$10,000 For 1,000 Words or Less For an Idea For a Sequel to "THE DIAMOND FROM THE SKY" The American Film Manufac turing Company's Picturized Romantic Novel In Chapters. This contest U open to any nun, woman or child who is not connected, directly or indirectly, with the Film Company or the newspaper publish, ing the continued story. No literary ability is necessary to qualify as a contestant. You are advised to see the continued photo play in the theaters where it will be shown to read the story as it runs every week, and then send in your suggestion. Contestants mint con fine their contributions for the sequel to 1,000 tvortff or for. It is the idwa that is wanted. 6YNOP8I3 OF PRECEDING CHAP TERS. i A bitter feud has existed between Colo nel Arthur Stanley and his cousin. Judge Lamar Stanley. The feud has been en gendered in family jealousy over an heir loom, the diamond from the sky, that was found In a fallen meteor by an ad venturer ancestor. Also, the succession to the Stanley earldom in England may come to an American Stanley. When a daughter la burn to Colonel Stanley of the eldest branch of the Stanleys In America and the mother of the child dies at Its birth, the chagrined colonel buys a newborn gyisy boy and substi tutes him as heir. Three years later the gypsy mother, having had no part In this bargain, steals the colonel's little daugh ter, being reared In secret, and leaves her own son undetected as the heir. The gyp sy mother has also obtained possession of the diamond from the sky, and a docu ment holds the Stanley secret of the falsa heir. She rears the little girl, Esther Stanley, as her own and grows to love her. -When Esther Is grown a beautiful young girl, Hagar, now gypsy queen, re turns to Virginia with her. She has wild plan that Dr. Lee, the late Colonel Stanley's old friend, may now adopt Es ther, as originally Intended. Her hope also is that her son, the supposed Arthur Stan ley 2d, may fall tn love with Esther and thus the -Innocent girl may become by marriage what she Is by birth mis tress of Stanley hall. Dr. Lee adopts Esther, but also demands that Hagar turn over to his custody the diamond from the sky. Dr. Lee also Informs Hagar that her son, the supposed Arthur Stan ley 2d, Is a profligate and not worthy of Esther, but liagaj hopes for the best and .with her people ' departs. Arthur Stanley does fall in love with Esther and so does his boon companion, Blair Stanley the -cousin who would be the rightful male heir of 8tanley were the Stanley secret known. In stealing the diamond Blair causes the death of the doctor. Outside Is Arthur, serenading Esther. CHAPTER V. The Silent "witness. ATJGIIT like a rat In a trap, with Arthur Stanley outside tbe window serenading the dead as well as the living, and Esther stirring o'erhead, Blair Stanley nerves himself with a supreme effort and turns the knob of the study door and steals down the darkened hallway lie unbolts the front door, and, clot, ...g It softly behind bim, as though be would shut out the face of the dead man, Blair slips across the broad piazza like a phantom of the eight But Arthur has beard the grating of the bolt, the soft opening of the door. I "What are you doing horof and has stepped from the side to the front of the house, hoping It la Esther who comes In answer to his serenade land to receive his contrite pleadings for forgiveness. He reaches out to em brace the gentle girl, only to find be has clasped the stalwart, struggling frame of a man. The moon breaks through a cloud as bis prisoner strug gles, and Its rays Illuminate the face of Blair Stanley. "What are you doing here, coming 'out of Dr. Lee's house at this bourr whispers Arthur, tensely. 1 "Keep quiet, you fool!" Blair Btanley hisses, like a snake. A girls good name is at stake." 1 As Arthur staggers back in horror at the shameful inference. Blair Stanley with a rapid movement draws nis 1 r? Pi il ! volver and fires. lie would do a double murder and win au earldom and the diamond from the sky, if be can escape without detection. Hut the quick arm of Arthur throws up the pistol and us Blnir fires he wrenches the weapon from him. To avoid the shame and scandul, even of the inference of the base speaking Blair, the frenzied Ar thur drags him down the pathway and down the silent vliluge street, ns the cocks are crowing, presaging the com ing of the dawn, ranting and strug gling, the cousins stumble off the vil lage highway and into the little village graveyard. Their feet sink into a mound of soft earth by au open and newly du grave. Standing panting and facing each other with rage and hate In their hearts and 011 their faces, the young men pause a moment in their mad struggle. Then Arthur brings out bis own pistol and the long white silk handkerchief that protrudes from his breast pocket. "For what you have said about Esther, either you or 1 must die," Arthur says. "Take one end of this handkerchief and stand across this open grave. Hold the handkerchief lu your left hand, as I hold this corner of It. Now take your pistol, aud when I count to 'Three!' raise and fire, and the one of us left alive will pull the dead man into the grave!" Arthur counts "One!" when the now fearful murderer essays to tire. But the watchful Arthur is too quick for him. Ills pistol speaks first, and, in stinctively tugging the handkerchief as be fires, Arthur drags the bleeding Blair into the grave, prone on bis face. Arthur leaps into the grave after his fallen foe and tears open his shirt to see if the heart still beats, aud there, on the breast of Blair Stanley, gleams in the moon rays the evM glitter of the diamond from the sky. Arthur Stanley had known Its every aspect, for the Stanley archives are full of it, In print and manuscript, pic tured and described. "So there it has been, iu the keeping of my cousin!" be mutters, and hardly realizing what he does, except the baleful gem is bis by every right, be tears it from the neck of the figure in the grave and clumbers out and stumbles on bis way. Beside a cross, white and majestic in the moonlight, he halts. The moon shines on the diamond in bis bloody ! hands as be stands by the grave where lies, as he believes, bis sainted mother, i Then, feeling the brand of Cain is on his brow, Arthur Stanley 2d stumbles 1 on, still clutching the diamond from the sky in bis bloody hands. j In the new dug grave Blair Stanley moaned and stirred. The wound in1 his forehead had been a glancing one, I only sufficient to stun blin, and now as be came to consciousness In the clammy depths of the grave bis first Impulse was to clutch wildly at bis' blool stained and disheveled shirt bosom?" zmr.-.- - The diamond from the skv was gone! The death of the good old doctor hu3 been all in vain. And Blair Stanley j also fled beneuth the moon, bootless and In truth blood guilty. At Stanley ball Arthur gained access to the library and shuddered again as be saw the stains on bis bunds and on the great jewel thut seemed to gleam ' all the brighter for them in the glare. of the library lamp. I It was not to show the diamond from the sky thut all men yearned for; tt was to have it, to possess It, even iu secret, that caused them to lie, ; to swindle und even to grope through blood for it. j Well bad the late Colonel Stanley j known the baleful history of the din-1 uiond.thut bad fallen to the feet of bis adventurer ancestor iu u meteor. The St;;:!ey "charm ugulust harm" It waa( culled, and now look what barm it had) already done! Arraying brother against brother, futber against son, in the past, it hud broken women's hearts the while, and uow a false heir held it against u breast that uched In anguish. Arthur felt instinctively that the dia mond from the sky was responsible for Blair's impugning the good name of sweet Esther, good old Dr. Lee's fair ward, but Arthur did not kuow that the good doctor lay cold in death at the hands of Bluir Stanley. The wild thought, the wilder bope, that he might go elsewhere and under a new name, still holding to the dia mond from the sky. rehabilitate him self and then seek out Esther in se cret and wed ber now possessed Ar thur. Among Arthur's many extravagances which the lax administration of estates In Virginia permitted a scapegrace heir was the buying of a costly French automobile. It was a day when auto mobiles were rarities and luxuries, and the young spendthrift of Stanley bull had preened himself with the thought that be would be the first to own an automobile in all Fulrfcx county. Arthur reasoned that Blair, wbo he supposed was lying dead in the grave that bad beeu digged for another, would not be found tiil perhaps noon. Even then tbey might not .connect bis tragic death with the broken guitar and tbe other signs of struggle In the doctor's garden. Meanwhile the dawn bad come and Esther, wbo bad been aroused at the pistol shots, was In great agitation and alarm. Comforted and encouraged by the first glimpse of dawn, she had descended to tbe lower hall of tbe bouse. Tbe door of tbe doctor's study stood ajar and she glanced within. There In the dim light of the morn ing sun filtering through the window shades she saw the doctor In hii dressing gown stretched limply across a table. She touched bis cheek to rouse him and found it cold. Those pale Hps, kindly even in death, could never keep their promise to tell her who and what she was "on the mor row." EIre it was tbe morrow, and tbe lips that could tell were cold In death. Nancy, the doctor's colored servant, was already astir In the kitchen wheu lust her' s cries brought ber to the scene: on the heels of the housekeeper came Alex, the doctor's colored horse boy. After the frenzy of their fright had subsided, the negro boy had run through the neighborhood arousing It with news of t:ie tragedy. At first Esther and the neighbors bad believed the doctor's death had U'cn from natural causes, the peaceful passing in of old age. But the disorder of the room, the rilled cash box on the table, the chisel marked drawer of the old bookcBse, and the 01 e tied window, against which the drawn shade flap pod In tho early morning air, mutely told their tale of theft and murder. Tho sheriff had been sent for and already an eager neighbor bad found a crushed guitar In tbe dooryard nnd the trampling of the feet of what appeared several struggling men in tho flower beds that bordered the walk to the H cki S 9 -i She Found Him Cold In Death. doctor's gate. The footprints were of well shod men of small and shapely feet, it was reported. No passing rough marauders, no outlaw negro desper adoes bad part in tbe murder and rob bery in the doctor's study, nor bad any such struggled in deadly combat in bis garden, it was whispered. Tbe matter was mystery as well as murder, and tbe morbid neighbors gathered In and around tbe cottage of tbe dead man and whispered greedily. Meanwhile the dazed and bleeding Blair Stanley bad a strange home com ing in the night Ills mother, that proud, cold woman, worthy mate of the grim Judge who had perished strangely in a wild mountain pass nearly a generation a gone, loved ber 22il i'f.SPitoB'y on,y through her cold ambitions." TEife&ifiH. "You T6 not know when a day may come that you may be in a position to save the life of the heir of Stanley," she had said often significantly. Bluir understood his mother well. It was known by all the Stanleys that the diamond from the sky bad vanished strangely the night Colonel Stanley bad expired alone In bis li brary, this preceding by a few days only the tragic death of Judge Stanley in tbe mountain pass, also, It was thought, alone. This wob eighteen years ago, but tbe Stanley feud was not dead with its protagonists, those elder men of that elder day. It slumbered in tbe bosom of the younger generation. It smolder ed bidden, yet burning not the less, in the bosom of the judge's taciturn wid ow, Blair's mother. She bad always believed with a bitter suspicion that encompassed all of tbe long dead Colo nel Stanley's friends that Dr. Lee had taken the diamond from tbe sky hi the confusion attending the colonel's sudden demise. Dr. Lee was a relative of Judge Stanley's widow, for all tbe better families of Fairfax were of kith and kin. The Judge's widow believed the doctor held the great diamond In his secret custody if for nothing else than to keep it from the bands of tbe judge's family through any legal process they might attempt during tbe minority of Arthur Stanley 2d. Hence it was that when tbe nerve shattered Blair, with ashen face and bloody brow, confessed to bis waiting mother that be had seen tbe diamond In Dr. Lee's aged bands she was not surprised. When he half incoherently admitted to her that tbe old doctor bad died In tbe struggle for tbe diamond she expressed no compunction for tbe doctor's death or revulsion at tbe deed of her son that caused It, But when be told ber that Arthur Stanley, tbe one life that stood be tween them and all their ambitious desires, had been In the grasp of Blair did ber mood of augtere Interest change to cold fury. "You need not add your reproaches to my own," panted her son. "But it was luck, the devil's luck, that all at Stanley hall possess. I would have killed him. It was In my mind, in my heart. "But he wrested the pistol from my band as though from the band of a child, and be dragged me out of the yard, down tbe deserted Tillage street to tbe graveyard to kill me and rob me of tbe diamond with the ease of giant" "Well." said his mother, "we must hope for another, better chance. Mean while if you are sure that your strug gles were not seen you had better He hidden until I can learn what suspl clons are aroused. If you are missed I will say you are gone to Richmond. Even If Arthur Stanley bears no more of you he will think still that be has slain you. lie will keep silent" CHAPTER VI. Wanted For Murder. THE flush of hope came back to the ashen face of Blair Stan ley. "I remember now," he said; "we trampled upon bis guitar In the doctors garden In our struggles. He will be accused of caus ing the doctor's death. And who will believe him If he In turn blames me? "I will keep hidden, as you say, mother. The fact that be has the dia mond and the doctor bad it In bis keep ing up to his death will damn him. Thinking uie dead, he may fly who knows?" Ills mother nodded, and then, seeing the dawn was breaking by the growing light outside, she crossed the room to the old fashioned fireplace nnd pressed a btddeu spring. With wondering eyes Bluir saw the wbolo fireplace from hearthstone to celling turn ns one cen ter pivot and swing half out into tbe room nnd half back into a great recess in tho wall. "A hiding place built-by your Tory grent-grundfuther," said his mother. "Fairfax was all for the American arms during the revolution, all except your great-grandfather. Washington accused him of biding and harboring spies for King George; but, though they searched here, they never found them," she added grimly. In the niche behind the chimney Blair noted a small bench, or pallet a reading lamp of old design, and sundry other crude comforts. "You will find it comfortable enough," remarked his mother. For one of the few times Blair could remember his proud, cold mother soft ened. She gave ber attention again to tbe slight wound above the temple, bound it gently with ber handkerchief, kissed him, and sighed. The unhappy Blair sobbed and im pulsively embraced his mother. For one brief moment he faltered, aud then his mother pointed in silence to the hiding place and he stcpied within, the great chlmneypleco swung into place, and he was in semtdarkness, hidden and secure. The old procedures of the "crowner's quest" still held strong In Fairfax county, Virginia. At the doctor's cottage the first ex pression of authority by the sheriff was that nothing should be touched in the study where the doctor lay dead on the table "till the coroner came." The broken guitar bad beeu handed tbe sheriff. It could not be denied that when Arthur had been with the young people on the doctor's porch earlier in the night he bad not bad the guitar. It was known be and the doctor had bad high words earlier in the day over the fact that Arthur, wbo had squan dered his means, had added to his other extravagances by ordering from abroad a costly French racing auto mobile. But the. return of Ilagar, conscience stricken also, after eighteen long years. S-w V t, .i. 'X. .I .--: Th Gypsy, Hagar, Telling Fortunes. tbe return of Ilagar again, bringing with ber tbe sweet and blooming Esther, tbe rightful belr to the patri mony the gypsy changeling was squan derlng. and tbe arrangement for ber adoption by Dr. Lee. as bad long beeu intended, bad wrought a right about face In tbe doctor's attitude toward tbe reckless, supposititious young master ot Stanley halL It had also wrought a great change In the character of Ar thur 8tanley. From tbe first meeting with lovely Esther Arthur bad aban doned his wild and spendthrift ways. Then, too. the rivalry for Esther's affections with bis cousin, Blair, bad steadied Arthur. lie realized be loved Esther, and be bad resolved to be worthy of her. As for Esther, In the midst of de pressing, morbid turmoil that followed tbe discovery of the doctor's death In bis study, she had moved as one In a most unhappy dream. Under the cold suspicious eyes of Blair Stanley's moth er, Esther had felt herself an inter loper. Tbe Judge's widow bad arrived upon the scene as soon as she had been sent for. although ber relations with tbe doc I r J tor bad been distant and constrained for years, yet the Judge's widow was next of kin. With the usual delay characteristic of the easy going doctor, he had -Iclayed making out the legal ndoptlon papers for Esther. He had only Insisted that she lo called Esther Lee. What her real name was the po lite Virginians had not asked, but It was whlsiHTcd Unit It was Harding. When Uostlonod by the puzzled sheriff ns to what procedure he should follow after the Identification of the broken guitar, found by the footprints in the flower beds, the Judge's widow bad coldly replied, "Do your duty!" and the sheriff, with bis deputy, set out for Stanley hall to apprehend Arthur Stanley 2d on suspicion of the murder of Dr. Henry Lee. At their parting there bad been oue. gift of Hagar's that Esther bad since lovingly cherished. It was a pair of carrier pigeons. "Take these, my dear daughter," Ilngnr had said. "If you are ever In trouble aud need me scud a message by the birds. Their homing place Is our gypsy rendezvous In the Blue ridge. Even If I am not there wheu the message comes, some of our tribe will be. They will know where I am and fetch me the word." So Esther, under the open espionage of Blair's mother, had taken one of the pigeons from Its cage on tho porch and bad hastily written the message to send by this aerial carrier to Ilagar. The message read briefly, "Come at once, dear mother; I need you." She simply signed it "Esther." From her lattice window she releas ed her feathered messenger. It flew swiftly to the west straight as tbe arrow files. The sheriff and his deputy were not long in reaching Stanley ball. They alighted with a businesslike clatter, and the sheriff clumped up the steps and across the wide, hospitable portico and made the great iron knocker wake tbe echoes of the silent mansion. With an indicative gesture of his thumb be had sent bis deputy to guard the rear. Joe, tho natty and worldly wise col ored man servant of the until recently wild young muster of Stanley hull, was wondering at the Impudent urgency of the-clamor that hud aroused bim as be reached the bottom of tho staircase, when be stood stock still, shaken for once out ef bis usual superior airs and self possession, to behold his young master, wild eyed and disheveled, rush from the library aud seize him, ex claiming as be did so: "Don't open that door! I have killed a man, and tbey are after me!" With chattering teeth and shaking knees the erstwhile dundy darky clung for support in tho weakness of bis fright to the pedestal of tbe balustrade at tbe foot of the old colonial stair case. Still the sheriff hammered at tbe door, cryUig stentoriously, "Oien lu tho name of the law!" and still tho fright ened darky clung to the balustrade, di vided In his terror between the awful authority of the law that be was dis obeying aud lu fear of tbe fate this till uow sophisticated servitor bad felt for his young muster. One glance from the low French win dows that looked from the library upon tbe grounds at the back of Stanley bull and Arthur was aware of tho watchful deputy, with drawn pistol. At this Juncture the automobile agent from Richmond came with honk ing horn up the driveway with oue of tbe first automobiles that bad ever es sayed tbe roads of Fairfax. With tbe agent who proudly drove tbe red French racer, was an oily and grimy garage mechanic driving a low, old but powerful oue seated gar a go bandy car battered and scarred from much bard service, but still strong, speedy and dependable. Tbe sheriff hammered and kicked unavallingly at tbe stout, great white door as these "newfangled contrap tions," as be called them, drove up to the portico steps. "1 am the sheriff,' he explained to tbe wondering auto mobile man. "I am after a man for murder, and I summon you to aid me." The taciturn garage mechanic brought a heavy Iron jack from his battered old car, and be and the sheriff soon had tbe stout oak door shuttering beneath tbe battering ram blows they dealt it with this heavy Instrument of iron. As the door gave way Arthur darted from the library, past tbe still quaking negro In the hallway and into the din ing room. He passed through tbe din ing room Into the conservatory at Its back that overlooked, as did tbe libra ry, tbe grounds at the rear of Stan ley hall But here bis way was block ed by Iron and glass, there was no egress from the conseravtory save through tbe dining room. As he turned to retrace his steps the sheriff, with the frightened automobile man at his back, appeared at the door sf the conservatory with leveled re volver and demanded Arthurs sur render. Arthur's reply was to seize a heavy rustic chair and with one swinging, sweeping blow thrust aside tbe leveled revolver and then smash tbe heavy glass and the metal frames of the rear wall of the conservatory, He leaped unhurt through the aper ture thus made and fled around tbe corner of tbe bouse, followed by fusillade of shots from tbe sheriff and his deputy. At the front of the house stood the two automobiles deserted. Tbe new French racer stood throbbing under power at the portals of Stanley halL The excited dealer had not thought further of the fine new machine when he heard tbe sheriff's quick summons for assistance. The more phlegmatic and practical mechanic had turned off the power of the old garage car when he had brought tbe sheriff the Jack to smash tbe door. Arthur Jumped into tbe throbbing new racer, ne bad little thought when he had ordered it in a fit of reckless extravagance that Its first service fop him would be in a nerd like this, lis sensed the use of Us levers, and In tbe Instinct of fear nnd self preservation. may have been chance that aldel him. but tho machine bounded nwny n highest speed, nnd Arthur turned! he steering wheel nnd made the turn to the gateway safely. He gave one glance back nnd snwi the nicchnnlc endeavoring to start tho other car, while the sheriff stnnipvl nd swore finitely. Whether It was that the old dependable car failed for once to respond or whether It was be cause the sporting Inst Suet In thd grimy mechanic was strong, nnd he hoped for n long, stern chase of a ractlced driver In an old car after a rank amateur In a new Frcmh racer. In either case the old car was soma minutes In responding to his efforts to I m Jo'4 He 8mashed His Way Through thsj Conservatory Window. start It Arthur had read enough of automobiles to know It were well for bim If be pnused In bis flight that ha did not stop tbe engine. Looking back again and seeing he was not as yet pursued, a fit of desper ate recklessness encouraged him In tbe resolve to pause and bid farewell to a Esther, uy this time ail Dut a rew oc tbe curious neighbors bad gone, and Esther was at the gate engaged inv banging a white wreath upon it la tnemory of ber dear old friend. The meeting, tbe parting, were brief, - dramatic and passionate. There waa , no time for explanations on either side. Arthur held tbe fair girl to bis heart for oue brief moment and pledged hla love and faith for ber, and then was gone. Now came the other car in a cloud of dust Ou sped tbe pursued. Now at the railroad crossing the one armed watchman gave bis warning flag. The gates are down, a long freight train 1b thundering up. At his highest speed Arthur takes the gates, that smash and splinter at the impact of bis swift ma chine. He is roue, and tbe freight train blocks pursuit Then pride has its fall. Around a bend of tbe road work-. men ore digging a great culvert. Ou one side is a sloping bank of tbe river. On tbe other side the embankment of the road ted, across which tbe open culvert cuts. One glance shows Arthur that this way lies death. He will trat the river. With a mighty effort he turns tbe steering wheel and tbe great plunging auto swerves at tbe brink of the newly dug culvert and, atllt on two wheels. plows its way through the sort eartn of the roadbed on the stream side and hurtles a rocking, ponderous mass of mechanism dowu the sloping side ofj the river bank, swifter tbnn It takes to; telL Tragedy and comedy are close akln;j In the midst of life we are In aeatn.( On tbe green banks of the river oa this peaceful summer day the Colored Sons of Liberty had elected to bold' their annual picnic. Fat. dusky ma-. trons were spreading tempting cakes and pies and pouring tbe even more; tempting lemonade beneath the eager) eyes of the longing colored lodge broth-1 era of the Sons of Liberty. j The Sons of Liberty band could bard-, ly keep tbeir smacking lips applied to their battered old Instruments as they: played "Emancipation Day March." Deacon Jones, in full regalia, was! about to summon all to the spread upoaj tbe white cloths on the ground when.) roaring and plunging as though, aa Deacon J-jnes afterwards said. "It was) de berry debbil hisself V came the great) racing auto down through tbe picnic; and the band nnd across tbe very feat spread, and scattering old darkles young right and left struck the wat with a mighty splash, turning co pletely over. Neither dusky man nor dusky ma tron, elder or pickaninny, wait for one moment to see or learn what bad gone through their festal gathering like a' fiery chariot on Judgment day or what; bad happened to man or mighty mtt-j chine after they had struck the river. 1 With ashen faces the Colored Sons' of Liberty and their wives, children,; sweethearts and sisters, clambered op the bank to the roadway, shrieking: with terror. They did not see, no one saw. the form of a man floating down tbe river, face up. That eve at early dusk the new risen moon beheld a quiet face floating down tbe stream. Half submerged, at time tbe dank body rose slightly to the sur face; then It was tbe moon saw, gleam ing ou that wave wet breast the half blddet, half showing Jewel, the "charm against barm" of the Stanleys ths dia mond from the sky. , j (Continued neat week) j WmL J