Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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The Diamor Fri By ROY L. i t Copyrighted 1915, by Roy L. This instalment of this ro- j anantic novel and absorbing narrative will be shown in mo- j Hon pictures at The Casino Theatre on Thursday afternoon and night. $10.000For 1,000 Words or Less 1 I For an Idea For a Sequel to "THE m AMMn FDrtTw "! o/iiftriuiii/ * iwri THE SKY" The American Fiim 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, with the Film Company or the newspapers publishing the continued story. No literary ability is necessary to qualify as a contestant. You are 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 conline their contributions for the sequel to 1,000 tZ'Oruj- or icss. it is the tdccx that is wanted. SYNOPSIS OF PRECEDING CHAPTERS. A feud lins existed between Colonel Arthur Stanley and his cousin, Judito l.auiar Stanley, over an heirloom, the diamond xrom ttie sicy, round in a fallen meteor r>.v an ancestor. Also, the succession to tint Stanley earldom in Kngland may como to an American. When a daughter is hot 11 to the colonel and the mother dies, the colonel buys a g> psy hoy and substitutes liim. Three years later the gypsy mother, having had no pan in this bargain, steals the girl, being reared in secret, and leaves her son undetected as the heir. The gypay has obtained possession of the diamond from the sky, and a document with the Stanley secret. When Ksther is grown a beautiful young girl, Ilugar, now gypsy <iueeu, returns to Virginia with her. I >r. l-.ee, the late Colonel Stanley's friend, Adopts Ksther. Arthur Stanley, son of llagar, falls in love with ICsther, and so does his companion and cousin, Blair Stanley, rightful male heir of Stanley. In stealing the diamond Blair causes the death of the doctor and tries later to put the blame on Arthur, who takes the diamond from him. Arthur Stanley eludes his pursuers and joins Ha gar, who reveals his identity and upbraids him for his wild life. Needing money, he pawns the diamond in Richmond. At a ball, at which a supposed New York belle, Vivian Marston, Is the guest of honor, Arthur and Blair find the uuwuoiiu tin tue visitor. roie is ail uuventuress who 11'is borrowed it. laike L.ovell, Hagar's gypsy guard, Meals -the diamond, and to avoid detection drops It into a mail box. Arthur leaves lib hmond slid gne.. m the west. The diamond pauses into a mail bug, picked up by t^uabba, or^nu grinder. Quabbu's monkey steals the diamond, llagur takes Esther to Stanley hall. Tom Blake, u detective of ltichmond, mho is hired by Uagut.*, produces finger ' prints convicting Blatr. llagar proposes i silence to Mrs. .Stanley as the price of llagur's and Esthers being: received in ' Fairfax society, Blair strikes down I lagar and steals the finger prints, leaving ! the gypsy demented. The diamond is J fotmd by a negro boy and i? later stolen from a Chinese den. linear is again with Esther among the gypsies. Marina- 1 duke Stnythe. lawyer, arrives to announce' Arthur is heir to the deceased Marl of Stanley. Learning Arthur is a fugitive lie seeks Blair instead. To win Vivian, Blair steals the diamond, later marrying her and leaving for the west. Their train is robbed, Vivian losing the diamond, which a slain train robber drops in the desert, j The $100,<00 he stole Is found by Arthur,, now known as John Powell, sheep herder Vivian deserts Blair, telling him he must regain the diamond for her. Luke l.,ovell, driven from tne camp after learning I lagar's secret, leaves to seek Blair, llagar Is under treatment and Esther is in riicnnioiHi WK'iciy, protege of M1 h. Stanley, who suspects her real name, and of Mrs. Randolph. A ho Bloom, gambler, who knows Blair's guilt, covets the diamond and calls it the price of 1?i? secrecy. Ulair will not listen to Dovell, and Arthur also Insists on his silence. Blair returns to Richmond and, instigated by his mother, pays unwelcome court to Esther, Mrs.' Stanley asserting Vivian had been married before. The diamond is picked up by an Indian woman. Dr. Dee, Arthur learns, died of heart disease. Becoming very rich be buys Stanley hall, sold at auction, through Blake, and also provides for II;*gar and lias money left secretly in Esther's room. Duke Rovcli buys the diamond from the squaw, hut loses it in a fight on Hunla Barbara bay, the gem sinking. Vivian, desiring aid to ensnare Arthur, sends for Blair. Rather and b/uabha. also Blair, go to j the California mines to seek Arthur, Blair, to learn the whereabouts of the diamond for Vivian. Smythe Is sent west by Bluke i J>ovell repairs the coach in which Rather i and Smythe ride, ljuabba catches a fish with the diamond In Its gills, but a peli- j can bears off the gem. The coach rolls down the mountain, but Bather and the lawyer escape unhurt | Meanwhile Quabba returns, and he and i Bather elude Duke and Blair. Vlviun j Marston Is resetted from drowning by John Powell, who falls in love with her. | Marmaduke Smvthe shoots a frog and finds the diamond. Blair end l.uke Intercept the buokboard I The driver la shot. Esther and Cjuabbu I I ,U I ?i mmm id did the Sky McCARDEL McCARDEL escape ?ni\ nre joined by MarmamiRc Smytho. who gives Kstlier the diamond to deliver to Arthur. Blair and Luke ko to the yacht in Arthur's absence and find ICathcr with the diamond. To escape them she jumps overboard. CHAPTER XXXV. The Charm Against Harm. QUABBA. in the rowboat by the bottom of the yacht's companion way, heard the struggle upon the dock between Blair and Luke and the scream of Ksther as, io escape them both, she plunged over fhe side. It. seemed eternity to Quafcba and a voyage to the gates of death to the strangling girl ere her head came to the surface. She instinctively Clutched the rail of the row boat, and Qunbba drew her In. He headed the boat straight f/?r the beach, for l>e saw the sailing master on the wharf stairs, bringing back the crew f(tmi their shore leave to the waiting launch. To Qiiahha all who are strangers are enemies. and he headed in a straight line for the beach and the breaking surf, a half mile away. On the deck the struggle l?etweeu Blair and Luke is one of vicious ferocity. in which the clothing of both is torn. Both Joy in the battle, and the few half drunken sailors aboard, tumbling out from forecastle, are wild with excitement and delight at the splendid smashing scrap between the burly, heavy built Luke and the lithe and adive Blair. lioy. liiu. cries one of uio sailors, "it's two old friends with a grudge for sure!" "i should worry. ii ain't iiiy fioatintjr palace t liey are mussing up!" exclaims the other mariner. And lie spoke truly in one sense, for like maddened beasts the two men tore at oaeh other, and I lie snowy deck of the yacht was stained with blood, which flowed profusely from both combatants. Against the paneved mahogany of the cabin side the lighters crashed, smashing and splintering glass and woodwork. And thou, in sheer tearing rage, combining ail their strength to dash each other to insensibility and death, they pi tinged from the smashed cabin side at the center to the stanchion rail. At the heavy impact of the two strong bodies flung against it the rail bent outward and the stanchions snapped like pipesteins. and the two men. locked in death grips, went over the side and into the water, Uickiug. thrusting, cursing. In the water, more active, lilair loosened hold and dived under. Coming to the surface, he waited for the gypsy's head to nppeur. and when Luke rose to the surface, bubbling and gasping for breath, Blair struck him a smashing blow between the eyes ami swam to the compauionway. iialf stunned and Inilt' .strangled. I,like se roamed in inarticulate insanity of raj^o ami hate. Then thrmi&h his dull mind came a realization that Illair. as friend of tlie owner of the yacht and as "a p'ol Icina n." would have the aid and assistance of the sailors. Leaving the matter for another <lay to settle, for laiUe was of a nature tluil loved to nurse and cherish his enmity, the ji.vpsy turned and swam strongly and do^ecliv to the sliore. Illair. panting, water soaked and disheveled, leaned over the rope railing of the companion way and looked after Luke, also with that res|K?et one good lighting man has for the other. "Hurt, sir?" a sailor asked. "Only a little scratched." said l.ialr, noting i t! i some satisfaction that the eold sea water had checked the Needing of ids wounds. "The poor fellow must have gone roaring mad." added Illair in explanation. "We had been lost in the woods ivi 3i'uiv- uiMi ii(! in11si nave got. hold of stum* whisky and have gone olonn crazy, for the lirst thing I knew lie sprang upon mo. lighting like a mail dog!" It was this same explanation in ox tension that I'.lair made to (lie sailing master when the latter returned to the launch with the Sailors from their shore leave, for the two sailors left in the forecastle had not seen or known of lOsther's hoarding the yacht in search of Arthur or her wild leap from it when faced by ltlair and Luke. Nor itad the sailing master, mustering his men at the end of the street loading n> me wmirr at the lime of Ksther's leap, known of her presence a hoard (he yacht. The sailing master had seen the rowhoat with Qunhhn and Kather headed straight for the beach but the rowhoat was too fur away for even keen sailor eyes to note that the girl was wet ami weak. "I*have heard of sailors getting homicidal d. t.'s," said the sailing master, "but I never knew a landsman to get 'em that quick." The two sailor* who had witnessed the tttau combat grinned, for It had been a bout to delight the eye. Rnt just then the sailing '??nster gave a sudden cry. "Look at i .1 fool! What Is he doing?trying to commit suicide?" Ami the master pointed to the bench, where the rowl>oat, with the tired, unskilled hands of Quabba on the ours, was negotiating the surf. THIS HORRY HBRA1 , r v . f / // / / ^ { j m| 3^ j ill ,' u : ,4 : Jlfe''v' ' '' .-V 1,:T:tfe':l-ls '' '' The Fight on the Yacht. "Shall we lower a boat. slrV" asked j one oT the sailors. "There was a wo i man spilled from the boat with that 1 awkward landlublier!** The sailing master shaded his eyes with his hand and then said: "T?y (*eoi\ce. tbe jjirl can swim, all rijiht!! 1 She is even helping the landlubber. They're all ri^ht. See! The fellow with her is asking some one to save ' the boat. There is quite a little bunch ol* people on the beach now. Anil our crazy friend sees tin in. too. and evident ?y does not desTre to be qttestione 1. . lor lit* is striking i?IT to In ml ran hoi* down the boncb!" Ami l>o pointed to tiu? hohhiiur head ot' the strongly swim rniiiir Luke. a mere sue U above the water hall way to the shore. -The people on ihe heaeh don't even see toy late t'rieiui of the woods." re marked lilair. with a *eynleal smile "(Mi. well, let the poor fellow :jo The < old Mater will hriiur him to his senses." And Ulair turned ami went :iV:- V m : "' I Esther and Quabba In Santa Barbara. toward the cabin to make another ? J chaiiijf in his attire from Arthur's yachting wardrobe. "lie's a eooj one." said tile sailing; . master admiringly as he looked alter j l'dair. w 11? i walked in his dripping idol lies aeross die deck whistling. "I'll iiet lie is a Virginian, that lad. Hi1 says he is .Mr. Powell's cousin. and 1 Powell i* aiiolher lighting daredevil ' Just like him They breed good men in (lie west, hut there's nothing wrong with i he lighting strain they raise in old V irginia." I.uke gained a deserted part of the beach unobserved, shook the water from him as a great dog might have j done and strode olT. Luke Lovell had no use for the town. Fur away iti the Sierras the Lady Veronica mines and other prosperous and busy diggings called him. By train and on foot lie made his way, and by another day Santa Barbara was far behind him; but, though lie went for work and to get away from Ids very hate of Blair roaiuey. i<11 kc i.oveii nnd noi deviated one iota from his sot, sullen purpose. Lie had seen tlie paper that Blair Stanley had pursued and persecuted Kstlier to obtain. Then, too, Luke j Lovell had beheld the diamond from the sky. Luke elinehed his hand and i looked down, as though he had expeot* * ed to see the great gem be had thrice grasped as his own only to lose still burning hatefully in his bronr.ed and brawny grasp, lint the diamond was gone, and he clutched at the empty air and trudged on, resolved that the purpose of Ids life would be to have it. Hut he would have uo more of Hlnlr Stanley; that he w?h re*olve<l. K?ther, after t>eluK thrown upon th* beach from the overturned boat with Quabbtt, thanke<l those who ruahed up to u*mU( her and her companion and atiBured them It had been Juat an 1 >D, CONWAY, 8. O, dent of small consequence. Her spirits rose again In thankfulness, and, followed by poor Qtinbba, who half hysterically accused himself of every crliu? under the calendar In his humiliation at having imperiled his young mistress. Esther reached a quiet part of the beach and from there had Quabba sum ! mon a conveyance which took her tc the quiet hotel on a side street, where she had secured quarters for herself and her servant. Esther knew she was safe enough In Santa Barbara or any other city. She would light Blair Stanley fearlessly along the lines the Stanleys had always fought in their feuds?among themselves. True, the Stanleys, even in their feuds, had seldom fought worn-! en. But Esther, knowing she had the J protection of Arthur's love and having every confidence in the strength, wit and courage of this handsomest of all, heroes in her e.ves. felt as though Blair was overmatched when all was said and done. Had she met Blair in the streets of Santa Barbara she might J even have bowed to him with a mock-i ing smile. She sent a message to John Powell, president of the Hood llopc Oil company. Los Angeles. It read: Came here to sc? you urgent. Wire In- < struct Ions. ISSTI11CU. ; "Yen will probably have an answer in an hour or so," said the clerk, and Esther murmured her thanks and said she would he back and so went shop- I ping in the interim, while <>tiubhn lurk ! ed at a respectful distance. In the woods and In the wilderness.' on the dangerous waters, he could come close to cherish and protect Ids beioved young mistress. But in the built up town, where romance and devotion seem strange and out of place.' convention required the pathetic yet faithful Ouabba mast keep aloof. Esther had not asked this, but she knew j the proximity of the queer looking follower who served her so faithfully would, iu a town, bring upon lu*r attention and questioning. CHAPTER XXXVI. In ''Pe-o'i Palaco." MTIA N Will 1. H at l lit' sou ill portal ol" tliu Lauy Veronica mines there .tio i*\i'iloiiicut ;?jwi alarm. Some ranchers from the \11 y Ik low have borne lnu-k till' WoUlided MIDI I l.l 11' lll;co:;s(ious ' yoimv; miner who had ilrivcn lOsther ami (juabba. when they were attache 1 by I'lair ami Lithe on l!ie lonely inutile l;iin load. while beina taken to the nearest railrc ad station, thirty miles a w ay. "I iio not know what became of the youny lady and llic little Italian man with her." murmurs the ;. onnu miner, and tears of weakness and vexation welled to his eyes. "I would have died gladly to save her! I did Uie best I could for her." "Sonic of the boys seen uie tracks of the binkboard turn oil i.ii the aid road that ain't used no m ire.' 'aid oi.e of t lie ranchmen. "Tom ne'e red.' had; and found a camp. !> .. tae buck- 1 hoard and bosses and ewcybodx was Lrone. Tiiem two fellers >i(,le nurses from San .Marcos ranch, and they must have caught the ni'l and the iilile Itali;j11 feller!" The beauty and charm of Ksiher. the strange se< roev of her <piest for the man she. too. called John Powell, in his hearinu. had impressed the mine foreman. Tin* cost of the lonti distance telephoning to I .oh A titles was ; to liis mind a prodigious tiling, but' well was bis des|K?rate extrava.uanee ?tlioie. h ? har.ired to the company?rewarded by tin* broken, cxeiiid thanks which poured from the mouth of Ids million;!ire employer. "H's. yes; you did right. M' Ken/.le. to c.'ill me ill1 <1 lid tell inc. Oil. hang the expense, man! I ll give you S1<>.0(?4> if the young lady is nil right! Stop nil work, arm nil the men ntuT search everywhere till the girl is found! Don't slop to ask questions, nnd if the men are caught who molested her string them tip or shoot them down- ' or both! I'm taking the fastest ear, i and I'm making dead straight for the mines!" i At his oflire In Los Angeles Arthur dashed like a madman from the tele1,1 - i : * Hr J K4jL Th? Wounded Minor Toll# Hio Story. I l>hone, crying excitedly to hie secretary 8ft he went that a niowt urgent matter called hlui to the mines, and ran from the building to Ills waiting auto, fol-, lowed by the bewildered office porter I with the auto cap and coat, which were douued In hot haste. He hud hardly left before Esther's message from Santa Barbara arrived, and within the hour Esther received the following answer: l.os Angeles. 11 &. m. To Miss Esther Harding, Santa Barbara. Cai:: Replying to your wire, Mr. Powell left for mines seeking you. No way of communicating with him. as he Is en route In uuto. E. CiHAY, SecretarySince Hagar's sudden mental affliction. of which only Blair Stanley knew the cause, and guiltily, the wealth Esther's gypsy mother was supposed to possess seeiued to have utterly disappeared. and Esther had been dependent 011 the generosity?a generosity as sudden as It was strange?of Blair's mother and the more friendly kindness of Mrs. Randolph in Richmond until she had received the $1,000 that came so mysteriously. With .this money, which Nhe correctly surmised was from Arthur. Esther, with Qualdm. had come to California in search of him. Blake, the Richmond detective, having thought It advisable to hint (n her that John Powell, the new millionaire oil and mining magnate. and Arthur were one and the same. Esther was still in sufficient funds therefore to continue her quest, which was now like a game of hide and seek, for Arthur. It was her one purpose in life, and no other Interest held her except that she worried as to flagnr's condition and had wired to Detective Blake in Richmond, receiving the comforting reply that there w:n? every indication <>f complete recovery in due time and that she was not to worry. Esther and Qunbbn took a train to thA nearest station to the mountain mine and. hiring horses, proceeded onwa rd. l>loi? .1 : - i.iii 111111111 iiiiit* iviiiir neavny upon his 11:iu<Is aboard the yn?*ht. and. doominu from his telegrams that lie was in a eliastened frame of mind. Vivian thought (lie time propitious to have I'lnir eoir.o r?? I.os Anaoles and meet wiili Dnrand. the king of diamonds, ir.d 11is neeouiplice, the dapper Count Jo Vnux. who had so strangely proJeeted themselves #;ut from Vivians' past, lured hy the strange rumors that | had reached the upjK'r teiidom of the crook world regarding the falmlous value of the diamond from the sky and its last ap; earauee anions men in the last train rohhery. If "everybody has a past" It he hooves no one to ask awkward tpie? Durand and Count de Vaux. tions. Blair. sullenly at times and UKnin with some show of fellowship, accepted association with the dchonnire and polished Inirand and the dapper and cunning Count do Vaux. But alone with Vivian, Blair made his muttered protests. "These old friends of yours have their nerve." he growled. "To hear them talk you would think that once they trot their hands upon the diamond it would he booty of the 'diamond park.' to he sold abroad and the money divided. I like their impudence. Blast them, don't they know tin* diamond belongs t?? mo lawfully, if Arthur Stanley (Ilex, ami that it will belong to inc. an I I will ?i\'o it to you if I can ever tfet my hands upon it. whether lie lives or dies'/" "Now, do keep your temper, my dear boy," coaxed Vivian. "We are in no |H)sition to let 1 Minimi and 1 >e Vaux suspect anything. Especially must they never suspect that the man they know or have heard of as John Powell is Arthur Stanley. They would blackmail him all for themselves. As it is now, we need the help of such a callable pair in KHtiru; all we can of the Powell millions, on a share ami share allke-arraiiKomciit. Hut the diamond? we'll ti*?ht for that when it Is found. I fancy, Blair. my (l<nr, you and I will lie a match for our clever friends. Durum! and I>e Vitus, wheu It comes to the question of who will yet the diamond." Blair grinned his appreciation of Vivian's subtle plan, ami seemingly he worked hand hi glove wKh "the p?<*k" from that on. ? + It was |wiy day at Mammoth. Mammoth. as Peter Huff would say, was "some burg." Mr. Huff should have known; he was the proprietor of Pete's I'VitnrO. tlv Ol;l* uml nn:tM*l;?tion t?m tTpriM* :it M uti-H noth. It wan m din* c 11 :t 11 ami a t>ur-^| I In "Peio's Palace. ^ room :i11< 1 a restaurant eouddned. Mon-JH ay (lowed like water ill Ma inmot h.jfl which was in the r of the newly?fl opened mines in the IIIOHIl I a ins where I John Powell ami other magnates wen? I pntllim in more mone,\ than perhaps I lhe\ e\ er Would rot out. as is so often I t he w it h mines. Hilt things were at a lull when Prank I lutratiil arriveil tie had received word from some underground source that* I se\efal ot i he train rohtiers who h;i<>' rse.'ped alter the It ulup in which tin. 'I Ha mo ml front tho shy was taken from I :t woman parse.r.jor V.vinn consorted u it Pete's Pala e ; t Mil in moth. A few 1 sixths iu the ioti' . wo. i i fraternal code I an ! I'ete sin I Para ml were in eoni'or- I ence. A lev. wotv.s ovt rheard by a. I hulking L,v;.sy follow at tin- h..r and :l I third | erso.i was party to the eon- I ve?'sat ion. t his | et'son was Puke Pov- I el!, wlto. r< tra? U.; tils st s in sett fell 1 4?f work, iiad encountered at .MnmmniiL I liie wande am i.cell lm.!..ii. In lli.'il I I.uhe had proof to siiPstniil iate to L>tl- I rami Itis story of the diamond from I the sky. J "it's at tin- I io i tout of the sea!" coil-'*1 eluded l.t; ;e muhiy. I Mamnio.il woiitd seem a magnet tlsit I draws to..ether m m\ eoneornod in tills I strange story. Ikotn two worn ln?rs'?s I aliuhl t'Nlher and Oiiah'oa. tired an I I hungry. Pete's Palm e is ^e;ilnj,' crowd' | ed now. I?u( it i> llie only place in mi os i h.it oilers refreshments for man ami licnsl. ami mii.ii> of the nmn are I tea sis. One of these loans against the liinili ooiiuior and leers at tin? worn and exhausted xirl who lias entered v.hh t!m lon-i^n looking little liuii'h- ?j ha ok. Arthur. speeding through the wilderness in Ids liij.h powered oar. that goes direct aid lc..ves train systems far behind. lias pi. in-d up a strange wanderer in the wilds an exhausted Knglish * lawyer, c:myi:.g ''vyi' !I by a strap handle and i. o ;i.v J { > ialic. 1 Ce's I 'a I: o l: lis up: the da nee is at its hoi ill V.'ihnr. who as John rowell 11..s fat n'.-dic !. a: an employer, most of the money that i-. being spent in l'ete's I'alaee. arrives with the tired lawyer for refreshments ere speeding on in his feverish sea re h for Ksllmr. lie has not raised his eyes at the door when there is an out break by the eoun- li ter that attracts the attention of all.. A man lias grasped the shrinking Ks- ! ther, saying. "Come on. kid. and da nee!" As he clinches her the neck of Kstlior's blouse Is loosened, and (ho (liamond from tlio sky dandles. hlar/.1 Pand?m?fiium Br*k* L?h In th# "Palaoe.*? iug in the fierce light of the great