Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1884-02-01
THE rsLAVIx PEARL.
An Exciting story of Modern Life.
CONTINUED from last week.
CHAPTER XXI.
shadows of Nemesis

back by circuitous route to Charges
Hotel"
Late in the afternoon OF tho following
day the dttache sat in his private room,
with an unwonted frown on his venern-
/ BILE features.
= Mr.. Bralennssee had just left him in
possession of two highly embarrassing
facts. One was thot Brigids had been ar
} rested whilst attempting to pawn Ches-
terton's watch and the other that Piero
had disappeared from his old hnunts with
out leaving an address behind him.
1t was rare thing for tho Count to
find his calculations at fault but he saw
now that he had committed Jaur pas in
driving his old accomplice from his door
with threats.
Piero alienated from his former inter
ests and under new allegiance would
prove terribly dangerous enemy.
Surprising lie went to Chesterton--or
even to Sastri-if circumstances should
arise to sever their so.called friendship?
Dreading this latter contingency most,
and thinking it the more likely, the Count
set himself to think how it could be avert
ed.
The easiest and the surest way to keep
the Indian and his Protean ally apart
would be to induce Sastri to quit the ho-
tel and take up his abode Mt Whitehall
Gardens
But what motive could he assign for
the sudden invitation His intriguing
brain was hard at work seeking a solution
for this problem, when Jose knocked at
the door, and said, "Excellency, tho H.
dian Prince is below in his carriage, and
desires to know if you can see him"
Mill no r,rnotosl H.
responded the attdche, the cloud disap-
pearing from his brow, and his black
eyes beaming. "What q chance !" he
added, softly, to himself us Jose hurried
back to usher up tho illustrious visitor.
Sastri had parted from him with evil
dent GOODNESS the preceding night so
the Count was quite unpreparod for hav-
ing his ELUSIVE greeting returned with
more than corresponding affection.
"My dear friend, condole with me ~
exclaimed Sastri, seizing both his hands
"All day my eyes have streamed down
with tears, and there was none to comfort.
Only you can Quench my grief but till
} the night approached knew not where to
seek you
"Had known you were in sorrow, the
task Of seeking should not have been
left to you, Prince, said Silvestrelli, with
much warmth, though he was all the
while wondering in his secret soul what
such an ovation might moan. IF there
is any service l can render you, command
me as the humblest of your servants.
"Alas great father Rama - exclaimed
Sastri, in most dolorous tones, at the
same time pressing handkerchief to his
eyes, though he arranged it SO as to leave
a spyhole through which to watch his
companion scountenance. "Why, among
all thy sons, am / alone doomed to lose
my faithful servitors, and be left to the
mercy Of dogs and iackals Why has he
whom my soul delighted to honor been
taken from me to tue great Lotus Valley
Alas my hearts security-my faithful
Mybrea r
"What theinvaluable Mybrcad dead ?
J cried the Count, in tones OF such unfeign.
ed astonishment, that the Indian, who
was watching him with stealthy, lnalovo-
lent eyes, could see that for once he was
not acting. Dear Prince, how came you
to sustain such calamitous loss o.
"The mind of the All-knowing knows,
2 and the eyes of the All-seeing have seen,
responded Snstri, oracularly but to me
is vouchsafed only the knowledge that
my voice-to which lie gave ever readiest
obedience-cnn no more wake him.
But surely you know how lie died 2
t srid the attdchc, to whom this sudden de
mise seemed very mysterious
"No," said Sastri, still lingering his
handkerchief, as though grief might over
: power him again at any minute. "Al
: the hours of last night listened for lii
returning footsteps; but he never came
and this morning two men they call Bob
by carried him back on a shutter, quite
Y cold, and with the blueneGs Of grea
, bruise on his temple. They found him
they said, with the head struck against Al
!, iron post, lying between the road and {
seat of the Park.
, 1.-THE Park r. repeated Silvestrelli, wltl
\ sudden suspicion. "What could he hav
a been doing there at night, Prince ?"
Sastri caught the meaning of the tone
K and it warned him to be cautious. One
G allow the Count TO believe that Mybrea
c master had sent him out as a spy on hi
C "dear friends actions, and the dead
: game he was bent on would be for eve
s lost
"Alas !" he sighed; "since he is speech
less as the golden image of great Buddha
there is nothing left me but surmise
= One thought comes TO me after another
:, but all the while am like one that shoul
. try to scatter the fog with a fan. At tn
end, | see nothing more clearly than a
!. the beginning. Only on thing is cviden
" to me whereas last night he was alive
/. though, indeed, he said his head wa
+ heavy, and he longed to breathe the fres
l. air-this morning he returns to Inc on
e shutter-dead p
Ne at is possible he fell down in fit an
g gave himself fatal blow" suggested til
d Count, who had been listening to the II
%, dams crcumlocutory account with hi
u eyes as well rs his ears.
c, "Perhaps. The Bobby say that. an
ID the medicine man ] sent for But tn
- chief truth is | have lost my faithful Sc
,r want, and now the hotel is hateful to n
as place Of tombs. Tell me- my dca
IT friend, what shall do? Where can Il
n unhappy wanderor, drawn from his hon
n by foolish hope TINT cheats him like
ID desert mirage, seek consolation for II
r, loss in this land Of strangers? -
y Silyestrelh could with difficulty +
strain some outward evidence OF lis n
10 umphant satisfaction nj the opportui
~ accident which, az he supposed, induc,
H., H., Sastri to court the invitation which
n was only too eager to give.
Dear Prince, he said, taking in hi
and afiectionately stroking, the dar
jewelled hand of the Indian, ''to who
should you 60 for consolation and "a
but to the friend who cIIIs your iu'eIc,
his own We are alike strangers IA Il
Il land. Such It HON a., II can alnrd d
he let us share it tor.2l,r. Leave the ho
zee at once, and take M y"nrabode IN VIII
no hall Gardens T.