The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-10-23
THE RIDDLE OF THE
RING.
A Roundabout Romance in Three
Chapters.
BY W. W. FEM, AUTHOR OF HALF
HOURS OF BLIND MANS HoL-
IDAY," ETC.
CHAPTER III.

4NOb NSil otSSNcbiNS VI loili'iNN ~ tiiot
lawyers private room in Gray's Inn,
where Mr.. Boscombe sits writing long
letter; yet if We look over his shoulder,
we may find some interest in its conclu-
dinp passages. He is saying:
This is to be an epistle of wonders,
nv dear Jack; for whilst writing this,
have received a letter from whom, do
you think? Why. your aunt Scobell!
In the first blush of the thing can hard
ly understand it, and, of course, shall go
down Immediately; / can not but think
she is laboring under some absurd mis-
take. This is what she said:
"DENE CorRT. May 5, 1865
"Sir-Mv nephew mentioned yon to me
as a shrewd man of business, and q great
friend of lis You now have an opportuni-
ty Of proving yourself both these. Shrewd
YOU will certainly have to be, and if Won
can exculplte him, there will be no doubt
about your friendship. | am aware that
you are acquainted with the circumstances
attending the loss by III, nel hew of ring
belonging to me intrusted to his charge.
This being so perhaps YOU will be able, in
his absence to explain how | come to find
the ring on the finger of my niece, his sis
ter. | am prepared to give you every OPP
pOrtunitv of eluci ating the mystery. AS
the shortest way to this, propose that you
should come down here at YOUR earliest con-
venience. abstain from all comment upon
the unpleasant and highly suspicious means
bv which have recovered my property:
for my niece refuses to give me any account
of how the ring came into her possession.
! merely appeal to you, as the only person
AGO ainted VITA my nephew OF whom mem
ton has been made to me, and who is like
" to afford me advice and assistance in this
disagreeabe matter.
II remain, sir, yours truly.
"MARY ScoBELL."
Thus writes the old lady, and ] can
tell you nothing more, of course, until |
have been down. Nevertheless, ! shall
post this at once, as there is a mail to
Canada tonight. Meanwhile, make your
mind easy, and rely on the shrewdness
and friendship of yours,
Tom BosCoMBE.'
The next morning Mr.. Boscombe ar
rived 1t Dene Court, in which secluded
mansion he spent several days. On his
return to town, he sat down Immediately
to his desk, and we will again look over
his shoulder at what he writes: +,
4 have Just returned from Dene Court
nv dear Jack, and hasten to give you
full particulars.
1T is really a very curious affair. Your
aunt received me with chilling politeness,
and, after giving me a few details as to
how she caught sight of the ring on your
sisters finger, said: "The shock it gave
me quite affected my nerves. Iquestioned
Marion closely. She endeavored to evade
my inquiries by every species Of subter
fuge; but as this is certainly the ring
John took with him to London, and
which he professed to have lost, l refused
to accept any of my niece's evasive an
swers; indeed, SO evasive were they. and
finally 80 determined did she seem not to
tell me whence she got the trlnket, that
could but come to one conclusion, dis
tressing though it was, viz: that there
had been colluson between brother and
sister, and that his account of his loss
was simply gross falsehood. As Johns
friend, 1 can only leave this affair in your
hands,"
4 assured the old lady that I had no
doubt in the end, at any rate, of being
able to clear you, my dear Jack, from
the asperasion she, in her indignation,
cast upon you. Then I begged to see
Miss Farley alone, and had long i'll
terview with her; but beyond discover
ing tn t she was the most charming girl
] ever saw, / might as well have remained
in London. She stoutly refused to tell
me word about how she got the ring. |
entreated, cajoled, and finally threatened,
with touch Of professional badgerjng;
nothing moved her. At last I said:
"Well, Miss Farley, 7 give you half an
hour to think over my words; at the
end of that time, if you still refuse, you
must take the consequences"
I rose and walked to the door. As /
faid my hand upon it, there was knock
outside; on opening it young woman,
looking like a lady's-maid, drew aside to
let me pass. Her face struck me as not
unfamiliar; but as it was of type of
beauty that one often sees, this was not
wonderful. Still, it troubled and per-
picked me. I went straight to Mrs. SEQ
bell, told her what had passed, and then
asked various questions concerning the
servants in the house, and especially
about the young woman ! had just met.
40, that was Ann Brice," said your
aunt
Boscombe's letter then explained what
Mrs. Scobell had told him about the rid
ing companion, and with which we are
already acquainted. The writer contin-
tinued.
AT the expiration Of half an hour,
Mrs. Scobell returned with me to your
sister for her reply. In crossing the hall,
we found her Unexpectedly dressed in
her riding habit. As her aunt was ex-
pressing surprise at this, and peremptor-
lily ordering her not to go out, turned
towards the door where the horses were
standing, and came face to face with this
Ann Brice, attired in hat and habit.
Then, in an instant, all my perplexity
about her vanished; the whole thing was
claar tn me and. for the first time. saw