The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1884-10-12


were only too glad he should undertake.
He found Lady Fordyce In her drawing
room, sitting as she had sat the night before,
with the same air Of quccnly reposc, but
now wrapt round with soft velvets and rich
furs, for the day was chilly. Hut
What Is your business with meY she
asked coldly, and without altering her atti-
tude. .aH|f.
Equal to the occasion, Mr.. Greengraves
drew from his pocket crumpled sheet OF
paper and handed II to the lady.
~ am, rs my card has already Informed
your ladyshlp detective officer. This let
ter, bearing on the death Of Hester Par
fridge has come into my hands under some
what extraordinary circumstances. 1t will
be my duty to hand 1t over to the authorities
Il ought properly to have done so at once,
but upon reflection l decided that would
bring II first to YOU"
''How does 1t concern me? To whom Is Il
addressed? Oh, Hester Partridge! 1t Is she
who wrote II them"
And with faint shudder Lady Fordyce
commenced the perusa Of the words that
have already been written. Greedily the
detective watched the changes In her face
and saw the color come and 20. AS she
reached the last page she gave q violent
start, and rose trembling from the sofa on
which she had recllned.
SIS 1t necessary that this should be made
public?" she asked in a low voice.
1T ought" said Mr. Greengraves, with
the tone of man to whom such a thought
as that Of suppressing 1t II II were made
worth his while, had never before occurred;
ut would certainly facilitate the inquiry in.
to the cause of death, should anybody sug-
gcSt anything else than suicide"
Anything else? But surely there Is no
doubt? You yourself"
~ myself know 1t was suicide, even with.
out the aid Of that letter."
IF there is no need of its being known"
ut is, Of course, dangerous thing for me
to do" said Greengraves, land am poor
man with only my character to look to, and
If lost my employment in consequence
IF the contents Of this letter can be kept
secret, and that by so doing no one will sus-
tain any injury, l will gladly give you
hundred pounds"
ut is worth more, putting the lost dia-
mollu out VI lnc QucSllOll.
Lost diamondw she repeated In evident
establishment. What do you allude to?"
"Y0u ask that% retorted the detective.
"How did you main your hand?'
She staggered back with half-stifled cry.
my hand? How-how do you knowp'
II was waiter here last night. l saw
you did not recognize me just now, when l
came in. l noticed last night, when that
military gentleman took your hand in his,
that you WINGED, and turned dead sick.
had noticed before that you dined with your
right hand gloved. had also noticed that
there were spots of blood upon the lid Of
the safe"
Suddenly she turned upon him.
"Are you in the pay Of my husband%
mop he replied after momentary hesi-
tation.
rs he aware that you are here at this in
stant~
"N-nO."
What do you mean, then? BY what right
do you question mel"
The detective felt that his locus standt,
as the lawyers call 1t, was mOmentarily
fore deemed it advisable to hurry matters.
IF have said anything to give offence to
your ladyship, humbly beg your pardon.
You knew nothing, then, of valuable dia-
mond being missed"
Nothing"
'Nor that Sir Richard possessed such an
article-had recently purchased it?"
Again she appeared to be deeply moved.
Recently purchased it?" she repeated.
Yves; he gave hundred and fifty pounds
for it."
Her lips moved as though she were re-
peating the words after him, but she uttered
no sound, and her eyes, that had been fixed
upon his steadily, slowly dropped. He
stood for while silently waiting for her to
speak. Then, finding that she was, as 1t
were, lost in thought, he resolved to bring
the interview to a close, with as little loss
of time as might be. ....
Might trouble you for that letter, my
lady?"
Wont you take the money!" she asked,
and as she spoke, opening desk, produced
ten ten-pound notes.
Without word he stretched out his hand,
and the next moment had slowed the cash
away in pocket In the lining of his waist
coat.
Now gow she said.
But he hesitated.
my lady," said he, ~ have one other
duty to perform, and II is, regret TO say, Q
painful one."
AS he spoke, however, he secretly felt that
the news he had to impart would, after all,
be received with tolerable composure.
lie had argued to himself, "She didn't
love him. How could sheP 1t will, II any
thing, be rather happy release"
For mere forms sake, though, he used
the words set down, adding:
pray compose yourself. came Just now
from Sir Richards Office"
"You-you said he did not instruct you to
come here"
Nor did he. He has met with an acct.
dent-a serious accident"
She spoke not--made no movement. In
the gathering twilight he could not see her
tightly clenched hands, or note the work.
ings Of h"r face. ....
The d live continued:
Pray so yourself, my lady. Sir
Richard was .o. dead this afternoon"
wild piercing shrek, such as he had
never heard before, burst from her lips, and
brought the servants running to the spot.
She fell backwards like stone upon the
couch, and when the lights were brought
Into the room; her eyes were found to be
fixed, the eyeballs slightly turned inwards.
Her limbs were stiff, and her hands tightly
clasped. There was slight mark Of blood