Part 19 (1/2)

”You haven't told me anything about Graham.”

”He was a nephew of Tompion and a very clever craftsman whose clocks did honor to his teacher. _Honest George Graham_, he was called--not a bad way to come down through history. Personally I would rather have that handle before my name than to have _Lord_ or _Duke_ precede it and I fancy George Graham was of a type who felt that way too! So devoted were he and Tompion and so closely linked was their work that when Graham died, the grave of Tompion was opened in order that the two men might be buried together. Then a stone was made reading:

Here lies the body of Mr. Tho. Tompion who departed this life the 20th of November 1713 in the 75th year of his age.

Also the body of George Graham of London watchmaker and F.R.S.

whose curious inventions do honour to ye British genius whose accurate performances are ye standard of Mechanic Skill. He died ye XVI of November MDCCLI in the LXXVIII year of his age.

”Now a bit of interesting history is attached to this stone. Several years after it had been put in place a younger generation came along who knew very little of either Tompion or his pupil Graham, and seeing the large tablet, some of them decided to take it up and put instead smaller stones with only the inscriptions:

Mr. T. Tompion 1713 Mr. G. Graham 1751

upon them. Perhaps the authorities felt the big stone took up too much room; or perhaps they felt it heaped undue honor on two men who in their estimation were really nothing but tradesmen; or, worse yet, perhaps they had forgotten all Tompion and Graham did for the rest of us.

However that may be, in 1842 a Bond Street watchmaker had loyalty and courage enough to protest, and through the late Dean Stanley the old stone, fortunately uninjured, was hunted up and reinstated in its original position, thereby proving that England does not after all forget her debt to these splendidly intelligent workmen.”

”I'm glad the first stone was put back,” Christopher a.s.serted. ”Who on earth would ever know from the skimpy marking on the other one who Mr.

T. Tompion or Mr. G. Graham were?”

”Probably very few persons--only those, most likely, who had made a study of clocks. To my mind it is far better to remind the ignorant who perhaps never heard of Tompion or Graham, to hold their memory in grateful respect. Possibly, too, the inscription on the tablet may prompt the casual pa.s.ser-by to look up what these two men did, and if so a keener appreciation of them will be established.”

”I shall go and see that stone if I ever go to London,” Christopher declared.

”Do, laddie. And see some of their clocks, too. Graham was a clever, broadly educated man, who worked out many astronomical instruments in addition to his clockmaking. When you view either his handiwork or that of Tompion, you will see the product of master craftsmen. And in the meantime don't forget Daniel Quare, Samuel Knibb, or Ahasuerus Fromanteel, who although unhonored by stones in the Abbey, are well worthy of being remembered.”

CHAPTER X

AN AMAZING ADVENTURE

Within a day or two Christopher was once more reminded of the diamond robbery by having Corrigan call up the firm and announce that Stuart, wanted in Chicago for the rifling of a safe, had been taken west under guard.

”As yet,” concluded the inspector, ”we have made no progress toward the recovery of the ring. It has neither put in its appearance at any of the p.a.w.nshops nor have we been able to trace the stones. We do not, however, despair of getting some clew and shall still keep on the lookout.”

”I suppose you have no track of Tony--Stuart's accomplice, either?”

inquired Mr. Burton over the wire.

”None, I am sorry to say.”

With a sigh of discouragement the senior partner hung up the receiver.

”I guess the incident is as good as closed,” remarked he. ”In my opinion we can bid good-by to those diamonds and accept our burglar insurance with thankfulness that our loss was not greater.”

”But Stuart's pal may show up yet, Dad,” ventured the optimistic Christopher, who chanced at the moment to be in the office.

”I doubt it.” Skeptically Mr. Burton shook his head. ”More likely he has decided New York is too hot for him and has left town for pastures new.”

”He may be lying low,” a.s.serted the habitually silent Mr. Norcross.