Reel Life (Mar-Sep 1915)

"The Diamond from the Sky" By ROY L. McCARDELL The Story of Chapter Nineteen of the Flying "A" Picturized Romantic Novel WHERE was The Diamond From the Skyf It was not in the grasp of Frank Durand, erstwhile King of Diamonds. It was not clasped in the tigress talons of Kansas Em, the dance hall fury. It was not in Esther's hands, as Quabba, the ever-watchful Italian, drew her from the Esther Stanley Arthur Stanley, II Blair Stanley Vivian Marston Hagar Luke Lovell Marmaduke Smythe.... Quabba, the hunchback. CAST . . Lottie Pickford Irving Cummings. ..William Russell .Charlotte Burton ....Eugenie Forde ..George Periolat .Orral Humphrey . .W. J. Tedmarsh perate profession of international gem crook. Arthur was badly injured. But Durand had surmised that his patient's youth and strong constitution would enable him to stand a hurried journey to Los Angeles. A' daring scheme already was forming in Durand's mind. Arthur, crushed and maelstrom just in time to escape the falling roof of Pete's helpless, was wholly at his mercy. When Esther came to Palace. Ahead of them spurted the agile English lawyer, herself she was in the cottage of Kansas Em — and Arthur Marmaduke Smythe, still holding fast to his cherished deer had been carried back to Los Angeles. A few days later head. On one of the horns of the head dangled The she parted with the dance-hall virago, who had become sen Diamond From the Sky! In the excitement and struggle timentally fond of her. When first the woman's fingers, he had not noted the diamond had been hurled through grasping The Diamond From the Sky, had touched a secret the air when Luke Lovell, struggling for it like the rest, had struck the arm of Kansas Em, loosening her grasp upon the chain of the locket as she held it high above the throng. Over the heads of the crowd it had flashed and fastened upon the deer horn. And so the lawyer bore it from the scene of conflict unnoticed by anyone, not even by himself. The fallen roof had crushed, maimed and pinioned down a score of men and women. Of these there was one stalwart young man in auto costume. His face, blanched in death or unconsciousness was cameolike. It was Arthur Stanley. Though sick and faint, Esther, with the help of Kansas Em, found her way to her lover's side. Already the creeping red edges of fire were crawling toward him. Esther grasped at his shoulders. But the task was beyond her strength. Quabba and Kansas Em joined their efforts with hers, and, 'together, they dragged the unconscious man from the ruins. Peter Huff came along just then. "We've sent for a doctor," he added, with a glance at the waxlike face of John Powell. "I am a doctor," said Durand, who had been stooping over the insensible millionaire. "I'll take care of Mr. Powell." It was no idle boast of Durand's, though he did not happen to have by him his certificate from Heidelberg to prove it. His skill had been marked in his profession, especially in surgery. But he had debased his great talents, and mixed in several scandals, he had been forced to fly from New York, Paris, and Vienna. For a while he smuggled illicit drugs, and then abandoned this for the des No One Could Be Admitted to Mr. Powell's Room but Dr. Durand and Miss Marston spring in the locket, a folded paper dropped out. On it Esther's dying mother had written a prayer for her baby girl. Marmaduke S m ythe, next day, twenty miles from Mammoth, hid The Diamond From the Sky under a stone by an oak tree. Here it was found by two little sisters, playing "house," and clasped about the neck of Toodle's dolly. At the ruins of his dance hall, Huff watched the diggers in the debris with a keen glance which never wavered. But tireless excavations failed to bring to light the treasure which would have requited him for the destruction of his property. At last, from one of the workmen, Huff got hold of a rumor that the whiskered Englishman had gone off with the diamond upon his person. Huff felt a gambler's "hunch." He procured a cheap roadster car and set out to track down Marmaduke. He found the lawyer and compelled him at the point of a gun to lead him to the stone under the oak. But by this time the diamond was gone. On their way back to Mammoth, Huff and his men passed Toodles in the road. The diamond, forgotten by the scampering child in pain, the result of the sting of a bee, lay on the board of a beehive. In Los Angeles, the newspapers made much of the dramatic first homecoming of John Powell. The papers spoke feelingly of the skill and untiring attention of the eminent physician, Dr. Durand, and of the care given the young magnate by a favorite cousin from Virginia, Blair Stanley, who would take complete charge of Mr. Powell's affairs. No one could be admitted to Mr. Powell's bedside, except Dr. Durand, and the nurse in charge, Miss Marston. [ Thirteen ]