THE PURPLE DIAMOND.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21109, 17 February 1932, Page 16

THE PURPLE DIAMOND.

A STORY OF THRILLING ADVENTURE.

CHAPTER XX. SHOTS AFTER DARK. Stolicquaram had reported late the following afternoon that there had been distinct murmurs of dissent in certain quarters when it became known that, the King had imprisoned his Prime Minister and had appointed another. a *' But surely some of them agree with Tne?" asked the King. " Undoubtedly, but the Karonians are ft strange people. We do not always like change, and Villanoff was always considered politically capable." " They'll have to get used to it," responded His Majesty, decisively. " I've made my claim to the throne quite clear to the Council of State. Karonia must henceforward accept my judgment in everything." Count Stolicquaram was by now quite resigned to his new monarch, but in his heart he felt that all was not well. He knew Karonia, and he knew the Karonians, and the fact that Prince Paul was in the capital added to his fears. ■At that moment he had one of his « fears firmly established. The Captain of the Palace Guard requested an audience with His Majesty. Ho spoke rapidly and was obviously distraught. Stolicquaram listened, and an expression of alarm spread across his face. When the man had finished he turned to the King. _ " Your Majesty," he began, " this man is the bearer of bad news. He tells me that when the gaoler went to the dungeon wherein Villanoff was incarcerated the trap was found open and a ladder placed against it. Villanoff has escaped. How, and with whose aid, we cannot tell. It is not usual to keep a guard posted at the trap all the time, because without the aid of a ladder escape is humanly impossible." His Majesty endeavoured to appear unmoved at this unwelcome news. He refilled his pipe and lighted it carefully. " There appears to have been some negce somewhere," he remarked, with unconcern-. " Someone in the Palace must havp assisted him. " We'd better get an entirely new staff, Count,. Telephone to "The Royalist" and get them to put in an advertisement for all editions. Applicants must be men and women of unimpeachable character 'and must furnish references from their former employers. I shall leave you to interview the applicants because I can rely on your good sense." " But, Your Majesty, we have a staff of three hundred here, most of them engaged in specialised tasks. It will be difficult—dangerous, if I may say so." " Three hundred!" exclaimed the King. "..'Far too many. Advertise for a bun-' dred. We'll reorganise the whole system." Stolicquaram looked helpless, and initTn'ated to the Captain of the Guard that he was dismissed. As so"on as the King's decision became known, consternation reigned at the Palace. The King had given strict instruc- ' tions that he would grant no interviews, and to secure himself against interruption he-locked all the doors of his suite. He wanted to be alone —to think. Lying back on a luxurious divan he Bighed.. The life of a king was a strenuous affair, but he was a great believer in the axiom of the new broom sweeping clean. It was obvious that there was much slackness at the Palace and that it was up to him fb ,put his own house in order first as evidence of good faith to his people. He was well aware that such actions as had already marked his accession to the throne would undeniably result in an accumulation of hatred toward him in some quarters. That, he argued, could not be avoided. Then he fell to wondering about other things and other persons. * .'■>*' • "I wonder what Mabel will be thinking ?"•he mused. "She's sure to be upset, bu't I'm afraid L can't help that. Perhaps by now she knows what has happened. :Perliaps she will be not a little proud s)ihe. fll bet; she never dreamed that oSe: .dajfl-her husband would be a King. but stay, why should she be I not observe her on my la3t night iu London with another man ? > ',r 'i'he thought made Clement Antiss indignant. Why should he consider his wife? That reminded him he had quite forgotten to question the Lord Charicelloi about his matrimonial position. He would have to get that cleared up quickly. It might complicate matters, and he had quite enough complications already without, adding Mabel to the list. For an hour he strolled through the palace groiitids in his new. suit. Apart from a few gardeners there was no one about. The sun was shining, and the birds were singing in the trees. Beyond the gardens he heard the rumble. and bustle of the Capital, and wondered what people were thinking about him. Candidly he felt that he had created a good impression and that if trouble did arise he would have no difficulty in getting tho people behind him. , A clock in the city boomed five o clock. i Tea was at four-thirty. He had quite forgotten. When he returned to his apartments a large silver tray was awaiting him on a gold lacquered table. Usually, under the did regime, an equerry waited on the King, but Clement preferred to eat unobserved, and had instructed otherwise. Beside tho table sat a large Persian cat. Clement Antiss liked cats, and this one seemed quite friendly. He stroked its rich coat, soft as silk, and the animal purred happily. " Why, they've forgotten to put out 1 any milk for you," smiled the King. •" Looks as if I'll have to sack someone else before the day is out." Carefully he poured out a saucer of milk for the cat, and placed it on the carpet at, his feet. The cat lapped it up greedily and Antiss watched it smilingly. Then / he noticed that the cat was behaving cjueerlv. It began to grow rigid with its head bent, lower to the saucer. Slowly it rolled over on its side and lay there. Alarmed. Antiss bent over and lifted the animal into his arms. Its body was still, like steel, and its large green eyes were staring at him sightlessly. The Persian cat was dead. Slowly he crossed the room and laid the dead animal on a chair, covering it over with a table napkin. Beads of perspiration stood out oil his brow. " You poor little pussy-cat," he said. " I'm sorry—very sorry indeed. But you've saved my life. They intended that milk for me." Quickly he came to a decision. He would say nothing to anyone about this first attempt on his life, but he would /•' take precautions. From (hat moment, ■whenever he had occasion to eat alone, he would invite the Royal chef to eat with him; the chef and the equerry who brought the food from the kitchen. If there was any more hanky-panky like this he'd see that others bared it with him. The incident impressed him profoundly, arid he sat there thinking about it long after the untouched meal had been removed. And when it was dark he carried / the cat ..'out into the palace grounds and dug a grave for it under the rhododendron ij-rees. .The King waited patiently for Garcia. He had told the man to be ready to ac-

By RALPH TREVOR. Author of ' Under Suspicion," "" The Deputy Avenger," etc.

(COPY RIGHT.)

company him into the capital at nine o'clock. Ho had dined at seven with Stolicquaram and the Lord Chamberlain. It had been a quiet meal and nothing untoward had occurred. But wliy did not Garcia keep the appointment at- the old postern ? Antiss was perplexed. He had great faith in Garcia, but apparently the man had been detained. Well, if Garcia wasn't available he would venture forth alone. Outside the postern he was accosted by a beggar asking alms. He Hung the bent old man a silver piece an'd went on his way. His deep Homburg hat was pulled well over his face, and the collar of his heavy coat was turned well up around his throat. Ho was confident that no one would recognise the King of Karonia. Where he should go ho had not the remotest idea, but it was not long before he found himself in the Michalstrasse, gaily lighted and thronged with people. He mingled with the jostling crowd and pressed forward with them. He turned into a restaurant and stood for a moment surveying the animated throng from the vestibule. For a moment he hesitated in deciding whether to take a table himself, but lie decided against such a course, li lie were recognised it might be awkward. So lie turned out into the street again, and crossed the gardens on the farther side. Beyond them the streets were less crowded, and he could walk without being jostled. On and on he went, taking little note of the direction he was going. Suddenly he found himself in a rather different neighbourhood. The people seemed poorer, tiie shops were ill-lit. The eating places were coarser. A number of men the worse for drink were quarrelling outside a tavern. Was there anything for him to learn down here ? Antiss decided that there was not. He was about to turn to retrace his steps when a shot rang out. It was followed by another. A bullet tore its way through the crown of his hat, and His Majesty broke into a run. Blindly he ran, but no more shots were fired. Swiftly Ho turned a corner and collided with someone. When Antiss reflected on the incident afterwards he knew it was no accident. The man had been waiting for him, though how ho knew he would turn that particular corner was never quite clear. As it was, instead of knocking the man down with the force of the impact, the man's arms encircled him strongly, and for a moment they remained locked together. It was too dark to 6ee the man's face. Then there came the soft pad of ieet behind them and another man caught him up. The man who was holding him released his grip slightly and said something in Karonian to his companion. " You'd better come quietly," announced the man who was holding him. We don't want half the neighbourhood to know you're here." Clement Antiss, and his face broke into a smile. " Why, if it isn't my old friend, Brown Face," he declared, more heartily than he felt. " Allow me to extend you a royal welcome to Karonia." stuff out," snarled Metrovitch. "If there's any welcoming to be done, Prince Paul can do the honours himself." " But how Rood of you to take me to him, smiled His Majesty, as Metrovitch half dragged him after him. " Who's your friend ?" "You've met him before—in London, rvame of Count Joacim," responded Metrovitch. Quite a little family party," smiled His Majesty. " You must bring him up to the 1 alace some time and we'll have some food together. Talk about old times. e ' l • P*/. ord Street and that chemist's shop, eh ?" Metrovitch snarled an ugly snarl. "The Palace is over there," he said. loud better wave your hand to it loure for the river to-night, and your dear friend \illanoff's going to do' the honours. CHAPTER XXI. living and learning. Clement Antiss felt that there would be no escaping from Brown Face on this occasion. An obscure and very dark street in Kasana was an altogether different proposition from Oxford Street in the broad daylight. » Despite hi s affected cheeriness Antiss was alarmed. There was a note of sinister purpose ill Metrovitch's voice which he had never detected there before. Tliey meant to remove him from their paths Prince Paul was probably only too anxious to have his revenge after the way Antiss had left him high and dry in London. es, it looked like being a mcrrv little cortege! Villanoff would be only too happy to do his worst; even Metrovitch had had, so far, no opportunity to avenge himself for the slight to his prowess on a previous occasion. " These thoughts ran through His Majesty's head as he felt himself, powerless to protest, being bundled away into the darkness. .Well, if,the worst came to the worst, he had had quite an interesting run of' adventure, and while he had enjoyed every minute of it, it was unpleasant to think that it was all going to end so horribly. They had spoken of the river—the dark, mysterious river that flowed relentlessly and equally uninterestingly through the capital. Clement Antiss had. never been particularly enamoured of rivers, especially at night time. It was for this reason that, when at home, he could never be persuaded to walk along the embankment after dark. He hated to hear the river lapping away at the grey stone below after the manner of a hungry hound. The thought niade him shudder, for he felt sure that this river—he had forgotten its name—would be even more menacing than the Thames. Already he thought he could hear the faint murmur of running water. Evidently the rendezvous was to be in the neighbourhood of the river for the sake of convenience and dispatch. At last, they came to a house. There were lights in two of the upper windows. That was all that Antiss noticed. Within the hall he had a clearer view of both Metrovitch and Count Joacim. Both of thern looked incredibly satanic. (To he continued daily.)