"Maxwell Grant - The Shadow - 006 - The Death Tower" - читать интересную книгу автора (Grant Maxwell)

"I refused to give it up.

"Then he told me that the purple sapphire brought ruin to all who owned it. Ever since he had gained it,
bad luck had followed him. He talked of the curse of the purple sapphire. He didn't want it to ruin me as
it had ruined him.

"He claimed that attempts had been made on his lifeтАФall because of the sapphire. He had virtually given
it to me to be rid of it!
"I laughed at all this. It seemed ridiculousтАФsuch stuff coming from a man of Harriman's intelligence.

"When he found that I would not give the sapphire back to him, he made me promise that I would tell no
one that I possessed it. Then he went away.

"I never saw him again. He shot himself a few weeks later. No one knew why тАФbut now, I am sureтАФ"

Chatham leaned forward and spoke in a hoarse whisper.

"- it was the curse of the sapphire!"

ONLY the restraining eyes of Doctor Palermo kept Horace Chatham from losing control of himself. His
eyes were wild; his lips twitched. He gripped the arms of the chair.

"The purple sapphire," said Palermo musingly. "I have never heard of it. It is strange that this obsession of
Harriman's should have gripped you, Chatham. You are simply the victim of applied suggestion."

Chatham's lips moved, as though he were trying to make them ask a question.

"Harriman believed that the gem carried a curse," continued Palermo calmly. "His belief was so strong
that you were subject to it, also. Your promise to keep it a secret unnerved you, after Harriman's suicide.


"Now that you have told me of it, you will experience relief. With a few treatments, I can cure you of all
fear. Your terror is not real."

"It is real!" Chatham's voice was a hoarse scream. "It is real, I tell you! I have never felt safe since I took
that gem from Harriman.

"I have been followed. People have entered my apartment while I was away. I have never seen
themтАФbut I have found evidence that they have been on my trail. Not more than a week ago, a car
followed mine as I came into New York.

"EverywhereтАФat the theater, at the clubтАФeyes have been watching me.

"To-night, when I came here, I was followed! I changed cabs, and managed to avoid pursuit. All because
I own that cursed purple sapphire!

"I can never lose the curse of it. Harriman died because of itтАФ"

"What have you done with the gem?" questioned Palermo quietly.