Show CHAPTER Luke Lovelis Loveli's End i LAIR and Vivian VI had sat up UJ as BLAIR B though electrified at the first words about the diamond they overheard Now tha the tipsy y clerk had hael cen ceased speaking Blair stood beside him fret your Job buck back all ull right Jones b ho he said hoarsely Heres 50 j 0 from me Tell me again about the diamond coming by express And the clerk repeated his story Even while he was speaking Vivian had bael called the waiter walter to bring the bill billand billand and anel their auto wraps Once in their great road roadster ter Blair put on full tull speed through the night and anel cursed fervently The cunning dope he be cried Arthur Arthur Arthur Ar thur has bos bad had the diamond safe and hidden from us right under our noses for tor six months months' How will we get it asked Vivian eagerly Dont pull any more rough stuff Blair There tins has been too much of ot that It gets gels us ns nothing not even the diamond Leave that to me sold said Blair fiercely fierce fierce- ly The Tho time is ripe Weve We've got his money Durand is dead De Vaux was evidently paid his price and sent seat the diamond back He ne has baa skipped far fara faraway faraway a away way and need not be reckoned with J John Powell vell is no good to himself or any anyone one else he is better dead When ho L is dead I can tell who he be really was and ond the earldom in England England Eng I I I land will be mine You Yon will be a peeress peer peer- peeress ess VI Get me the diamond from the sky fist first answered Vivian There wont won't b be any any trouble about that remarked d Blair The diamond diamondIs Is hidden bidden In the house and we will find it att after r Arthur Stanley alias atlas John Powell Is s As be he spoke he be stopped the I machine for tor they had r reached ached the aviation field and anel the hangar where John Powell amateur a aeronaut kept his latest toy his aeroplane Blair took a n tire tire- iron trod from the e toot fool oot I box wrenched the hasp hosp from the be pOOl floor and entered n the hanger A file was on the work work bench beneath beneath beneath be be- neath the electric light Blair switched Leave Leavo that to mel met said Blair I on ou Just a n little tampering with the I stay brace wires but sufficient The next time John Powell took a n flight Death would rj rie e lIe beside him Vivian lan a asked ked no questions But nut she shu shuddered nor For the man nuin who was to todie todie die lIle had been in her ber arms alms and ond her caresses ca ca- caresses had hud beguiled him But Dut she he must choose and as us between the masterful Blair null and th the weakling doomed to die the there was but one ona choice for choir for with Arthur Stanley dead and und Blair Stanley COWl come Into his heritage all would be behers behers hers bers site she knew In lu n the luxurious chambers of ot John Powell Luke Lovell Loell gypsy and escaped es ea I cap convict tou stands attired if It not in purple and t fine uC linen ut lit least In iu fine linen and tailored tallon d clothes s of a cut ut and texture us as only millionaires or at least the rich may mar 1111 have hare C and around his neck nek hans hangs the diamond from the sky Iky Arthur stood dumbly by He Be had handed banded Luke t the h apparel in servile ser si sl silence levee lence the Ill clothes t the 11 line kid boots hoots the snowy shirt and even English walkIng walk walk- Ing lag gloves e Luke 1111 laughed hed as he bc gazed d at his glued gloved Io d hands bands and from trum them to his en en en- lire tire reflection In th the glass q AntI And now I nm am the Romany itye Hyl for sure he be cried But nut where Is 14 my ring and my watch and my Why here her they are on the bureau You are area a careless valet allt Powell Suppose some HOllie ex convict ex-convict would walk rl right ht through my library window and come Ome upstairs and aud coolly take them And Luke threw back bUIk bl his bis head bend and laughed again n for as nR bE he spoke be he ha hal 1181 1 taken the costly ring from trow the hand Ilund of ur the tbt unresisting John Powell removed his bl glove nod Hird put on the rill ring and r re replaced replaced placed el the thC glove e all nil with tho tbt muck mock actions 8 of a dandy danely such fluCh u as Hike inke e had bUll seen fleen In cheap vaudeville IlI at ut some time H He lIe took the thc hold irold repeater and Its It dla din mond studded chain from the bp dle dressing s table li tie Fie stuck stude the costly Otly star sapphire sap Nap sapphire pin from the cushion tutu Into the gay n necktie h he lord selected Finding rinding Arthurs Arthur's wal let It well tilled d with s 1 arid some Slimp e private s In the upper i 1111 1 cf of the th dressing case Luke p hail had nl glen i token It and remarked Ill have havea a u b account soon Boon but just JUtt at ot pr pres ent eat Ill I'll u use c tb lit madly Jv cash Aud And now If nu J don't dont mind miner for or it l Is getting to to- warn morning I 1 will leave loave you yon No o I 1 wont won't go JU out QUI the front door no as remarked as the they walked l. l from I the ht room and wn the grand granel staircase Inthe in inthe inthe the silent allent mansion Ill go oui out the way WilY I came in its it's good lock lack In the library Arthur sank n again Into the easy elSy chair Not one oue word had bad be he spoken He Be was ready to part with the blackmailer as ho he was ready to part with life lito itself without itself without fear and without hope At the thc thought his eyes fell UI upon D the brandy glass gluss the poisoned chalice with which bo he was to drink his toast to Death Lukes Luke's 1 eyes followed his hla Why declare ho Ite red cried with an au air all of or clumsy chum clum sy playfulness I 1 actually forgot to take my brandy with my coffee He ne picked up the glass At parting he be said the Romany Rye drinks your good health Arthur stirred as though to stop him But ut he was without fear rear and without hope This was destiny What man may read the book of ot his fate tate It was gypsy kismet that Luke and not he ba was to pledge the toast to Death Luke drained the brandy at a I gulp then licked his lips Queer stuff stun that he said Why curse It It burns like Uke acid He looked at Hagar's son and plain as words he be read rend what was in the dark eyes of oC the other It was a trap be he shrieked D n D n your grinning treacherous face it was wasa a trap A gypsy trick You have poisoned poisoned poisoned poi poi- me And reeling and cursing and graspIng grasp grasp- Ing ng at himself as though to stay the agony that burned at his hL vitals Luke staggered stagger through the window low to the lawn and across the grass gross plot to the driveway at the back of the man sloe sion And then a great grent glare of light played played played play play- ed upon him like Uke a mighty beam of ot incandescence and with a rasping shriek from the electric horn Blairs Blair's heavy roadster tore around the comer corner of the great mansion and fn In n a Q flash hail had struck the poisoned man crushing In his bis face and leaving him a n huddled quivering mass in the roadway John Powell clutched at his heart beart In the agony of ot the moment his soul I seemed to leap from him as be he peered from tram behind the window shade at this last tragic toll taking of ot Death the guardian of ot the diamond from Crom the sky There was a shriek from Vivian cs as the swift auto struck tho the poisoned 4 s 9 y Y w aw Y h 4 r t V Vy y a 4 r Luke Lovell Stands Attired In lq Fine Clothes man Then a grinding of at the brakes the car stopped with a Jerk und and Uta flair Blair II IIran ran back to the quivering figure ure in the roadway One glance at the crushed disfigured face und and Blair In lu mer merciful pity pits strange e to 10 him placed his bis coat COlt over 1 it to lu hide bide the dreadful sight He Be e bent down There was wag every cry el evidence in lu the attire attire at ut tire as to who it II wa was The wallet had bad fallen from rom the breast oat coat pocket of the dead ead man mau Blair knew It He called for Vivian and aud as Mb she ran toward him bm he be tore from the breast t of the dead ead man mau the diamond from frum the sky while the halted baited auto throbbed and panted a as though It gloated at oC what it and Blair had bad done dune A itA gypsy trick the dying man had erl cried el There were other gypsy y tricks trick John Powell was dead wIt with h him tutu should Arthur Stanley paw pass The now IIII nameless man run ran to hl his bis room ram and hast hastily II donned a heavy belvy dark suit stilt of Slot lothes hes i The cries of Vivian and Blair hail had I Iron ron roused the house null and the clue mum less man beard the half dressed Ild servants rushing down the stairs und stud nut lilt h by the front Trout door to tn till the back hatek of the lit house e b he passed to the tbt library and unel then as 11 thc y the till e of him tl they y thought lien iMm Powell to Ih the trout front und and Into Inn hl his mal mansion lolI for the la last r time Ih Ibe who thu been hn Arthur I. I and John ohn I'm h I slipped front from it tt win dow dew stole f v tt iss ss the III lawn YU and und wade made t r It I 1 Il l hid bis way I Jurk daJ na nato to o the hangar j I Bringing in out oat th the gr great groat nt birdlike machine nia- nia j- j chine h be he rose with it and climbed up ithe j i i the stairway of or the lie wind and nud rods rodo upon the wings of the morning Out to sea fica far out This was a n death to o lie die But the wings of oC the morning wafted c exultation exaltation to his soul He lIe cast aside the husk busk of his de degradation anti and turned and wheeled his distanT f flight flight- ht- ht clear of It mind and clean clenn of or soul again On the tho wings wina of the morning mil mid and far tal farbelow farbelow below u gypsy caravan Esther lie he thought Esther Estber my beloved and Hagar my dear mc mother And then on the wings of 01 the mornIng mornIng morning morn morn- ing something snapped Down down be bo plunged He ne aw saw In the Ule bright light o of day that now filled BUcci the earth the tho gypsies swarming out and be he could discern ills dis cern the slight figure fiure of Esther Estber Then he tie felt the air all rise up on either side as be he sank down do like Uke a plummet And so he went down down down seeing seeing he be believed the outstretched arms and upturned face of Esther Esther fear and without hope At the mansion of oC the late John Johnell Powell Powell Pow Pow- ell a wreath of ot flowers is on the door The newspapers screech sensationally of or his death and the strange c story Blair has bus disclosed that the mad millionaire who took poison polson and threw himself Inthe in inthe inthe the way of ot an onrushing automobile was not John Powell but Arthur Stan Stan- t tsi t l p pAt a At JS t t t t of F Y y Tho The Supposed Death of Arthur Stanley ley fugitive from Justice In lu Virginia and h heir to an on En English earldom und and the diamond l from Crom the sky A gypsy riding to the dead mans man's bouse house on a tro trowel travel vel tired horse borse Is told all this He turns tums sadly away How now shall he take such a message message message mes mes- sage to a dying mother mothr TO CE hE CONTINUED |