The Diamond Cross Mystery Being a Somewhat Different Detective Story

his voice sounded really cheerful, "let's see where we're at

the cut glass and silver gleaming in the showcases. On guard near a dark red stain in the floor, scarcely dry-it was still soaking into the wood. The b

e under the watchful eyes of Carroll and Thong. "I'm not sure anything is taken. If there is, as I said, it can't be much. But I'll go ov

o it," broke in Carro

s startled amazement

N

y n

want to have a talk with you, and I guess the prosecutor the same. How about it, Jim?" and he l

he easy answer, and in the same breath he added: "Not a mark!

e to be-held?"

ile you're at it, take a friend's

I say might-might b

ll. But don't talk too much. Of course you'll have to answer a lot of questions, and the easier you do the better for you. But wait until

lock the

body'll have

was jest comin' in off dog-watch when I happened to see what wa

and get somebody," a

be here until we ca

ke to look about a bit myself. I'll probably h

n," suggested Thong. "Sha

k his head after

jewelry store was still thronged, in spite of the ever increasing rain. "As for King, he's asleep, and I guess we can put him to bed here. If w

comes in get li'l preshent for his wife-wife sits up all night waitin'-she's 'titled to li'l pre

a fact, but do you happen to know where you were and what you did last night-and early this morning

orth in an effort to assuage their drink-inflamed condition, and regarded those ab

and what did you do?

did! One whale of a good time! It was some night-a wet night-believe me-a wet night-awful wet. Never had so mush fun-ne

been some nasty business, and you may, or may not, know something about it, though I don't believe you do, for you're so pickled now that you must have been load

ng, and his voice rang

u talki

" advised Thong. "We're t

he became maudlin and silly. King came of a good family, but his relatives had cast him off after his midnight marriage to an actress of questionable morals, with whom it was not a first offense, and he now lived, after his own peculiar fashion, on the income of an estate settled on him in his better days by an aunt. Now and then he managed to get larger advances than the stipulated sum from a rasca

advise you, for your own good, to keep a civil tongue in your hea

g's voice was m

Darcy-the lady who owned this jewelry store, you know. Now pull yourself together. You've g

I was giving as a present to-to my wif

the idea

knife to Darcy to

hough, and laid back on Darcy's work-table. Come

girls, you know," and he winked suggestively at the detectives. "Old lady Darcy's dead! Say, look here, boys!" he exclaimed with a sudden change of mann

lling it-like the reporters," and he grinned at Daley of the Tim

h they were quick to interpret. "Oh, it's all right, boys," went on the detecti

you know. First editions don't wait for gum-shoe men, even if they're of the first water. And I've got a cit

cy to police headquart

f-drunken gravity, i

containing an account of the murder of Mrs. Darcy, and of the holding of her cousin and Harry King on suspicion, tossed the journal on the bed beside his well-worn co

g by the river's side is not only the quietest and fittest pla

ing around on the trail of a murder, when I vowed I wouldn't even dream of a case. I won't eithe

ened window ruffled a page of the newspaper. The colonel, looking guiltily around the room, walked nearer t

hat's t

beneath an electric light, he bega

as a graphic bit of work. He described how Darcy, coming down in the gray dawn, had di

have been inflicted at the same time-one by the metal statue of a hunter found on the floor near the body, the other by a dagger-like paper c

two questions, the reporter pointed out. First, which wound

her or not there had been a robbery; and, if so, by whom committed. Then, to get to t

was discovered. "It may turn out to be a mystery after all, in spite of the two

death; for the skull was badly fractured, and vital organs had been pierced by the da

h there was no question but that suspicion was cast on both. Under the law a formal charge must be made against them with

ster had, with threatening finger under the detective's nose, made much of this point. "I'm

g. King was frank enough-sober now-to say he had been drunk all night-spending the hours w

p, and, aside from that little restless period of the night, he had heard no disturbance. Sallie Page could tell

nd, in his wanderings about the place, have entered Darcy's room. He might even have attempted to chloroform the jewelry worker, it was suggested, and perhaps did, slightly.

nly to awaken to hurry down to do the repair work on the watch of the East Indian-the watch that was found so uncannily ticking in the otherwise silent je

the latter. Naturally there followed, even with the faint suspicions so far engendered, the question

sum for a brooch he had purchased for his wife some time before. It was, of course, possible, that he had, in his drunken state, gone to the store to get the paper cutter, which some peculiar kink or twist in his drink-inf

ut into the night alone, and had come back well supplied with funds. Asked jokingly by his cronies where he had got the money, he had said "a lady" gave it to him. He resu

k in the morning, he would not say. He admitted calling at the jewelry store somewhere around eleven o'clock at night for the purpose

dded a bit of testimony that caused Col

thinking that might not yet be fastened. He hoped, he said, to be able to get in and procure the present for his wife. But this door, too, w

t a quarrel was in progress. Asked as to the nature of the dispute King had said he had heard mentio

tion was Miss Mason, daughter of Adrian Mason, wealthy stockman of Pompey, a village about ten miles from Colchester. Mr. Mason had what was often refer

r own right, her uncle having left h

but few, and made quite a sensation when Darcy admitted it after his arrest. He an

y also, that she might have married wealth and position, both were "passed up," to

! He's got all the family he needs. What's a family good for, anyhow, after you're grown up? As for money, I've got more than I need, and Amy's got a litt

d his cousin, had to do with the difference in the worldly prospects of the two young people. Mrs. Darc

er?" asked Carroll.

he was accustomed in her father's house. As for style, neither Miss Mason nor I care for i

things go right?"

electric lathe I am trying

t King heard about

erests, even outside the shop. I told her I had my own future to look to, and we often had words about that. Last night's quarrel wasn't the first, though she was especially bit

s the talk a

me extra for the exclusive designs I got up. The customers were pleased, and they paid her extra for the ornaments. So I demanded that she keep her promise, but she refuse

was killed you had a quarrel with her over Miss Mason, and about the

surely will claim she owed me that money. As for Miss Mason-I'

want," said Thong, dryly. "Was

ad to speak a little loud, for my

e quarrel you

es

r cousin again until-wh

aight in

after she

ess that'

rs. It was not a cell-yet, though it would seem likely to come t

e's a motiv

t none of 'em hardly st

om Harry King's, but enough, especially if he got riled abou

that'

imself into a chair and looked

h me after this? The shame of it-the disgrace! Oh, Amy! if I could only know!" and he reached out his hand as though t

Ashley read the story of the

nd I've known murder to be done on slighter provocation. Darcy might have resented being called a fortune hunter, which, I suppose, is what the old lady me

uld get some diamonds-it might be-it might be. I wonder who his lady f

behind the bed. "I'll not look at another issue. Now let's see how my rods are. I'm going to get an early start in the morning, if this infernal rain lets up.

t and see if I can't get it mended. Wonder if there's a decent spor

pplied him with the information as to the location of the store, and the detective was soon out in th

ore clung to his mind, and, almost unconscious

aken charge, pending the arrival of a relative of Mrs. Darcy's. Inside, the cut glass and silver gleamed as of old, but on the

ed on toward the sporting goods store. "Quite a p

nted and, feeling quite satisfied now, as he noted that the weather showed some slight signs

d tell afterward. But as the detective was crossing a crowded street a big auto truck swu

e, in the person of a small boy, had just a little while before, dropped a banana skin

en Colonel Ashley fell prostrate, his fishing rod pieces spinning fro

r to swerve his machine to one side, when a slim figure dashed from the crowd on the sidewalk, and, with an indistinguishable

prayer than an oath. The colonel, grimy and muddy, was set on his feet by his rescuer, and several men

his life a

time, the detective, his voice trembling in spite of himself, turned t

o doesn't begin to thank you or tell you what I mean. If you'll have the goo

little man who had saved him-a face covered with freckles, which were splotche

a New York gunman, who was supposed to have more than one kill

ou-you-here!" gas

inning cheerfully, went whit

It's you

d softly, quickly, and so dexterously as hardly to be se

colonel in the big ear of the m

d have darted away through the crowd, but there was a v

t," said the colonel, with a grim smile. "A

in arm with the man whom he had pulled from the path of the big t