The Diamond Cross Mystery Being a Somewhat Different Detective Story

ns of superior officers, and some which they had worked out for themselves, had, in a comparatively short time, ascertained the name, age and somewhat of

ven years. Mortimer Darcy had been a diamond salesman for a large New York house in his younger days, and had come to be an expert in precious stones. Many good wishes, and not

hom he had known for a number of years and to whom he had sold many diamonds and other stones. This man-Harrison Van Doren by name-had what was termed the best je

Doren's. And Mortimer Darcy, knowing the value of that class of trade, had, when he purchased Mr. Van Doren's business fostered that spirit. Mrs. Darcy, on the death of her husband, had further catered to it, so that the Darcy establishment, though it was not

ght have done to a grocery, to get what they really needed in the way of jewelry, came

he rich families of the place, but to the younger set as well. The pretty girls and their well-groomed companions of the "Assembly B

send it

f being in the store almost every day, as her husband had been before her, to advise and be available for consultation, whether it was the buying of a gold teething ring for

in the way of pins or rings, constituted the force. But Mrs. Darcy was as good as a clerk herself, and during the holiday rush she was in the store night and day

cousin, who at that time was in the employ of a well-kn

setter of precious stones; and often, when some fastidious customer did not seem to care for what

rcy design something

would say-"something different-so

y trade had gro

, for the time, a sufficient history of himself and his relative, and had hastily gone over such of the stock as was

t. "But if there has been a robbery they didn't get much. The safe hasn't been opened, and the best of the goods-all the diamonds and other sto

downstairs? What happened during the night? Any of the doors or win

as it is now. I went out the side one. That wa

ted?" came sha

ut that. You see, I

assente

on the door!"

hy, I can't say. She seldom came down ahead of me, especially of late years. I gene

young men peered in through the misty glass, the crowd having made

sented Thong. "We got

'em

helping him keep back t

e of the men clerks to Darcy. "W

every one. Oh, Miss Brill, come in!" and he held out his hand to the one young woma

dding to the excitement and giving Mulligan a bad five m

eted, and when the shades had been drawn to keep the curiou

down to the store from

soon as I

is your

n front. Then come those of her maid, Jane Metson. Sallie Page sleeps on the top

oll. "Then you came do

ying he

sure she

roke in Thong. "No question abo

her hand. First I thought

f course she might have heard a noise if you didn't, and she might have come down to find out what it was about. She might have caught a burglar at work,

g. I went to bed about half past ten, af

y in bed then?

, but I don't have to pass near that to get to

o'clock,

t may have been a

all night?" Carroll shot thi

something-it wasn't exactly a

d Thong roughly. "Either it was a no

clock striking a no

his chair more at his ease. His manner seemed to

lied. "You know when you awaken in the night, and hear the strokes, you can't be sur

gested Thong. "Was it the strikin

as more as if some one

in the living-room of Mrs. Darcy's suite, the clerks being detained downstairs b

thought about it, I wasn't quite sure. All I know is I slept quite soun

four," mur

uddenly; but what, I can't say. I remember, at the tim

d?" suggest

e sure. It may have

it feel like?"

may have been that. Then I tried to arouse myself, but I heard the wind blowing and a sprinkle of rain, and, as my

curtain," said Thong, slo

little while, and then

e maybe two or

't call M

N

nt-what's her

't any use in t

dn't call t

I didn't really attach any importan

arroll. "Well, then y

d you d

the habit of rousing at almost any hour I mentally set for myself the night before, that I don't need an alarm clock. I had fixed my mind on the fact that I wanted to get up at five-thirty, and I thin

a repair job?"

a wa

cigar the reporter had given him. Daley was down in the jewelry st

in her hand," and he nodded in the dir

that is sti

rroll. "I guess it must have been because I couldn't see well with the electric light on my work table," went on the jewelry worker. "I've got to get that fixed. Anyhow I didn't do anything to the Indian's wat

h is it?" a

gs to Sin

Carroll. "Crimps, what a

ught some odd things from him for our customers, queer bead necklaces and the like. He left the watch w

to have the watch in he

couldn

is Indian-Singa-Singa-" b

y. "He has not lived here very long, but I knew him in

e fellows that use a silk cord to strangle you with?" a

, and there was the trace of a smi

rroll and Tho

There was less of a crowd about now, and Mulligan di

the policeman, calling

on

r. Darcy. He'll want to ask you some questions. Then we'll have another go a

ssented the j

cy preceded them downstairs. "Now we'll know what ki

something already

nd then-again-ma

oat and tossed his auto gloves on a shiny glass showcase. "Second time this week you've got me out of bed befor

s and autopsies were all in the day's work with him

held for him. The doctor rolled up his shirt sleeves and stooped down. "Head's

rkled on the silver and cut glass. They flashed on the white, still face, an

der but what it had done the trick. Might have been from a

ok his head

rought from his hip pocket one of the weapons in question-a short, stout flexible

wasn't one of th

d the doctor. "Let's

ace for refuse-odds and ends, discarded wrapping paper and the like-a place into which neither of the detecti

ect. The butt of his gun projected behind him, and as Dr. Warren moved the statue into the light of the

on of the fracture. The burglar-or whoever it was-swung this statue as a club. It would make a deadly one, using the foo

red Darcy in a

asked the phys

statue

y n

me. But now- Oh, I never want to see it in the ho

uickly. "Say, do you know something about th

step it would seem, from the fact that t

anything," said Da

t the statue-not wanting it

r excitement, "We are going to be married in the fall," he went on. "I had asked Mrs. Darcy to set that statue aside

but a shudder seeme

round after it had killed the old lady," murmur

t away. I guess you remember that Murray case," he went on, to no one in particular. "There they all thought the man was murdered,

ur case, Doc,"

aying nothing until I've made an examination. Better 'phone the

got to take her awa

ctor motioned to the glittering array of cut glass an

w," and Darcy wrote out one which a c

very perfunctory examination. "The rest will have to be at t

e from Daley, slipped into his still damp rain-garment and was soon throbbing down the street in his autom

uisitions to the crowd, which persisted in staying in spite of the rai

from the police and Jim Holiday, a detective from Prosecutor Bardon's office,

were about to place it in the wicker carrier when Carroll,

table-a sort of bench against the wall, and behind one of the showcases. The bench was fitted with a lathe, and o

aimed Carrol

e electric lights there was revealed underneath and in the left side of the dead woman

instincts quickly aroused by this addition of ev

rmured Carroll, as he drew neare

ld out, on the palm of his large hand, a slender dagger, o

get it?" dema

e watch rep

y ga

?" snapped Carroll a

it's a paper-cutter

it?" The words were as crisp a

keen knife, and th

d the question sn

It was lef

at the side door, wh

the men might carry out

of feet, and a rather

ke

wl right, offisher. Got a right t' come in, I have! I got something here.

arl's name on? Got take it home now. Got take her home some-someshing-square myself. Been out al'night-you know how 'tish! Take wifely

ed to the gills again

has som

d and glassy as to his eyes. "Wheresh my li'l preshent for wifely? Got her name all 'graved on it nice an'

t, though designed for a paper cutter. The detective held it out, and the r

ife, Harry King?

on it-brought it here for my ole fren', Darcy, t' engrave. Put wifely's name

r knife-'n I'm all right. But gotta square wife somehow. Take her home nice preshent. Thatsh me-sure thash mine!" and ca

Darcy, ole man?" asked King, thickl

the jewelry w

place he had entered. He turned and saw the body of the murdered woman as the men from

ad?" he gasped. "

d sit down a while, Harry," he went on, and he led the unsteady young man t