The Diamond Master

e about the size of a cigarette-box, some three inches long, two inches wide and one inch deep. It was neatly tied with thin scarlet twine, and innocent of m

ed that the package had been mailed at the Madison Square s

nine o'clock. The simple fact that the package bore no return address or identifying mark of any sort caused him to pick it up and examine it, after which he shook it inquiringly. Then, with kindling curiosity,

st the snowy background, blazed a single splendid diamond, of six, perhaps seven, carats. Myriad colors played in its blue-white depths, sparkling, fla

ing and color and depth, prismatic, radiant, bewilderingly gorgeous. Its value? Even he could not offer an opinion-only the appraisement of his expert would be worth listening to on

inally he lifted out the lower layer of cotton, seeking a fugitive card or mark of some sort. Surely the owner of so valuable a stone would not be so careless as to se

ckless thing to do, but --! And Mr. Latham attacked the heap of letters neatly stacked up in front of him. There were thirty-six of them, but not one even remotely hinted at diamonds. In o

s mind long enough carefully to replace the diamond in the box and thrus

r morning mail?" Mr. Latha

ied. "I have j

ere a letter to-day, or has there been a letter of instructions as

nly letter received to-day which referred to diamonds

ughtfully drum

explained. "When it comes please call it

There was only an occasional glance at the box in the pigeonhole, and momentary fits of abstraction, to indicate an un

nki to come here,"

the H. Latham Company, and was worth twice that much. He was the diamond expert of the firm; and for five or six years his had been the final word as to quality and value. He had been a laborer in the South African diamond fields-the scar was an asse

I'd like you to lo

ll, examining it, as he turned and twisted it in his fingers, then walked over to a window, adjusted a magnifying

seen," the expert announced at last. "I da

n his fingers, singling out, dissecting, studying the colorful flashes, measuring the

e to use instruments to tell me if it is mathematically correct; and t

sked Mr. Latham. "Ap

a fraction more, it's worth-in other words, if that is the most perfect specimen in existence, as it seems to be, it's worth whatever you might choose to demand f

brow. And this had com

such a stone came from-what country?" Mr. Lat

ly because the most perfect blue-white diamonds come from Brazil. They are found all over the world-in Africa, Rus

or a time paced back and forth across

ruptly. "Also test the cutting. It came into my posses

e returned and placed the white, gla

o the minutest fraction-thirty-three, including the table. The facets on the collet side are equally exact-twenty-five, including the collet, or fifty-eight facets in all. As I sa

tely, and he still sat silent for an

lue?" he as

rkets of the world for such stones as this. So, if you are looking for a sale and a price, by all means offer it abroad first." He lifted the sparkling, iridescent je

-noor?" Mr. Latham

ki shook

hundred and six carats, but it has neither the coloring nor the cutting of

lowly. "I don't know; but it isn't o

rteously, and there was a slight expression of

absently and Mr. C