The Argosy, Vol. XXIV, No. 1 — page 60: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

- 60 IN JEOPARDY FROM DIAMONDS. morning, they very readily readjusted their theory to fit the new facts. ‘“He is Solomon’s carrier,’’ they said, ‘‘ his wife is only a shield to avert suspicion, and he doubtless has the diamonds now.’’ When Minna was dressed, Styne opened the door and in mingled anger and alarm demanded his visitors’ business. ‘To arrest you as an I. D. B. and get those diamonds you were going to run across the line in the morning. And you had better give them up at once,’’ replied Hodgson. Styne almost fainted with horror, but conscious innocence sustained him. ‘They cannot harm me,’’ he said to himself. ‘‘’They must find diamonds in my possession, first. The American said so. And I, who have never owned or had in my hand a diamond, even a glass one, am sure they will find none.’’ But while he was reassuring himself with those reflections and striving to encourage Minna, the men were searching, and presently one of them, utter- ing a shout of triumph, snatched up some small object from the floor. It was a little buckskin bag, half full of diamonds. Tossed through the transom, it had fallen in the room before the couple awoke. Then, when they hastily dressed themselves in the dark, Styne’s jacket had accidentally fallen upon it from the back of a chair, so that when found it had the appearance of having been concealed. In vain the amazed and horror stricken young man protested that he knew nothing about it. ‘Tell that to the marines,’’ answered Moss, sneeringly. ‘‘ You had them hidden under your jacket, and if you ain’t an I. D. B., there are none. About fifteen years on the Breakwater is what you’re safe for.’’ - Minna uttered a shriek and threw herself into her husband’s arms. ‘“I swear to you,”’ cried Styne in a voice of anguish, ‘‘ by my honorable name, by my father’s gray hairs, by my dear wife here, by my hopes of heaven, that I have not known anything of those diamonds, or any others, aud all I wish is to get away to Bloemfontein and never see Kimberley, or a diamond again.’’ “ Youll find it a long journey to Bloemfontein by way of Cape Town,”’ grinned Moss. ‘Oh, Styne, they must not take you away from me. It will kill me,”’ sobbed Minna, embracing him. ‘Break away there,’’ cried Hodgson, jocosely; ‘‘we have no time to waste. Get your hat and come along, young man.’’ ‘Oh, sir,’’ pleaded the young wife. ‘‘He is innocent, indeed he is. You will do a cruel wrong if you arrest him. We only came to see the mines, It is our bridal trip. And he is only a little while from Rotterdam. He knows nothing about diamonds.”’ ‘‘A likely story that,’’ laughed Moss. ‘‘ A Rotterdamer and not know diamonds! I’d bet my life he is an agent for some big Dutch diamond cut- ting house. But that’s neither here or there now. He had them in posses- sion, and that’s enough.’’ Wretched Minna fell swooning upon the bed. Before she recovered— which was not for a long time, notwithstanding the sympathetic kindness of Eomichboo =} Ss) (E(0)