The King of Diamonds: A Tale of Mystery and AdventureTracy, Louis
General
The King of Diamonds: A Tale of Mystery and Adventure
Tracy, Louis
Detective and mystery stories; Fiction
There was a glint of admiration in Mason's eyes. Here was one with
Anson's face, wearing Anson's clothes, and addressing him in Anson's
voice.
"That's better," he chuckled. "By G----d, you're clever when your head
is clear."
"Now be off for Green. You know what to say."
"You will be alone. Will you be afraid?"
The sneer was the last stimulant Grenier needed.
"If you were called on to stand in Philip Anson's boots during the next
week or ten days, my good friend," he quietly retorted, "you would be
afraid sixty times in every hour. Your job has nearly ended; mine has
barely commenced. Now, leave me."
Nevertheless, he quitted that chamber of death, carrying with him all
that he needed, and hurrying over the task while he could yet hear the
dogcart rattling down the hill.
He commenced with an inventory of Philip's pockets.
His eyes sparkled at the sight of a well-filled pocketbook, with a
hundred pounds in notes stuffed therein, cards, a small collection of
letters, and other odds and ends. Among Philip's books was Evelyn's
hurried note of that morning, and on it a penciled memorandum:
"Sharpe left for Devonshire yesterday. Lady M. wrote from
Yorkshire."
"That was a neat stroke," thought Grenier, with a smile--when he smiled
he least resembled Philip. "Being a man of affairs, Anson promptly went
to the Morlands' solicitors. I was sure of it. I wonder how Jimmie
arranged matters with Sharpe. I will know to-morrow at York."
A check book in another pocket added to his joy.
"The last rock out of my path," he cried, aloud. "That saves two days.
The bait took. By Jove! I'm in luck's way!"
There was now no need to write to Philip's bank for a fresh book, which
was his first daring expedient.
He seated himself at a table and wrote Philip's signature several times
to test his hand. At last it was steady. Then he put a match to a fire
all ready for lighting, and burned Philip's hat, collar, shirt and
underclothing; also the blood-stained towel.
When the mass of clothing was smoldering black and red he threw a fresh
supply of coal on top of it. The loss of the hat did not trouble him; he
possessed one of the same shape and color.
He was quietly smoking a cigar, and practicing Philip's voice between
the puffs, when Mason returned with the valet.
The scene, carefully rehearsed by Grenier in all its details, passed off
with gratifying success. Purring with satisfaction, the chief scoundrel
of the pair left in the Grange House by the astonished servant, began to
overhaul the contents of Philip's bag.
It held the ordinary outfit of a gentleman who does not expect to pay a
protracted visit--an evening dress suit, a light overcoat, a tweed suit,
and a small supply of boots and linen. A tiny dressing case fitted into
a special receptacle, and on top of this reposed a folded document.
Grenier opened it. Mason looked over his shoulder. It was headed:
"Annual Report of the Mary Anson Home for Destitute Boys."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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