THE BABYLONIAN DIAMOND

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 452, 15 December 1904, Page 2

THE BABYLONIAN DIAMOND

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CHAPTER XV.—(Continued.) After traversing tnis busy thorfor some distance, Luker Hirst's cab? turned up a narrow, noisome side-street. It was going at a rattling i>sse, but the driver of the private carriage slowed up, and Eaven followed suit. It was certainly a wise precaution, as, owing to the street being deserted of vehicles, save for a couple of vans being unloaded, and a greengrocer's cart, the procession would undoubtedly have attracted attention. The passage of this bystreet, however, was a matter of short duration, and then the vehicles emerged into a busier thoroughfare, along which the pursuing two were sped at a brisker rate, until once more Luker Hirst's hansom was under close surveillance." Suddenly it stopped. Luker-Hirst had thrown up bis window, and the driver pulled up so suddenly as to send the horse's hoofs ringing in a clatter. The hansom had pulled up by the kerb, and Hirst jumped out. The djiver of the carriage was a trifle disconcerted, but pretending that something had gone amiss with the harness of one" of his animals, he pulled up by the opposite kerb, and. alighting, proceeded to make some fictitious repairs. It was an easier matter for Raven to bring his hansom to a standstill, as the spectacle of a waiting cabby—and especially one who has stopped to light his pipe, as Raven did —is not unusual. Hirst bad brought his cab to a stand at s ght of a dirty, repulsive-looking -individual, who was shambling on the ppvement. He was a Jew of middleage, but his long, shaggy, unkempt hair and beard and dirt encrusted face gave him a much older appearance. He wore a dirty, slouching brown hat; his clot' es were shiny with dirt end age; whila round his neck a c'oth wrap was the only ornament or protection. It was a curious sort of person to be accosted by the spruce and respectable principal clerk of an old banking house, but it was evidently to see him that Hirst had come. The Jew appeared to be very much annoyed at having been stopped by Hirst, and made as if he would continue his walk; but Hirst, excited and in earnest, held him by the lapel of his coat, and stood directly in his path. The conversation between the two was brief, but from their manner it was obviously of serious import. The Jew, with all the histronic talent of his race and class, could be seen to bluster, argue, wheedle, and plead by turns; but it was equally obvious that whatever point Hirst was insisting on, he doggedly held to. In the end he seemed to be satisfied with the assurances he received, for he jumped into his hansom, a look of greater contentment on his face, and was immediately driven rapidly away. But the repairs to the harness of the horse attached to the private carriage still went on, and Raven continued to suck his pipe contentedly. Presently the sombre-lbqking coachman remounted his box—ho had apparently received no instructions—and, turning his horses' head:?, he drove slowly, at a lazy, ambling pace down the street, the Jew slouching on in front. The Jew soon reached a narrow street branching off to the right; and down this ho wended his way. It was doubtless unusual for the dwellers in this foetid thoroughfare to see it invaded by a private carriage, but the unusual sight was afforded them this day, a3 the carriage of the Orientals t irned into it, some distance in rear of the Jew. The shambling figure disappeared some half-way down the street, and then the pace of the carriage was quickened, as it drove along tbv rough pavement. Raven keeping steadily ir tho rear. No stoppage was made as tßey passed the house—the lowei portion of'which was a dirty, tumble d#jyn shop, wirh half-closed windows! lijjpilind and cob webbed—but t momonury "lance told all that waste beflearot. Over the door was the in

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BY AUSTIN FRYERS.

scription, dirty and faded as its surroundings : ' S. Solomons, Marine Stores Dealer. And the full addres3 of Luker Hirst's strange acquaintance was 17, Pike Street. The carriage, once emerged from Pike Street, stopped but once on its homeward course. This was at the office of a house-agent in the neighbourhood of Mr Solomon's establishment. The driver went into the office, and presently returning with a paper, which he handed into the carriage. 1 Hello !' muttered Eaven to himself. ' Air Solomons is to have new neighbours.' After this the carriage drove west ward without any further stoppage, and within the hour Eaven was able to add another address to his pocketfa )ok. It was 8, Crof ton. Boad, Mulberry Avenue, Kensington, W.

CHAPTEB XVI. Marnham Hardy was particularly bored. His black cigars were too strong, his mild cigars too flavourless. He hated a pipe, and he eschewed cigarettes.. Yet he wanted to smoke. The outlook on the Thames was not encouraging. He could see the Tower Bridge distinctly enough—the great boast of the owner of the residential flat in which he and Eaven Ferrett resided—but it looked unpicturesque through the foggy: smoky atmosphere. The steamers moved listlessly along the muddy river;-. the river itselt was colder, muddier, and chillier than ever. The tugs .were aa noisy and' vijgar as -a. factory ;i the barges dirty and dull. In fact, Malhham was out of sorts; and his cigars were unpleasant, and the outlook dull, merely because of this, so that it was a good job for his peace of mind that Eaven very shortly came in. «I m glad you've got back, Eaven, old chap,' said Hardy, yawning. «I've got an awful fit of the blues.' 'You should take.ito cycling,' replied Eaven, sententiously; 'it's better than a change of occupation.' 'No, thanks,' said Hardy; 'too much fag for one thing, and too much chance for a spill for another.' 'Nothing better than a spill for interesting one's mind.' 'Well, we- won't discuss biking now,* said Hardy, 'Tell me whore you've been. That is, if you have been doing anything in connection with the diamond.' ' Yes, I've been after it some time, now,' said Eaven, ' driving a cab.' * Driving a cab ?' •Yes. I've just returned from the ! yard where I've left my horse and cab and the badge I was wearing.' But Eaven needed no pressing to tell the story of his adventures. Hardy was deeply interested, and when the recital was ended, exclaimed— ' By Jove, old chap, you have solved the mystery.' ' What explanation of it do you see in what I told you ?' ' Why, of course, it is clear as daylight that Luker Hirst has stolen the diamond, and has either sold it or pawned it to old Solomons. His interview with him was undoubtedly about the terms. Either old Solomons is not carrying out hi 3 bargain, or Hirst is-now dissatisfied with it.' •Or perhaps he desires to hasten the transaction ?' ' Yes, I should think that would be it.' ' But now what is your explanation of the presence of these Orientals ? Whit attraction does the diamond possess for themP And by what : means have they got the start of all us in assuming that Luker Hirst has been connected with the disappearance i of the jewel ?' 'Ha! ha!' laughed Hardy; 'that is for you to find out and to tell me.' ' Well, I hope shortly to be able to . do that,' said Eaven. ' I am only • beating about in my mind for a reasonablo excuse for calling on Pro-

feasor Muhainmcd Belira, to get on terms of closer intimacy with these mysterious people who go about a burglary with gloved hands.' 'Professor Muhammed Selhnl' repeated Hardy, wonderingly. * Yes. That is the name of a professor of Oriental languages who has taken the house at'B, Crofton Road. He has, I have learnt, three masters under him, and, up to the present, no regular pupils.' 'Why. not try it on the up-to-date journalistic dodge, and interview bim?' *f ' I have thought of that,' said Raven ; ' but I hardly think much would come of it of any interest or value to me. If he should give a history of himself, it would be one he bad concocted for publication, and therefore fictitious; while it is by no means likely that he would tell me anything he means to keep secret. Interviewed people only tell what they want published.' 'So that, although you have discovered your quarry, yon have no means of pushing your discovery to an issue ?' 'No, I don't say that,' said Raven. ' I only say I bave not made up my mind that I have any means to hand which I should use. You forget the scrap of papet covered with a curious inscription which lay under the diamond in its gold else. Itmight perhaps bring matters to a climax to boldly take him a copy of that paper, and ask him to translate it.' Hardy was staggered by this bold suggestion, but his comment on it was cut short by the entrance cf Raven's man, who announced Mr Douglass. 'So glad you are in, old chap,' said the banker, entering. ' I felt badly in want of a chat, and those insufferable bores at the Club., have nothing to talk about just now but the thrashed-fco-death African business. How do, Hardy V and he nodded to that lazy young gentleman, who, &lung on his cushions by the window, responded with a shake of his slipper. Raven sympathised with the banker in bis boredom and his horror of reiterated gossip, but he knew perfectly well that Albert bad something else annoying him, to say the least, and about which he wished to un burthen himself. It all came out. too, in the course of the next few minutes' conversation. ' Yes,' said Douglass, in his account of a ball he had attended the previous evening, 'it has become a positive worry and nuisance to mo "to appear anywhere in public, ever since that cursed diamond was stolen. Every

one, from the simpering miss you feel bound to humour, to the sedate mother to whom you can't be brusque, wants to know ' all about it,' and you have to sit and listen to their absurd theories as to how it may have happened. I sometimes wish I had never put it in the hands of the police at. all. That Petherick is continually inspiring references to the affair in tho Press, in which his name is always largely looming.' ' There was no help for Petherick, I fear,' said Raven, who still felt convinced Douglass had not revealed the special point of his trouble. ' You could not excuse yourself to the Colonel if you had not tried by every means in your power, and more especially by the ordinary means, to recover his property.' ' By-the-bye, Miss Stanhope was at the ball last night, and she told me to convey her kind regards to you.'. ' Ah 1' thought Raven; now we are coming to the point.' ' I was awfully annoyed,' continued the banker, ' by a*n ass of a fellow named Pellyss, who persists in annoying Miss Stanhope with his attentions. I think he must have a tile loose somewhere, by the way he carries on. The fellow is of decent family, and very wealthy, but in some respects he has quite the manners of a cad, and in many those of a fool. He, for instance, overdresses most stupidly, especially in the matter of jewellery. But where he seems positively insane is that he forces his attentions in the most brazen fashion on Miss Stanhope, even when she is in her mother's company. I had foolishly cultivated the wretch somewhat before 1 knew of his persecution—for it positively i mounts to this—of Miss Stanhope. When I did discover it, I told him the

lady was engaged to me, and the fellow | has become so—so annoying, that last night—he followed Miss Stanhope and myself home, chartering a cab to keep us in sight—he tried to address her as I was escorting her to her door; and when I had sean her .inside I was so annoyed that I—l ' •You knocked the fellow down, of course,' said Raven ' you could not do anything else or less than that.' . Hardy kicked his cushions with delight, and roared with such a keen relish of the situation, that even Douglass himself relaxed his gloom and smiled. * ' I know it is silly, and no doubt sounds funny enough,' said Douglass; ' but it would be a terrible nuisance if it had led to a police case and got in the papers.' ' Yes, so it would,' said Raven laughing. ' But tell me, why did you cultivate his acquaintance?' ' Oh, yes, by Jove, I had forgotten that,' said Douglass. 'lt is a very strange affair. The fellow has lost a little finger—has but a four-fingered hand! I thought of the impression on the safe. - It was, of course, a silly notion to connect the two, but that was my only reason for speaking to him.' ' A four-fingered hand, and fond of jewellery,' said Raven, with relish of a joke he hugged to himself. ' Mr Pellyss will not annoy you much longer.' CHAPTER XVII. Raven Ferrett paid a visit to the East End a few mornings after Douglass's visit, a period he had used to carry out his promise of putting au end to the annoying attentions of Pellyss. On this occasion he was in the less sensational capacity of an ordinary fare; and his destination was the house-agent's office near the residence of Mr Solomons, at which the carriage of the Orientals had stopped on the previous occasion. It was not a very flourishing business, or, if remunerative, it was by a quick return of small profits, for the properties to be let w T ere generally small houses and tenements, or newly-erected experiments in brick and mortar in the dreary wastes of Walthamstow and the flat country of the East. Raven entered the dingy little office and asked for a list of houses or rooms to be let in the neighbourhood of Mr Solomons' Marine Stores. Raven was too expert in the faculties of skilled detection to arouse suspicion by any

excuses as to why he desired to rent a house in that neighbourhood, .'Me knew that it was the agent's business to let, not to ascertain the motives of his clients, and so he expressly, indicated the position • in which he desired to find a vacant house, which was as near as possible to Mr Solomons' abode. * Ah, I'm very sorry, sir, that you have called just a day too late,' and the agent rubbed his hands with sympathetic commiseration. 'Yesterday I had exactly the house you required—eight-roomed, etc., etc. £55 a year; really dirt cheap. But it is gone.' ~ 'But perhaps you have not juite settled f' persisted Raven. ' My references, I can assure you, would be excellent.' ' Oh, as were those of my new tenant, a Mr Thompson,' said the affent; and turning over the leaves-of a crumpled book, he continued, • He gavo Dr Selim, 8, Crofton-rd, Kensington, and—and—in fact, there is no question about the references being excellent.' Raven thanked the agent and withdrew. He had ascertained all the information he required. The Orientals were keenly on the trail, it was evident. The house they had taken was next door to that of the old Jew. , Luck had undoubtedly favoured them.; and Raven, with a hasty remembrance of their skill and daring in entering Albert's rooms, and also the most carefully guarded portions of the bank, felt sure the defences of the Jew's crazy old establishment would avail him ,but little against the extraordinary attack which it was

evidently within the power of these mysterious men to make. Raven felt, sure the diamond was in the Jew's possession, or at all 'events under his care* and now become an exciting race beijireen himself and these Orientals jus to who would gain possession of it. Raven "was convinced that if-it once were secured by them it would be lost for ever, unless, indeed, he could ascertain their history and that of the diamond before they disappeared. Indeed, no view of the case was more perplexing to Raven than the mystery surrounding these men and the ©bject of their search. (To be continued.)