THE PURPLE DIAMOND.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21111, 19 February 1932, Page 17

THE PURPLE DIAMOND.

A STORY OF THRILLING ADVENTURE.

CHAPTER XXll.—(Continued.) " Sometimes," Mabel told her sister, over a cup of tea, "I blame myself for all this trouble. I really have taken Clement too much for granted—like the sideboard or some other constant piece of furniture. We've been drifting along together for years, yes, that's the word, drifting, and it's all wrong. People have no right to drift. They should be capable of steering a straight and clear course together."

" Stuff and nonsense, my dear," answered Helen, emphatically. " I think you and Clement have always been an ideal pair. You should see some of the marriages I've seen. Nothing but ono long round of dissatisfaction. You've always been a good wife to him, Mabel. Everyone knows that, and I'm sure Clement would be the last person in the world to deny it. You leave everything to Kendrick Towers, Ho'll straighten it all out for you. I don't believe too much in that theory, however, about Clement losing his memory. D'you know what I believe, my dear? I believo that Clement has taken an opportunity he's been waiting for for years, and I'd like to bet it's something big. There's something in Clement)' Sis., that perhaps you've never noticed, but I have. You might have thought that he was contented with his job down in the city, but ho wasn't. Ho was waiting for hi? chance to do something distinguished, and though I don't pretend to know what it is, 1 believo ho's gone and done it." And once again Mabel Antiss' soul was more peaceful.

As for Kendrick Towers, from the moment Prince Charlmagne of Karonia had identified the little chamois leather bag, which Mabel had found wedged down in the mattress of her bed. as the receptacle of the missing Purple Diamond, his line of investigation immediately took on a new complexion. He was puzzled at first for the significance of the small piece of household coal which the bag had contained, but he had argued that, assuming in some way Antiss had come into possession of the jewel and feared that he, in turn, might be robbed of it, what would bo more natural than that he should substitute tho coal for the diamond and sleep with it under his pillow just as a test to see whether any other interested party who might suspect his complicity would be tempted to burgle the house ? It might also be assumed that the little bag had-—especially if Antiss had passed a restless night —become dislodged from its resting place and fallen behind the bolster and down between tho wire mattress. And what would Antiss do if he found the bag missing ? Towers thought that his first consideration would bo to place the stone in a safe place. From this point Mr. Towers became extremely busy. He made a personal canvass of every safe deposit in London armed with a photograph of Antiss. At last his tour bore fruit. The clerk at one such place in the neighbourhood of Oxford Street recognised Mr. Antiss immediately as a man who had rented a safe a fortnight ago. " Has ho still got the safe ?" Towers asked, calmly. " No, sir, he handed in his key three or four days later." Kendrick Towers made his way back to his office. It was obvious that Antiss had rented the safe for the Purple Diamond. His next place of call was the restaurant where Antiss habitually lunched. lle interviewed the waitress.

" Can you recall whether on any occasion Mr. Antiss ever acted strangely?" he asked the prim Gladys. Gladys, realising the importance of the occasion, pondered the question for a moment.

" There was one occasion," she responded. "It was, I think, the last time he lunched here. He had ordered his usual meal—l can't quite remember what it was, I serve so many lunchee in a day, sir—but I did notice that he never touched a bite of it. I asked him if there was anything the matter, and he told me that there was, but that it wasn't the food. He looked queer-like, sir; rather pale, I think, but he paid his bill just as if he'd eaten his lunch. That was the last time I set eyes on him, sir." ,

" You didn't notice whether he wns reading a newspaper before you served him with his lunch, I suppose ?" he asked the girl. " Mr. Antiss alwayß read his newspaper," the girl told him.

Towers thanked her and left tho restaurant.

His eye 3 were shining, and he whistled softly as he climbed the stairs to his office.

To the efficient-looking girl in the outer office he said: "I want a telephone call to Chandos in Paris. It's urgent."

From his files he took out all the cuttings relating to Karonia and read them through. When the fall came he recognised Chandos* voice immediately. " That you, Chandos, old man ? Towers speaking. I want the latest diplomatic news from Karonia." " That's not easy," Chandos told him. ** We've only rumours and reports at the moment. Anything special ?" " I particularly Want to know what are the prospects of a new King there 1" " Hang on a moment. I haven't been keeping in touch with Karonian affairs for twelve hours or so, but I'll just get through to tho Quay D'Orsay. I've a pal there who'll know if there's anything doing.". Towers waited the required time. Then ho heard his agent's voice. " You'ro right, old man. A new King turned up yesterday. Report has it that he's an Englishman who's fulfilled all tho requirements regarding that fool business of the Purple Diamond—traditional throne stone or something, I believe they call it. Anyhow, my information' is that he's been accepted. There's nothing more than that. Oh, just half a minute, here's Mannion just corno in, I'll ask him . . . Yes, old man, that's quite right. Mannion's people telegraphed a picturo of the new King this morning. It ought to be in tho evening editions. He's sent a couplei of men to Kasana —the capital, you know—to wire a special story for tho morning papers. Anything else ?" " That'll do very nicely," croaked Towers. " Oh, by the way, you didn't hear the new King's name, did you ? " " Sorry," said Chandos, " afraid I didn't. News trickles through from Karonia devilishly slow." Towers hung up the receiver, his face flushed and a sparkle of triumph in his grey eyes. " Well," he thought, " if that doesn't beat the band. I'll take an even bet that the now King is that little rascal Clement." It was four o'clock. He had already had an earlier edition of tho evening papers, but they wore barren. In half dn hour, however, he would know the worst.

But before the half hour was "P there came an interruption. It was Mabel, accompanied by Helen. " We were shopping in Oxford Street and Mabel would insist on calling," Helen oxclaimed.

"Have you heard anything?" asked Mabel, expectantly. Towerg shook his head. " Nothing definite, my doar," he smiled, " but if you care to wait for a few minutes, I'm expecting news." " Do you think," began Mabel. " I've stopped thinking at the .moment," said Towers. "My enormous brain has to have a holiday occasionally.-'

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

(COPYRIGHT.)

CHAPTER XXIII. HER MIND IS MADE UP

" Bufc you roally think yoti'va found my Clement 1" " Mr: Towers distinctly said he might know something in a few minutes," Helen broke in, firmly. " Lot's sit down. I suppose wo can sit down, Mr. Towers ? " That's what the chairs are for," Mr. Towers told her, mischievously. Fifteen minutes later Mr. Towers was called into the outer office by his secretary, and the two women were left alone. •' I do hope it's good news." whispered Mrs. Antiss, tremblingly. " Of course eit will be good news," her sister assured hor.

"But it mightn't bo," Mabel protested. " It might be something dreadful." " Docs -Kendrick Towers look as if it were something dreadful?" asked Helen. " Can't you sec by his face that it's going to bo good news ?. " Mabel was satisfied, and drove back the tears from her eyes. The door opened and closed again. _ Mr. Towers had returned. Ho was carrying a newspaper, carefully folded. " Do you think she's in a fit condition for a shock ?" ho asked Helen, who was ten years younger than hor sister.

" What is it?" cried Mrs. Antiss, jumping up from tier chair. " It's good news," smiled Towers, "I've found Cloment."

Mabel Antiss sank brick again on to her chair with a gasp of relief. " Here," announced the detective, " you might as well look at this—both of you.' lie pointed to a portrait of Clement Antiss standing on a balcony of the Palace of Kasana.

" But that's—that's a king," faltered the amazed Helen. " Of course it is," said Towers. " It's a portrait of tlio new King of Karonia — Mabel's Clement. Now- what have you got to say ?" Mabel was still staring fixedly at the picture, comprehension slowly breaking upon hor. " Quick," cried Towers, leaping forward, " I think she's going to faint, and we don't want Her Majesty the Queen of Karonia fainting at such a critical time." But Her Majesty had already fainted.

It was not very long before Mabel was herself again. She realised that it had been stupid of her to faint like that. Partly she attributed it to the relief at discovering that Clement was alive, for there had long been a haunting suspicion that lie was lying dead somewhere. Millicent, Towers' one-hundred per cent, efficiency secretary, brought in a cup of hot tea for Mabel and another for Helen. Mr. Towers, scorning such liquid, helped himself to a small whisky from a bottle ho kept tucked away in his cupboard for use on special occasions. This certainly was a " special " occasion. Not for one moment had lie ever imagined that Clement Antiss' disappearance was to end with the discovery that the little man had'become Karonia's King. It savoured altogether too much of a page from fiction, and Kendrick. Towers had little sympathy with fiction, because he felt that authors never really took the trouble to understand the genius of the private detective. " Well," smiled Towers, " I think you're feeling better now, Mabel ?" Mabel did not reply, but Helen did.

" She's as right as rain," she said. " Why rain ?" asked Towers. " I've never yet been able to see very much right with it." " I'm too limp to argue," Helen told him. " But tell me, Mr. Towers, if Clement's a King, what about Mabel ? Does she become a Queen ? It doesn't seem quite right to me." " That's just what I'm wondering," Towers said. " You see, I'm not particularly well up in Karonian procedure. They may have accepted Clement, thinking him—unattached." " Well, they can just begin to think otherwise." interjected Mabel. " Clement's my husband, whether he's a King or not. But it's all very bewildering, Kendrick, isn't it? What ought 1 to do about it ? What ought we to do ? We can't let him stay there. It's absurd." " Look here," Towers began, " I'll have to go very carefully into the matter. I'll see a good lawyer and take his advice. Until I do that, we're helpless." " We're far from being helpless," protested Mabel. " I've marie up my mind. I'm going to Karonia."

"You're going to Karonia!" repeated the detective. " But you can't do that, Mabel. I believe it's a frightful placeanarchists, bombs, revolutions and other unpleasant things. I tell you we've got to think this over. It would be foolish to do anything hurriedly." " I tell you I'm going to Karonia, bombs or' no bombs," persisted Mabel, whose fighting spirit had suddenly returned to her. "If Karonia's like what you say it is then Clement can't be expected to manage on his own. He'll want mo to help him and I'm going. You'd better look mo up a train first thing in the morning, Kendrick." Towers smiled. 15 " I'm afraid it's not a bit of use, Mabel —at least not until I've discovered how things nre. So far we know that Clement is safe and sound. What made him take on such a. silly job I can't imagine, but wo've certainly got to wait a day or two," " I've always said that Clement had high ambitions," remarked Helen, " but like you, Mr. Towers, I never thought he'd look quite so high." Mabel seemed resigned at Towers' persistence.

" Oh, well, if you say so, 1 suppose I must agree," she said, grudgingly. " But I'm not going to bo put off. I'm going to Karonia, to Clement." " Very well, we'll call that settled," placated Towers. " Call down here in the morning, and I expect I'll have news far you." When tlioy had gone, Kendrick Towers dropped into his chair in front of his desk and rang up the hotel whero Prince Charlmagno was staying. "What's that?" askfd Towers, "Gone? When?"

" Ho left about an hour ago, sir," came back the voice,luggage as well. I believe he has returned to the Continent."

Towers rang off. It was quite obvious what had happened. Prince Charlmagne had seen I lie evening nowspapor and had decided that he had bettor get back to Karonia. How that would affect Clement, Mr. Towers did not quite know, but if Princo Charlmagne had ambitions to bocome the natural King of Karonia himself, it was possible that an early plot would be afoot.

Mr. Towers immediately left the office to geo his solicitor. (To ho continued daily.)