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mx Copyright* 1915. by A novelization of tho photo play i Wiltted to th? scenario department of contest during December and January. cams from many sections in the Unitec as well as thousands of amateurs took This instalment of this romantic novel and absorbing narrative will be shown in motion pictures at The Casino Theatre on Thursdav afternoon and night. i $10,000 For 1,000 Words or Less I For ah Idea For a Sequel to "THE DIAMOND FROM THE SKY" The American Film Manufacturing Company's Picturized Romantic Novel In Chapters. This contest is open to any man, woman or child who is not connected, directly or indirectly, vith the Film Company or the newspapers publishing the continued story. No literary ability is necessary to qualify as a I contestant. You arc advised to see the continued photo play in the theaters where it will be shown to read the story as it runs every week, and then send in your suggestion. Contestants must confine their contributions for the sequel to 1,000 tvords or less. It is the idea that is wanted. SYNOPSIS OF PRECEDING CHAPTERS. A hitter feu J lias existed between Colonel Arthur Stanley and his cousin, Judge Jjiiniar Stanley. The feud has been en- ; gendered in family jealousy over an heir- ! loom, tlie diamond from the sky, that \ was found in a fallen meteor by an adventurer ancestor. Also, the succession i to tlie Stanley earldom in England may ' come to an American Stanley. When j 11 daughter is born to Colonel Stanley of 1110 eldest branch of the Stanleys in America and the mother of the child ' dies at its birth, the chagrined colonel i buys a newborn gypsy boy and substi- J tutes him as heir. Three years later the , gypsy mother, having had no part in this I bargain, steals the colonel's little duugli- 1 ter, being reared In secret, and leaves her ; own son undetected as the heir. The gyi>?y mother lias also obtained possession , of tlie diamond from tlie sky and a document containing the secret of tlie false 1%^!.. - 1 - * j ivi i. one rears me mue girl, l'j.stlier Stanley, as her own and grows to love her. When Esther Is grown a beautiful young girl, Hagar, now gypey queen, returns to Virginia with her. She has a wild plan that Dr. Dee, the late Colonel Stanley's old friend, may now adopt Es- | ther, as originally Intended, Her hope also is that her son, the supposed Arthur Stan- ! ley lid, may fall In love with Esther and thus the innocent girl may become by marriage what she is by birth?mistress of Staftley hall. Dr. Dee adopts Esther, but also demands that Hagar turn over to his custody the diamond from ! the sky. Dr. Deo also Informs Hagar J that her son. tiie supposed Arthur Stan ley 2d, Is a profit} ' 4 and not worthy of Esther, but Hagar hopes for the best and with her people departs. Arthur Stanley dpet? f;?ll In Jove with Esther and so does 1 ^rt.'s 'bootl cpmpanlon. Blair Stanley, the f Icousin who would n? ?-* ?-*? r??i mala1 of at*nky W'ei y tu? jf.anley serTn ? kr?J>W. Til stealing the diamond Blair j "^ iiUStS the death of the doctor. Outside Is Arthur, sercnadlr.s Etf,her. Blair, es- j 'capltig, insultingly infers to Arthur thai | he has left Father's room. Arthur forces , ldm to fight a duel In which Arthur Is Victor and tumbles Blair Into an open grave. He searches Blair and takes the j diamond from the sky. Blair Is only stunned and tides, with the aid of his mother, to place the blame for the mur- i der of Dr. Deo upon Arthur. The sheriff attempts to take Arthur, hut after a thrilling drive in a high powered motor- | car Arthur eludes his pursuers and l? i thrown into the river after a smashup His body is seen floating down the river, j CHAPTER VII. I The Prodigal's Progress. LIKIO ltachel of old. Hatrar, the J gypsy, "mourned for her cldl# dren and would not be comforted." The years had brought nought but a harvest of heartaches for Hngar. The sou she had home had been torn from her ere scarce she had felt Ida little head against her heart, and as ror the child she had taken from the bouse of those she deemed her enemies. the girl Esther, the child she had taken in retribution for the great wrong done her. the child she had nurtured in hate and had grown to love with every fiber of her being, sweet Esther, the rightful Stanley, of her. too, I(agar was now Ixtreft. Here, wlille her sad heart still mourned for both her children, yet longed the most for sweet Esther, came the homing pigeon to the rocks where It had been reared, and here llagar saw K flying laden with Its message and lead the call for her that Esther sent. It did not take her long to mount and vide away. Within a few hours she was at l)r. bee's cottage to fltxl Esther alreudy east out by the cold, proud widow of Judge Btaoley, Blair Btanley's mother. g?d Beat of kin to Dr. Deo. For the I i " I II - - 3 /1OTT Is. Ali CARDBLL 'Roy Is. Mc Car del J lelected as ths best in over 19,000 subthe Chicago Tribune in a fl0,000 prixe The manuscripts in this competition I States and Canada. Authors of note part. And the Face Was That of Arthur j Stanley, Son of Haaar! uoetor hud delayed. in his easy ?oint: i way, just one day too long to adopt lOslher legally, to tell lief who she was ( and to see she regained the heritage of ! Stanley hail and what was left of the i estate the supposed heir was wildly j squandering. Sn |i was !Intrar arrived "'ust in time ' to spare the shrinking lOsther from fur ' tiler humiliation. .And as they ro le j home in the dusk and crossed the ford at the river nuar tile gypsy enmp. the only home that sweet Kstlier seemed fated to know, the hoofs of iTagar's horse, that here them hotli. splashed water on the face of what seemed the corpse of a man in the sedge. And the face of the seeming corpse was the face of Arthur Stanley, son | of Ilagar! At tin gar's wild calls the gypsies cuinu running from flieir camp not f:\r j Haqar Tcllt Arthur of His Parentage. from the river batik. The unconscious form of Arthur was tenderly borne to llagar's luxurious \ an. Hut ere tlie.v bore him there ilagar's hand, feeling for his fait;t iieart beats in the dusk, j had closed about tlie diamond from tin' i sky. Dlstraeting Kstiters aifoni/.ed atten j tion. llagnr had unehisped tlie great j jewel and hidden it in her breast tin- I seen, scarce knowing whv phe did so. When Art hits' recovered consciousness Sheriff Sw.aitt and his deputy had reached the camp in their search ami inquired for the fugitive. No corpse i .1 i ? ? ? - - ' iiiiti i >(.'<* 11 i on mi wni'ii i no wrecked and overturned uuto hud been dmggod from the river bed. and the sheriff knew that Arthur Stanley, dead or alive, had lloated unseen.down the river. The .sheriff failed to find Arthur at the ettinp. j It was with blu/.lng eyes that 11 agar confronted Arthur when he was strong enough to bear her fierce reproaches. "My sacrifice ha* Immui all la vain,", she cried bitterly. "A ruined uian and a murderer, you have wasted every chance in life for which 1 tiowed my heod In bitterness and sorrow. Hetter j had you l?e?H tired the poor gypsy you j were born, rather than to be a fugitive Impostor who has squandered a herlt age that w?* not hl*r Arthur regarded her ** though ?he were, what nhe seemed to him. an lu { sane harridan, who raged at htiu In half Incoherent frenzy. Then llagar drew a brasa bound box from Its hiding place, and. opening it with a key from her bosom. handed htm a sealed document, yellow and musty with ago. on the ontaide of which were the words: "To be opened only after my death In case my son, Arthur Stanley 2d, should prove unworthy of the name of I \ THE HOPBY HgBJ Stanley." With trembling: hands he broke the seal and realized the woman before him had spoken the dreadful truth. For there, atllxed. was the signature of Colonel Stanley, which he knew well, and uleo l)r. Lee's, also known to him. as witness. "Nothing belongs to you. not even your name, and much less this for which you stained your hands with blood!" cried linear hysterically. And she throw down Into the open brass box with a gesture of disdain the diamond from the sky. "But I am not guilty of the death of Dr. I,oe; he was tny friend," replied Arthur hoarsely. "I did kill my supposed cousin Blair, and he now lies In a grave dug for another, but not for this," and he pointed to the baleful Jewel. "I killed Blair Stanley because he spoke ill of Esther. Why have you driven her out to reproach me with what 1 am not guilty? Tell me. If 1 am not Arthur Stanley, who is she? Is she my sister? I ask this, for by every wild deed of my reckless life in the past and for every good deed 1 hope to achieve I love her!" "No matter who she is. you are not good enough to breathe the same air with her!", replied llagar fiercely. "Make the better man of yourself that you boast you will! Make a name for yourself in place of the one you have lost and then return to me for a mother's blessing and to learn who Es ther is!" So saying llagar. for she felt her fortitude giving way. walked with dry eyes and head erect from the van. Arthur picked up the diamond from the sky. In her agitation llagar had forgotten it. and Arthur was of the belief that his Spartan mother had left | it there that he might take it and j make some temporary use of it to | build his fortunes with. For Arthur j believed that Hinir stiil lay dead by his hand in the grave dug for another, j and with him the last male Stanley save the old ear; in England had perished. As Arthur passed from the van he saw Esther come toward him from liagar's side and was glad to note his do roe, stern mother made no attempt to stay her. And Esther had evidently been told ;-s much as llagar cared a .% i.n i? ? I KJ it'll LJti, She called him "brother" and walk- j ed witli him to the woods at the edge of the camp, and there they paused * and made their farewells. "He a good man. Arthur, my broth- j er. and let me be proud of you!" Es-1 ther whispered tenderly. And Arthur! folded her to Ids heart and kissed her , and strode away. lie looked back once and saw her leaning against a great tree and weeping. Hut neither he nor the weeping Esther beheld the dark face of Luke Lovell peering at them through the shrubbery. It was not until next morning that I Ilagar sought for the dinmoud and found it missing. Again her rage at Arthur burned high. Hugar hated the Stanley name ami despised every Stanley possession, hut she was resolved sie.ee all the Stanley line was near at j end that Esther, defrauded of evey ; other birthright, should have the din | inond from the sky. Ilagar had not wholly believed Arthur guilty of Dr. Lee's murder, even when she had first learned of his being suspected from Ksther's lips when she had come for Esther to Fairfax the day before. Ilagar resolved to go to Richmond, the nearest big city, feeling sure Arthur would be there iu hiding. in the hope of finding id in ami securing the diamond from the sky for Esther, even if it were necessary to give Arthur, her own son. up to the law. She telegraphed from the nearest railroad station, from which they took train to Richmond. This telegram was to the P.lake agency, and it was sent to recall Tom Blake, the head of the concern, from Fairfax to Ulchmond. No suspicion in the slightest had been directed sit Blair in connection with the doctor's murder, nor did any living soul in Fairfax, save Blair :.n<l ids mother, know of the encountt* Blair laid had with Arthur in the doctor's dooryard nor of the grewsoine duel across the open grave sit midnight that had followed Blair's wild ruse to defame Father's good name that Arthur might not suspect him of murder nn.l robbery, the real guilt Blair felt the burden of. But in order to bo safe, and at bis mother's suggestion. Blair Stanley had gone to Uicinuoiul, his mother giving the excuse, that fle Mjent to attend to urgent matters brought about by the doctor's sudden and tragic death. lCslher. too, was gone from Fairfax How. and this, with the flight of Arthur and the presence of the Richmond detective, made the countryside of old aristocratic Fairfax county ring with rumors and the revival of old. long forgotten tragic and mysterious happenings among the Stanleys. ? In Richmond Arthur Stanley, giving himself the name of John Powell, round humble lodgings watting opportunity to slip from Richmond when the hue and cry after him had died down, it wax necessary for him to have funds. To obtain these he resolved to pawn the diamond from the sky, believing that no llviug person save Hitgar knew of its existence. In eighteen years the diamond from the sky hud almost come to be regard ed as a myth in Fairfax county. Nome them were who claimed It bad never existed at all and others who believed it had been a bit of old trumpery that Colonel Stanley had found valueless and destroyed, j It waa ouly when he caine out of hie j hiding place after several days that U>, OOHWAY, 8. 0. | "B? a good man, Arthur, my brother!'* Arthur (lured l>uy and rend a Ltlch1 tuoml paper. There were no further accounts from Fairfax of the death of ln\ Lee and the Might of his supposed > murderer. Arthur also came to the conclusion ! that the dea/h of Blair Stanley and his being found shot through the head in I a new grave intended for another had also ceased to be a three days' wonder in the Richmond newspapers. In Fairlax. like enough, the whole country- ! side was still agog at this double trag- j edy. Arthur reasoned, but here in Rich mou 1 the papers gave no mention to it now. Their one absorbing topic was , the ball to be given by Richmond's so- < ciety leader, the wealthy Mrs. Burton Randolph. CHAPTER VIII. THo New York Society "Belle." M KAN Will LB. desperate and fear stricken. IJiair Stanley ! was endeavoring to forget his peril, present and prospec- j live, in wild and reckless indulgences [ in Richmond. While his fugitive cousin lay in hum- i Mo lodgings. Blair Stanley lorded it at n line hotel, and every night found him gambling at tile exclusive establish- I ment of Abe Bloom. In dcsperution. finding himself "cleaned out" at Mr. Bloom's luxurious temple of chance, i Blair had got that astute gentleman to cash his personal check on the Bank of Fairfax. In a few days this would be returned marked "No funds." Blair well knew, but he 'hoped meanwhile to recoup his losses and laugh in Abe Bloom's hawklike face as he "made good the bum check" out of the winning he expected to gain at Abe's own roulette wheel. i But the .$2,000 went the way of the j $500 his mother had given him?back Into the coffers of the gambling house keeper who had advanced the money i on the worthless cheek. , One desperate chance was left. Blair resolved to pawn his watch and with the proceeds Invoke the wheels of chance again and by a streak of luck, who knows, win back all and so square himself and tlie check when it came hack, for Blair found Richmond to his liking. Then, too, he worried over the mysterious visit to Fairfax of Tom Blake, the detective. Who had hired Blake? There was also the ball to be given by Mrs. Burton Randolph, who was a i relative of his mot iter, and counted . upon Blair's presence at her grand hall, the event of the social year in Richmond. Also Blair thought of Vivian Mars- i ton. Glorious Vivian, fftxurious Vivian! j She had come to Richmond, sworn friend of Mrs. Randolph, who had met her the winter before ait Balm Beach, j It was known of Vivian Marston that she was a wealthy and dashing votiiur I widow, high in the circles of New ! York's "four hundred." Hlair Stanley had mot tier at. tils J mother's cousin's mansion, and Rlalr 1 had boon tirst among those to fall victim of her charms. * * * * * * Arthur Stanley entered the pawnshop of Ike Iilooin. brother and some said partner of the redoubtable Al?e Ulooni, king of the Richmond gamblers. The pawnshop wjps dlvhY'd into pqrlltion spaces. Arthur s?w%t\e vulture eyes of Isaac lUoom gleam when they fastened upon the diamond from the sky, with its antique chain and curious setting. Only too eagerly did the pawnbroker hand over the Arthur asked on it. and only too eagerly <l?d he hide it in a drawer. Arthur was alsnit to slip from behlud the privacy partitions to the street when hoard a voltNe say," "I want $5<> on this watch." He staggered. Iiaif fainting with fear and joy, against the partition. I It W A u ihi, v<kl?A a t uiuii* ? v ?? vi ??m ri ? ' v<? ii iv,* There could l>e no mistake. hi a revulsion of feeling to find tie wan not a murderer and that Blair was alive and well Arthur threw himself around the partition and Into the arms of Blair. Somewhat surprised. but feigning Joy alao. Blair repeated hia supposed cousin's cries of wild delight. Then ha made haste to explain that I>r. I<ee had railed hist to hia study and had given him the diamond from the sky and that having dona this, the doctor, who was greatly agitated, had faller dead lu hta chair. "I was afraid 1 would be suspected | of killing him for the diamond. How 0 could 1 expluin when you caught hold of me?" lied Blair glibly. "1 did not mean any reflection ujK>n Gather, you thought I did." he continued. "I only thought any altercation at such a time and the doctor lying dead might Jeopardize her good name. 1 was too frightened to explain, and you were too angry to listen to inc. "1 was otfiy stunned and got home all right. But there has been a detective hired, and I believe be will find some clew, and your evidence would only tend to convict mo. and 1 am innocent!" Arthur reflected that l>r. Lee had known he was the spurious heir and that the diamond did pro|>eiiy belong to Hlnlr In consequence, lie did not tell Blair the Stanley secret, that he. Arthur, was hut a gypsy changeling. But lie resolved to stand by Blair and thus in reparation do what good he could until the time came when he might tell. So for the time being he resolved to keep Ilngnr's secret?and his own. Blair was quick to take advantage ?' v i......i ...../..I vi .vi uiiii n jv\v iiiiu wm:nr\i immu, "I never will :il>lo to prove I did not kill L>r. Lee." lie said, with affected sadness. "True, there would not be any proof to convict me. but: the suspicion of it would ruin inc. You must stand by me. Arthur." And Arthur, in the foolish impulsive generosity of Ills nature, promised. The relief he felt at seeing Itlair alive placed him in the mood to promise anything that Itlair might ask. Then. too. with an Inward shame, he realized that after all he was an Impostor and stood in Itlair's way. atul yet he could not bring himself to hp despised of Ulair stiould he tell him the Stanley secret. The spirits of Hlalr rose corresjiondingly. With Arthur gone, suspicion would forever rest upon the hidden fugitive! Pdair heaved a sigh of relief and then said to Arthur. "You do not know my mother's cousin. Mrs. I?nr ton Randolph. who gives tho grand ball in Richmond tonight. Come, let us have one fling, one good time together, in n>'iuory of the old days at Stanley hall before you go to the west. I will introduee you under any name you choose. There is a stunning young .New York widow?lots of money and style about her?1 want you to meet. She's Just luy style and I want your approval of her." Arthur hesitated a moment and then realized that if the pursuit were still hot on his trail tin* last place he would be sought for would la? at a high society function. So he shook hands with ltluir and exclaimed heartily: "I'll go you. Blair! One good fling before 1 go west to make my fortune. And if I make it. Blaii, I promise you that you shall share it." For Arthur all his generous impulses were now founded on the desire to Hagar'a Half Servant, Half Bodyguard, Luke Lovell. recompense Blair for the heritage he bud, unknowingly till now, deprived him of. And Arthur was young. For him the strong, brotherly utYcction he bore for Esther and the desire in his heart to do justice to Blair were now the main motives of his life. And he would have this farewell Joy a nee with Blair. Blair took him first to Abraham Bloom's private "club," and here, despite Arthur's wiser counsels, counsels the wisdom of which lie now wondered at himself, Blair plunged again at roulette uiul lost the money he b?;d got on his watch at the pawnbroker's ami half of what Arthur hml got from the inline source on the diamond from the sky, of which, of course, Blair knew nothing. C-p to Richmond this night of Mrs. Randolph's ball caiue Ha gar. She brought with her Esther, from whom she was resolveil never again to he parted. Hagur brought also an half servant half bodyguard her lieutenant In her gypsy qneenship, Is ike Isivell. Tom Blake, the detective, returned to Richmond at her summon* and met heir. It too^ but few inquiries with the means at Blake's command to locate Blair Stanley, cutting a swath in Richmond's gayest circles. It was with surprise Ijagar learned, and a happy surgftiae, too, that Blatr Stanley was alive and seemingly uninjured the while Arthur had believed he had killed him. Ut?r In tb? ???nlu| Blaki brought] x her word that Arthur was with Blair B under an atom wed name and It wan B evident wa? going to the ItAndolph hall I with Blair that night. B Oil many occasions the thrifty Hagar B had turned' such fashionable function* B as the Randolph ball to good account. . B She knew the Idle rich welcomed the ^ B diversion of the Impromptu appeurance B of a gypsy fortune teller on such ocea- B sions. As a gypsy fortune teller she B determined to appear and confront Ar- B thur and get the diuiuond ere he left B Richmond to make his wuy in the B world. Meanwhile a fair vision was oti the B threshold of Abraham Rloom's private- B "club." This fair vision was none oth- B er than the stunnlugly attired and vlva-^, B clous woman of the world. Vivian B Marston. H Abe's "club" was on a quiet side, fl street. The supposed "New York so clety belle" ran little risk of being;: I KI?PII hv I1I1V Of Itl<-hlllOllil*a 4,lw?ul uru* H pfcy people" at < In tlie afternoon as I she hurriedly passed from her waiting I cab Into the double doorway of the I "clubhouse." I A bra ha hi Bloom received the sup-^ I posed "New York society leader" wlthr I an astonishing air of friendly familiar Ity. Vivian Marston may not have I been a society leader in New York, I as the rest of Richmond supposed, but it was true enough that she was a I gay New Yorker, and Mr. Bloom had H met her there on more occasion.* than 4 I one when he had visited the gay me- I tropolis. k I "Surprised to see me In your town^fc I AbeV" asked V|vlnll gaylv. "Well, f I met one of your society dames. Mrs, Randolph, at Palm Bench last winter. I I made a hit with her. and 1 am hero I as her guest. A "She gives that big blowout you hear so much about tonight. I want to plclc * I up sonic rich guy of Richmond and marry and settle down among tho I southern aristocracy. I have got plonty of line clothes, but I had to hoclc my ico in New York to get. them and get here. m "I want to beg. borrow or steal a film out lit of jewelry, and I want you I to help me get the loan of some, un- I less you get enlargement of the heart I and present it to inc." I "Nix on that generosity stun, Vi, oid girl." replied Mr. Bloom. "Business I is bum. There's no money in Rich- - I inond except the old Confederate bills ' I they printed here by the ton during I the war. But i got a brother who I runs a bock shop"? I "And you ami your brother cntoU I hem coming and going." merrily interjected the Now York society leader, so called. "Alter you break tbe boobs your hock shop brother trots their'Jewelry." "Never you mind about that, klddo," replied Mr. Bloom affably. "I'll givO ^ you a note to brother Ike to lend you. all the ice in the refrigerator. He'U tlx you out with sparklers till you'll look like a chandelier." The lady departed from Mr. Bloom's establishment with a compelling note to ids brother, the pawnbroker. The best Mr. Ike Bloom had In the shop was the diamond from the sky. In a fatal moment lie displayed it to the-^ opulent looking lady friend of his brother. Miss Marston of New York, and that dazzled young person had eyes for nothing else. "That for me!" she cried, "and nothing else! It would be a sacrilege to wear anything else with that!" "Be very careful of It." warned the cautious Bloom reluctantly. "I don't know where it came from, but when s you wear that I know you are wearing * one of the finest diamonds in the world!" "They can't come too good for me, Mr. Bloom." said Vivian, as she gazed enraptured at the great Jewel in its antique setting. That night Vivian Marston, in all her luxuriant beauty, set off as it was by (lie diamond of the sky blazing on her fair bosom, was the cynosure of alii ^ eyes at Mrs. Randolph's hall as she stood with her hostess in the receiving line. Arthur and Blair gasped at her beauty, but stared as if turned to stone to see the diamond from the sky gleaming on the bosom of this fair stranger in Richmond. A ITngar, admitted as soon as her appli- . M cation readied the hostess, happy to^ have Hie novel diversion of real gyj>- fl sies to tell fortunes at her hall, gasped, ^ too, to see tlie diamond Haunted bold- T ly by this dark, luxurious stranger " from the great city. She thought Arthur had given thi? lK>ld faced beauty the diamond from the sky, and her heart again hardened to him. Kstlier, dazzled by the lights and the luxury, clung timidly to Hagar's arm. She had never seen the diamond fron? the sky before nor had she ever heard1 its history. Outside I.uke Ix>vell loitered Idly, awaiting to guardt Hagar and Kstfter hack from the ball when the function should come to an end. "Shall we have the fortunes firstT9' asked the hostess of her guest from New York. "It will be great fun and1 help to get things started." ^ Hagar had given 110 sign of recognition to Arthur, and he In turn was re-lleved that his gypsy mother did not seam intent on creating any ecena. He . 1 < 1" - -- - mw<i mwi wiiii m?ir ana silent, end1 both of tliem cased from afar asI tbouyh faiiclMteil at the diamond from, the sky biasing on the breast of Vivian' Mars ton. How came K here? was the thought* r of both of them, for in all their reoon-* dilation they had eednloutly avoided1 discussing the baleful gem of their ancestor. "I have a wondrous fortune to t?U' this lady/' said Hagar huskily as eh# x k