Boy's Cinema (1930-31)

Every Tuesday said softly. ' Let's go into the moraing- room." They left C'rayle and Adrian together, and departed. As soon as they were alone. Rupert took her in his arms. She raised her lips to his, and for a few exquisite moments the world was for- gotten. At last she broke away. " We mustn't be too long," she said. "I know you want to fitiish the detail? of the sale." She sighed. "What a pity you have to let this place go! We could have been so happy here." A worried frown appeared on Rupert's brow. " You know how things are going to be with me from now on, Eve," he said quietly. "I shall be fairly poor, so there is nothing cl.>c for me-to do but release you from our engagement." It was what Eve had been waiting for. The last thing hi the world she wanted was to break oflf the engage- ment. "Silly boy!" she said softly. "Kiss me again, and never say anything like that again^ Wo are going to be mar- ried just as soon as we can." "Eve!" "I mean it. And now let us go back to the others." In the library, meanwhile, Crayle and Adrian were talking earnestly. They were discussing Rupert. "I've done everything I ran to finish him," C'rayle was .saying. "I've broken him, .TTid I've arranged to buy the castle from him. Yet she still seems set on the idea of their marriage." Adrian looked thoughtful. He was no business man, but he knew some- thing about the gentle art of squeezing nsoney out of people. "Leave everything to me," he said cilmly. "I have my own methods of dealing with him." He lit a cigarette and pulled a cloud of smoke ceiling- wards. " By the way, C'rayle. how much did you .?ay it was worth to you to marry Eve?" Crayl'^ looked .nt him shrewdly, and Ills eyes narrowed. "I didn't say anytliing," he replied leveliy. "But I dare say I could man- age ten thousand. You can count on that." "Good enough," said Adrian. "Ten thousand it is—on the day you and Eve marry." "Hush! Here they are." Rupert and Eve came in. Adrian promptly went up to Rupert and took hitn fty the arm. " Do you mind if I run up to your room. Rupert?" he said cn- g.Tgingly. "I want to wash and change after our journey." "Certainly," replied Rupert readily. "If Eve and Mr. C'rayle will excuse us, I v.ill come with you." They went upstairs. Adrian smiled to himself as he followed the man he was plotting to rob of the only thing i.'i life left to him. When they were in Rupert's bed room. .Adrian flung himself into a chair, atid assumed an e.Kpression of hopeless- ness. "I say. old man. I'm in a deuce of a fi.x," he began. "I'm afraid I've made a bit of a fool of m>sclf." Rupert looked at him in alarm. Thi;? sudden seriousness on Adrian's part was as disturbing as it was umisual. "What is wrong? Nothing, surely, that caiuiot be put right." "I was in Crayle's office on Wednes day last," Adrian went on. "That was the day on which .some " "The Rajah Diamond was stolen," put in Rupert. "Yes, I know about that." Adrian put his fingers into his waist- BOY'S CINEMA coat pocket and drew out a large white stone, clear as water, and with a sparkle from its facets that proclaimed it to be a diamond of the first water. Rupert stared at it dumbfoundedly. As an expert, he knew that it was the gem whicii they had just been talking about a few seconds previously. "You!" said Rupert hoarsely. "You —a thief!" "Yes." Adrian hung his head in pre- tended shame. "1—a thief." False Evidence. RUPERT took the diamond from him and stared at it as it lay in the palm of his hand. Adrian, of all people ! The young fool! That was what came of spending all his money as fast ius he could lay his hands on it. He had run himself into heavy de'it probably, with the result fhat he had tu turn thief in order to save himself from bankruptcy. With what result? In his despera- tion he had overlooked the fact that discovery was absolutelj- certain. It was impossible to dispose of a gem like that. Every collector, every jeweller in tha world knew the famous Rajah Dia- mond. They knew, too, that it had been stolen. So Rupert thought. He did not know that the diamond had never been stolen —that it liad been handed to Adrian by Crayle Jiimself, the rumour of the theft having been spread afterwards. C'rayle w;i.s a clever man. He had done it primarily to get Adrian into his clutches, so that he would have a lever to use on Eve. 11 It had been his intention to give th» dtamond to Adrian, then denounce him as a thief when he trie<l to sell it. Adrian, all unsuspecting, had accepted it. He had asked Crayle for a loan, and Crayle had chosen that way of pay- ing it. Adrian had seen what waj in the wind afterwards. By some mysterious glim- mering of common .sense he had waited for a day before disposing of it, with the result that he had seen the reports concerning its supposed theft. He was as much of a rogue as C'rayle, and it was obvious to him that if ho tried to give it back to Crayle he would still be denounced. It was apparent that Crayle wanted Adrian arrested, so that he could either prosecute or not according to whether Eve accepted hi.s propasal of marriage. . Adrian hiid to think fast. The icfult was that he confessed to Rupert that he had stolen it. He knew Rupert, and knew how Rupert loved Eve, He watched Rupert staring at tho jewel, and his eyes gleamed. His plan was going to work! "This is horrible," Rupert said sud- denly, looking up. "If anything of this get.s out it will mean a scandal, and we can't have that. We must think of Eve." Exactly what Adrian wanted to hear! Hurriedly he hid a smile. "But what can be done?" he a-^ked with a .show of helplessness. "I don't know, f^et me think." Rupert paced and down the room, the diamond in his clenched hand. This was horrible, ghastly. He spun round and caught the hand that held the knife in mid air, and by the sheer strength of his arm, forced the man to the ground. Septomber Gtli, 1930