Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1884-01-18
THE BLACK Pearl.
An Exciting story of Modern Life.
Continued from last week)
CHAPTER XVIII.
Turning the Tables

CHAPTER XVIII.
Turning the Tables.
The sycamore in Fountain Court had
put forth their large, lovely, pinkish
brown fronds, and the walihowers in the
narrow stone edgedI borders were filling
the spring air with their fragrance, wher
our hero returned to his bachelor home.
His wounds had healed, and he was of
the sick list, but he was not yet GONZALES
cent.
A sore heart makes sorry blood. Cecil
was too unhappy to gain strength fast.
He was also too anxious.
Lucias fate in the hands of such n mar
os the Count was an ever haunting dread
to him, and the loss of her scrap Of hand
writing was perpetually recurring re-
proach. He knew now the story which
Mr.. Foljambe's caution withheld.
Dissatisfied with the vsgueness Of this
information, he had, before leaving the
hospital, sought the surgeon, and obtain
ed from him an exact statement OF the
facts.
Oh, how bitterly he regretted then the
short-sighted tenderness which spared the
writing ut the expense of the writer
With what remorse he looked back on
the decision of that miserable afternoon,
when love and prudence contendcd with
each other, and prudence lost In all
the range OF human experience, one OF
the saddest and the strangest in when q
man finds out that his mistakes entail
upon him soverer penalties than his
sins.
On the third morning after his return
home, Chesterton was strolling listlessly
up and down on the sunny side of the
Court, with his mind abstractsd from all
present things, and his dreamy, inatten.
tive eyes seeing nothing, when Mr.. Fol
jambe came along and linked his arm in
his.
81 have piece of interesting news to
tell YOU" he said, at the same time draw
ing the young man towards the house.
"But for fear of passers-by with incon-
veniently acute ears, we had better go in.
sid,."
Cecil had latch-key, with which he
opened the door, and he and the music
critic went upstairs together unperceiv'
ed.
The young Orientalist's sittingroom
had been furnished by barrister oil
aesthetic tastes, and one of its distinctive
features was large threefold screen
covered with pale pink pelicaus standing
in lake Of lilies.
1t occupied one corner of the room, and
invariably had chair behind it, just as
if the famous scene in 1.-THE School fol
Scandal were going to be 1ehearsed
there.
"Well, my dear boy, we are on the
track of the thieves at last ~ exclaimed
Mr.. Folambe as he sank, with sigh Of
relief, on the first seat he came to, which
happened to be behind the door, for the
morning was warm, and he had walked
from the Circus. "The watch has turn.
ed up
"Has it?" remarked Cecil, with languid
interest, rs he took chair Opposite.
"By an oft-detected trick, too! Scoun.
drels never seem to learn caution, fortu'
nately for honest men. Yesterday eve
ming the watch was offered for pawn IL
Lisson Grove. Finding it answered the
description of one of the articles enumer-
ated in the Stolen List from Scotland
Yard, the pawnbroker questioned the wo-
man who presented it, and obtaining
nothing satisfactory from her, sent for g
IOut 10 uOm III CllbtONN yNLui SCN
with the theft, but nothing has been goi
out of her yet beyond the fact that she Is
an Italian"
Gan italian y repeated Cecil, his old
idea that the assault was perpetrated by
personal foes for special purpose re-
viving.
He looked interrogatively at Mr.. Fol
jambe to see if he, too, had been struck
by the coincidence.
There was brief silence, whilst the
two gentlemen looked ut each other anG
before either of them broke it, sudden
rap came at the door.
Come in !" said Chesterton.
But Mrs. Skinner, the major domo o
four bachelor establishments, had ne
time to accept such permissions in thei
entirety. She opened the door wild,
enough to admitzher head, and seeing thu
particular young gentleman she was il
search OF sitting opposite, did not trouble
to investigate farther.
ooh, you are in, sir | thought yol
was" she began. There's gentleman
downstairs wanting to speak to you"
"Who is he p asked our hero.
II amt seen him afore, and he didu'
mention no name" said Mrs. Skinner
''But he was most pertickler to know
you was alone, which told him, if yo1
was in at all, you WAS alone for certain
seeing there's no one but me to answer al
the knocks and rings"
An impulse, for which he could hav
given no reason at tho time, made Ceci
abstain from showing the old lady he
error.
He said, merely, Ascertain his nam
and business, will you? do not want
see any agents.
Mrs. Skinner departed, leaving thu
door ajar, and the young man and his ell
derby friend exchanged ameaning glance
There was a good deal Of altercatio
below before the heusekeeper came bac
with triumphant expression of counte
nance, to say that "the party's name wa
Brazenasse, and it might ha' been wors
'un by his being SO slow to give it ; an
his business was to do with CONT Sire
tcW.'
At the mention of this name, which h
had so much reason to regard with dreat
Chesterton's face paled but, happily, b
had the presence of mind not to betra
the unsuspected fact of his having con
| pdliOI. ny tuihlHS uln cNco toN"iun W
Foliambe.
He kept them fixed on Mrs. Skinne
who no doubt pitied the 'poor youn
gentleman's shaky nerves" as he said,
a voice that trembled in spite Of his IL
most effort to keep it steady, "Show hi
up"
But this time he closed the door on Il
matron's retreating figure, and, mrnir
quick as lightning to the critic, sal
Behind the screen with yon this meal
mischief y
Cecil had just time to seat himself |
his writing-table, and lay ont pen Al
paper, when the door WAS opened--tll
time it was without the preface of
knock-and Mr. Brazenasse entered.
That the young scholar in his skaters
state OF health, and after his prolong
mental distress, should shrink with Sc
| aitiva Iraol frnp1 an intapuinU pf tha n