Excerpt
To R. T. I Three Guests at dinner! That's the life!—Wedgewood, Revere, and Duncan Phyfe! II You sit on Duncan—when you dare,—And out of Wedgewood, using care,With Paul Revere you eat your fare. III From Paul you borrow fork and knifeTo wage a gastronomic strifeIn porringers; and platters rareOf blue Historic Willow-ware. IV Banquets with cymbal, drum and fife,Or rose-wreathed feasts with riot rifeTo your chaste suppers can't compare. V Let those deny the truth who dare!—Paul, Duncan, Wedgewood! That's the life!All else is bunk and empty air. ENVOI The Cordon-bleu has set the paceWith Goulash, Haggis, Bouillabaisse,Curry, Chop-suey, Kous-Kous Stew—I can not offer these to you,—Being a plain, old-fashioned cook,—So pray accept this scrambled book.
R. W. C.
CONTENTS PAGE EPISODE ONE Eve EPISODE TWO The Ruling Passion EPISODE THREE On Star Peak EPISODE FOUR A Private War EPISODE FIVE Drowned Valley EPISODE SIX The Jewel Aflame EPISODE SEVEN Clinch's Dump EPISODE EIGHT Cup and Lip EPISODE NINE The Forest and Mr Sard EPISODE TEN The Twilight of Mike EPISODE ELEVEN The Place of Pines EPISODE TWELVE Her Highness Intervenes
THE FLAMING JEWEL Episode One EVE I
DURING the last two years Fate, Chance, and Destiny had been too busy to attend to Mike Clinch.
But now his turn was coming in the Eternal Sequence of things. The stars in their courses indicated the beginning of the undoing of Mike Clinch.
From Esthonia a refugee Countess wrote to James Darragh in New York:
"—After two years we have discovered that it was José Quintana's band of international thieves that robbed Ricca. Quintana has disappeared.
"A Levantine diamond broker in New York, named Emanuel Sard, may be in communication with him.
"Ricca and I are going to America as soon as possible.
"Valentine."
The day Darragh received the letter he started to look up Sard.
But that very morning Sard had received a curious letter from Rotterdam. This was the letter:
"Sardius—Tourmaline—Aragonite—Rhodonite * Porphyry—Obsidian—Nugget Gold—Diaspore * Novaculite * Yu * Nugget Silver—Amber—Matrix Turquoise—Elaeolite * Ivory—Sardonyx * Moonstone—Iceland Spar—Kalpa Zircon—Eye Agate * Celonite— Lapis—Iolite—Nephrite—Chalcedony—Hydrolite * Hegolite—Amethyst—Selenite * Fire Opal—Labradorite—Aquamarine—Malachite—Iris Stone—Natrolite—Garnet * Jade—Emerald—Wood Opal—Essonite—Lazuli * Epidote—Ruby—Onyx—Sapphire—Indicolite—Topaz—Euclase * Indian Diamond * Star Sapphire—African Diamond—Iceland Spar—Lapis Crucifer * Abalone—Turkish Turquoise * Old Mine Stone—Natrolite—Cats Eye—Electrum * * * 1⁄5 Ä Ä."
That afternoon young Darragh located Sard's office and presented himself as a customer. The weasel-faced clerk behind the wicket laid a pistol handy and informed Darragh that Sard was away on a business trip.
Darragh looked cautiously around the small office:
"Can anybody hear us?"
"Nobody....