY SYNOPSIS Winton Wilton Garrett I tw twenty live ent live and Just lust out of college college college col col- lege calls by appointment on Archie Garrett his New York and executor to receive his hll Inheritance of Ar- Ar Archie Ar Archie chie honest an easy mark and a n fools tor for luck assures assures- Winton that th th t ho he Is j practically a a. millionaire millionaire million million- aire atro us ea he has Invested all but In a rubber plantation In either r the East J or pr r West Vest Indies and In n a controlling Interest In Inthe Inthe inthe the BI Big Biff diamond mine so somewhere or other In South Africa sold him as a special favor favor fa- fa vor 4 or b by a a. Dutch prompter named De Witt Winton en route to his mine finds the town of Ta wildly excited over a a. big strike at inch Including ding the carat 95 De Witt diamond Two coach passengers are a a. disreputable old prospector Dadd Daddy Seaton and his daughter Sheila On the Journey a passenger who turns out to beDe be bo boDe beDe De Witt himself Insults Sheila Winton fights Do W Witt t and knocks him out Sheila tells him to turn back She says that her father Is a broken English army officer who rho has killed a man and andIs Is therefore In De Witts Witt's power II that De Witt Is powerful all-powerful being beIng being be be- ing backed by Judge Davis president president president pres pres- ident of the diamond syndicate and also the resident magistrate and judge of the native Winton finds In Ina a turmoil both over the strike and the theft of the De Witt diamond dia dia- mond He lie discloses his Identity He finds Sheila is I. cashier In a restaurant She declines his friendship De Witts Witt's men slip the De Witt diamond In his pocket He flees from arrest Sheila takes him Into her home tends his wounds and saves him I from his pursuers He convinces her that he Is president of the Big company The next j morning he breaks Into the company company com corn pany m meeting eUng and declares him him- J self Winton Vinton succeeds In saving i control He ask Sheila to marry him She refuses Judge Davis tells Winton the syndicate will work with him or smash him Winton works alone cr e c r CHAPTER VII r 9 9 For Sheila's Sake your opinion Ned 7 asked Winton two or three evenings later Much had transpired during the brief Interval The gangs of natives had ar ar- arrived arrived arrived rived at the compound and started operations operations operations op op- under the Immediate charge of ot Seaton who had turned up sober at atthe atthe atthe the appointed time The old man worked diligently and showed that he be knew his business H He had not touched a drop of ot liquor But Sheila Shella had not j accompanied him to the cottage and Winton had asked no questions What surprised Winton VInton was the fact that the natives seemed to regard old Seaton with an exaggerated deference which they did not extend to him Old Seaton staggering under his load of liquor was very different from Seaton standing erect In the center of the compound compound com com- pound shouting commands to his obsequious workers who wh flew fie to obey him You couldn't have got a better man manthan manthan manthan than old King Seaton If hell he'll stay sober said Ned But Its It's hard on his gIrl gIrl- girl Why do you vou call him that ask asked d dWinton Winton interrupting ng because he could not endure any reference to Sheila heila There was something In his tone that tat checked Burns on the threshold of his disclosures Why I supposed you knew Mr Gar Gar- rett The old man used to be a sort of chief among these Lived Lived among among I em for years they say I suppose there aint much to that story though thought he added ded re reflectively Winton realized that there was probably probably probably ably more behind the story than Ned wished o to disclose And And it came to him with a sudden shock that Ned knew of ot othis his episode In an Sheila's house on the night of ot the chase and was as unI unwilling unwilling un un- I willing on that account to be as frank frankas frankI I as he might have been On the night of ot the natives' natives arrival when there was confusion and something something something some some- thing of an uproar over the allocation of ot quarters Winton was a little surprised surprised surprised sur sur- to perceive the Bot- Bot in conversation with his compound compound compound com com- pound manager manager There was a a rule forbidding forbidding for tor- bidding the presence of strange natives In the compounds Winton did not feel in a position to be a stickler for forthe forthe forthe the present but the manner In which the passed him without recognition struck him Mm as odd Blue ground had been struck the we matrix of the diamond The news spread all aU alan along the reef reet and crowds out from to see Ned was ho hopeful eul that the main pIpe ppe would be found on the claim Everything Everything Everything Every Every- thing depended depend on Its location As the Big was In the center of the fields Winton shared hared Neds Ned's enthusiasm The capital of the claim cl lm had been largely exhausted in n the outlay for machinery construction material and laborers D Davis had given Winton three months but Winton realized that I he would have to choose between two things He could work In a small way discharging the greater grenter part of his is men and h hope pe to meet moot expenses by the finding of at stones stones' or he must throw himself heart and soul Into the development development de de- of ot the claim and call for more capital in a a a months month's time Of this he himself himsel would have to furnish 80 SO per cent unless he accepted Davis DavIs' pro proposal os l. l Outside capital could not be raised quickly kly There was the big diamond He had It valued by a local man It was not of a pure white but being free tree from flaws aws would fetch a considerable considerable considerable consid consid- erable sum In the market The expert announced that in his opinion any any of ot the Jobbers would be willing to ad at- advance vance vanc e fifteen thousand on it Another nother fifteen thousand would go far toward solving the difficulty of ot obtainIng obtaining ob ob- taming immediate capital for development development develop develop- ment and would make It unnecessary for tor WInton to call on n the shareholders for toi an nn assessment assessment and and subscribe five times as as much himself as the rest put together The great problem whether the the claim was the m mouth uth of a volcanic pipe PIP filled with diamonds or merely a diamond ground having its origin elsewhere elsewhere else else- where could only be solved by workIng work- work Ing lag This meant a large expenditure WInton took his ls troubles to Burns tellIng telling telling tell tell- ing him of the Judges Judge's o offer er Ive seen th the other shareholders he said and Im I'm satisfied that they are all In the syndicates syndicate's pocket They are nIl all tenants or bound In one way or another If I accept Davis' Davis proposition it may mean parting with my majority share In la which case De Witt will come back as ns purser and you'll lose your Job i Lets ULet's see what the Book has to to say suggested Burns He opened his Bible and began to read EzekIel thirty sixteen And I will set a fire in Egypt Sin shall be In great anguish and No shall be broken up and shall have adversaries In Inthe the daytime He closed the Book and looked at WInton In g great eat deJe dejection tl n. n Did you get that Mr Garrett he asked It It refers to the diamond You cant can't raise the money by selling It The decisions decision's against us there Whether or n no you ought to go to Judge Davis Isn't gi given glyen en ento to us to know But how ho hodo do you make out that It has reference e to the diamond asked Winton Its easy sir And unmistakable Egypt's Mali po Sin Is yourself who's to be In great grea r anguish I should think that Sin might be bemeant bemeant bemeant meant for for Mr De De Witt suggested Winton VInton No uNo sir lr Sin Is Is yourself In this case And Nos No's the diamond which Is going to be be broken up That may mean that Its It's going to be cut Into smaller stones or maybe Its It's going to pass 9 out t of your hands sir But you cant can't sell it It And asked Winton Is Judge Davis Mr Garrett Hes He's to have adversaries In the daytime daytime daytime day day- time and I guess ess hes he's got all the adversaries adversarIes ad ad- that he wants already Ned said Winton I dont don't know how you arrive at your a Hons Of course I dont don't deny that they may be correct but Im I'm going to try to sell the diamond before I go to yn- yn or 01 elsewhere Aye sir and you'll be he In great anIsh anguish an an anguish Ish over It responded Ned He looked at t Winton In a hesitating way and added take It Mr Garrett would you amiss from an older man If I was to offer octer you you some Borne advice sir No Go ahead said V Winton Ita well Its well sir its it's this If you are the syndicate you'll want out to fight to it Theres There's to give your whole heart LL a lot of ot women omen In Mr Garrett whom a man ought to steer clear of And now l' l Im I'm going on duty Goodnight Good Goodnight night to you sir He left ett WInton fuming The young Ned had referred to man knew that Sheila He could not understand how her position at the Continental should make her an outcast He was more than ever ver resolved to take he her away from tram her surroundings to make her too his wife and save her father He had hoped and bell believed that she would keep house for daddy at the he staying away cottage She was because of the ambiguity of thought their relations relationship Ip He lie had been prudent prudent prudent pru pru- noW he resolved to cast dent but no now prudence to the winds he felt that he to would lose her unless he lie went to her at On once the morrow he planned But on trouble developed with morrow the The flow dwindled dwin dwin- water company the adjacent claim owned the yet fled died and supplied by a by the syndicate SS full discharge s pipe had bad a separate WInton went up to the company's offices the syndicate conS con knew that He company He Be was the water trolled Davis Davis' work He saw this was vas sure but the timid of cons quence nobody objections received his vigorous clerk to speak to the tbt manager n and promised with threats threat to te dJ W nt Winton on dis- dis cover on arriving at th the claim that the water was its was r running again The Incident disturbed him a good deal and made him realize that the syndicate syndi caie cate had a good many cards to play playOn On the tho next morning ho bo started down town with the tho Intention of catching Sheila on her way to the Continental At the corner of the market square squar h he be became came upon Sam Simpson making his rounds The negro had a great heap of papers under his arm Good morning Sam Saml 1 called Winton Win Win- ton Got a paper paper paper- for me Good morning Mr Garrett I must supply my regular customers first responded Sam evasively No uNo spare copies eh h Im afraid not sir said Sam looking about him uneasily All ll right Ill I'll get one somewhere else said WInton wondering a a little at Sams Sam's s' s appearance e which was that of at a a man extremely anxious to get Into other company He strolled over to a a small general genera store with a pile of ot papers in front of It and pl picked ked up a Chronicle He scanned the cable and telegraphic news and turned to the personal column col col- This was a feature of the paper 1 It 1 began with authentic news new and records of arrivals ls and n 1 departures s gradually tailing into gossip arid and add reflections re- re r re reflections upon the tho enemies of the syndicate syndicate syn syn- which afforded intense amusement amusement amusement amuse amuse- ment to those acquainted with what was going on in town Near the end of the column WInton read Rumor reports that one of the fairest fairest fair fair- est of the employees of the Continental whose home n was was' formerly open open to a certain would-be would financial light from overseas long beyond the conventional l hours has now transferred her Interests Interests interests Inter Inter- ests to nn another ther Those In the know dec declare are that the self constituted d magnate magnate magnate mag mag- nate In question be being ng mistaken on one occasion for a certain notorious law-breaker law was hidden by the lady in question In her own home under i circumstances that furnish both amusement amusement amuse amuse- ment went and chagrin to those formerly among her friends WInton stood perfectly still staring at the paragraph Then he looked up The busy market square swam before his eyes The cruelty of life here her the selfishness and self self absorption of ot the crowds the absence of any public rt I. I I I Good morning i r Saml called I Winton Got a paper for me I opinion working toward good came to him with vivid realization Then he felt a pulse hammering in his Ills temp temple e and a mad rage in his heart that concentrated concentrated concentrated con con- all his thoughts energy upon the desire for vengeance Across the square presented to him with vivid delineation as if If a fing finger r rhad had bad picked It out he saw through the crowds the figure of Sam Simpson entering enterIng entering en en- the Chronicle lo office H He pushed his w way y through the mob mob and made for the b building It was a single story brick edifice consisting of two rooms the pressroom and the edi edl- editorIal editorial office Through the one window of the former WInton saw the single linotype at work under nd r the charge of pf sI single gle op operator Through the doorway he saw the editor editor editor ed ed- Hanson seated at at a table bent over a pile pUe of proofs and Sam Simpson standing beside him Winton entered and slammed down down the paper upon the table Im looking for the man who wrote that he be said Hanson looked up saw his face and sprang to his feet teet quickly Now now Mr Garrett It was only a Joke he protested You must not take It s se sd- Did you write that Inquired Winton Winton Win Win- ton with ominous calm No Nol i 1 shouted Hanson with timid ferocity Did you write that asked WInton wheeling upon Sam Mr Garrett responded the negro with dignity the he Chronicle Is an entity not an agglomeration of per per- It claims and exercises the privileges of ot anonymity as as- as It as-It Winton's fist st smashed Into Sams Sam's face tace and he toppled over H He picked himself up and ran Into the street screaming at the top of t. t his voice A crowd collected quickly Winton found himself the center of ot It with Sam fa facing him accusingly blood streaming from his lip Then Judge Davis came bustling through the throng thron This Is your doing you yon miserable old scamp 1 I raved Winton holding out the paper Is this what you call fraternity fra tra- attacking a woman who earns her living in a decent way You Infernal Infernal Infernal In In- fernal old hypocrite thank your stars you are too old to be thrashed 1 l Hooray for tor the Judge 1 I How about It Judge yelled one of the bystanders Judge Davis took the newspaper from Winton's hand band put on his glasses and read the tho passage aloud When you speak of ot a lad lady my friend I presume you JOU refer reter to th the young youn woman in question he said I coolly and d tho the spectators 8 snickered d. d WInton felt some hidden meaning In lu their mirth Ho He writhed under It What does this mean Mr Hanson Judge Davis Davia continued Its part of the personal news Judge answered the tho editor Quite so answered Davis It Is unfortunate Mr Garrett parrett arrett If it you fou are the gentleman referred to But the |