The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1869-10-01

| NJ the lower part, was covered, 70 my great sur
prise and disappointment, with curly browI
beard anil mustaehes. He hsd lively touch
andgo way with him, very pleassft and engag
ing, admit (; but nothing TO compare With hi
frec-apd-easy manners Of other times. To maxi
matters worse, be had promised to be tall, an
hsd not kept his promise. lie was neat, anc
slim, and well made but he wasn't by an incl
or two up TO the middle height. In short, h,
bafaed me altogether. The years that had passe,
had lett nothing Of his old self, except th'
bright, straightforward look In his eyes. Their
l found our nice boy again, and there con
eluded 10 stop in my investigation.
"weloome back to the old place, Mr.. Frank
lin," said. "All the more welcome, Sir, thai
you have come some hours before we expected
you"
"I have q reason for coming before you ex.
pected me-" answered Mr.. Franklin. III sus-
pect, Betteredge, that have been followed and
watched in London for the last three or four
days; and I have Travelled by the morning in
stead Of the afternoon train because wanted tC
give certain dark-looking stranger the slip"
Those woris did more than surprise me,
They brought back to my mind, in a fash, the
three jugglers, and Penelope's notion that they
meant some mischief to Mr.. Franklin Blake.
..who's watching you, Strand whyr' | in
quired.
"Tell me about the three Indians you hay,
had at the house today" says Mr.. Franklin,
without noticing my question. "lt's just posi-
bic, Betteredge, that my stranger and your thres
jugglers may turn out to be pieces OF the same
puIlle."
"How do you come to know about the Jug
glers, Sirl" l asked, putting one question on
the top OF another, which was bad manners,
own. But you don't expect much from poor
human nature-so don't expect much from me-
81 saw Penelope at the house." says Mr.
Franklin; "and Penelope told me. Your daugh.
ter promised to be a'pretty girl. Betteredge. ani
she has kept her promise. Penelope has got a
small ear and q small foot. Dm the late Mrs.
Betteredge possess those inestinlable adyan-
tagcs"
The late Mrs. Betteredge possessed q good
many defects, Sir" says |. "0ne Of them (if
you will pardon my mentioning it) was never
keeping TO the matter in hand. She was more
like Hy than woman; she couldn't settle on
anything"
'She would Just have suited me-" says Mr..
Franklin. al never settle on anything either.
Betteredge, your edge is better than ever. Your
daughter said as much, when asked for par
ticulars about the jugglers. Father will tell
YOU, Sir. He'sa wonderful man for his age
and he expresses himself beautifully Pencil
ones own worls-blushing diyinely. Not even
my respect for you prevented me from-neyer
mind; knew her when she was child, and
she's none the worse for it. Let's be serious.
What did the jugglers do!''
Twas something dissatisfied with my daugh-
ter-not for letting Mr.. Franklin kiss her; Mr.
Punklin was welcome to that-but for forcing
me 10 tell her foolish story nj secondhand. How
ever. there was no helm for il now but to men,
ton the circumstances. Mr.. Franklin's merri-
ment all died away rs went on. He sat knit
ting his eyebrows and twisting his beard. When
had done, he repeated after me two OF the
questions which the chief juggler had put to the
boy-seemingly for the purpose Of fixing them
well in his mind.
"Is u on the road to this house, and on no
other, that the English gentlemen will pass by
US to-day!' Has the Englishman got II about
himl' suspect" says Mr.. Franklin, pulling
little scaled paper parcel out Of his pocket,
"that IT means this. And 'this,' Bettercdge,
means my uncle Herncastle's famous Dia-
mond."
"Good Lord, sir 20 broke out, show do you
come TO be in charge Of the wicked Colonels
Dlainouu
"The wicked Colonel's will has left his Dia-
mond as birthday present to my cousin Rs-
chel," says Mr.. Franklin. "And my fsther, as
the wicked Colonel's executor, has given il in
charge 10 me 10 bring down here"
III the sea, then ooIinr in smoothly over the
Shiy.ring sand, had been changed into dry
land before INV own ewes. doubt IL I could
have been more ,urprisei than I was when Mr..
Fr.nklin sDots ,hos. uorls
"Tbe CoIone,'s Diamond left 10 Miss R.chelr'
saws L "And your father. Sir, the Colonel's
executor! why, I would have laid any bet
YOU like, Mr.. Franklin, that your father would
not have touched the Colonel with a pair Of
tonss!"
''Stroug language. Bettcreigel What was
there against the Colonel, He belonged to your
time, not to mine. Tell me what you know
about him, and III tell you how my father came
to be his executor, and more besides. 1 have
made some discoveries IN London about my un-
Gle Herncastle and his Diamond, which have