The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-07-04

''Inere IS one man, continued. his name
is Farrar. Very tall, very dark, black bearded,
a cut near his left eye-a fine, handsome fellow
Ask him for what he was arrested in Montreal
six years ago and more. Ask him where he
threw yellow canvas bag full of South African
diamonds that day. Tell HIM he will have those
diamonds back again the day after these logs
reach tde-water."
"All as you say, said She "But all the same"
said she shaking her head, there is blood on the
face of the MOON"
A half hour afterwards, as the men hung about
the door or sat about the fire in Fletchers, word
went round between one and another of them,
and evidently with strange thrills and shivers,
that old Mother Mandevele was up stairs.
''Let her stay" said /. ''Who believes in for
tune telIers words nowadays"
II do, said Farrar, CURLY.
'You do" said |, with laugh. Then you
ought to 60 and consult her out of hand
IN 60 if you'll CO." he muttered You've got
more to put TO the proof than have"
You don't mean that you're afraid to go
alone2" / said.
Afraid isn't the word to use to Farrar
But there's so much of the devil about us
l don't know why we should open the door for
more. She'll only tell us what we all know,
anyway"
Come now said, Tin good faith what can
she tell u.s. and how can she tell us anythingp
Some folks can tell what's hid, and some
can't Some metal draws iron, and some don't
And that's all l know about it. Mother
Mandevele's too well-known from Old Cedars to
the sea for anybody to begin at this day to
deny"
Il don't deny. don't affirm. But I'll tell
you what. Ill go 10 and test her powers after
you, or, if it suits you better have her down
here and let us look intoit all together" And be-
fore could be gainsad, had moved so actively
in the matter the old woman with her pipe was
sitting by the hearth where the blaze roared up
the chimney and lighted the room in great fash
es, and was casting furtive chances about her
from two little eyes that glowed like lights in
pit.
Come, Farrar," said I. II suppose this is
the mother: Put your faith in the supernatural
to the test"
That's right, Farrar That's the fair thing.
Ask the old lady about the drive. See what she
has to say about the jam. Wen all have q
scratch at the birthstone. Blue blazes already.
Guess there's some half dollars left" came a
chorus from every side
II haven't the fifty cents" said Farrar II
came into camp dead broke
had crossed the withered old palm with the
coin for him in moment, and Farrar rose
slowly and went and sat down on the block
before the old witch and submitted his face to
her scrutiny
She bent forward and looked at him with her
little piercing eyes long minute Then she
took up her dirty cards and began 10 shuttle
them up and down, and held them out for him
to cut, gaZed at them abstractedly as he ran
them over "1d orter had clean pack er cards
fer sech a fortin's this she murmured. And
then she brought her eyes back to him. you
never done no wrong" she said, after another
long gaze. You're just unlucky. You are
But luck's goin' to turn. It's goin to turn
down to salt water. HIM. But there's one thing
! don't understand"-and here she bent forward
and whispered few sentences. Before she had
done Farrar gave sudden start and sprang to
his feet. wait a minute" said the good dame
Il amt done yet. I've got more to say to you"
And, after he had taken his seat, trembling and
of CHASTITY color, and she had fumbled among
the cards, and taken puff at her pipe, she bent
w I'd and MI Jc nn6f tn
A great oath parted Farrar's lips. Hush
hush" murmured the old witch. ''Would you
break my spell, and my power uttering names
that compel the master Of spells?"
"l-l-beg your pardon, MOTHER stammered
Farrar.
You'd better" said she. ''And I'll give it.
| provided you remember tie old woman when
you're down to tide water. You'll be there safe
enough no fear. It's lucky drive, this is
You amt lost life nor broke leg none of you,
since you went into the woods and the boss
W here's the boss? Is he along? The boss Ii
come outen this with money enough to start a
bank This water IL fall before another raft
gets down the river. That's what the cards
say anyway. Shall l tell the cards for YOU
dearF she said then, looking up Mt me. But at
that moment, the something resembling awe
that had held the men silent broke into startled
Explanations as Farrar fell off the block in a
dead faint.
''By the Lord" he said, when the fresh air
they let in had after awhile revived him.
She's told me things If what she's promised
is as true as what she's told, we've worried our
selves sick for nothing. boys"
1t was much the same story, with such varia-
tons as suited the case that the mother told the
rest of the men, who, pretty we'll overcome by
the scene with Farrar, were prepared to mao
nifty and believe all she said, and full of super
stitious awe, besides, if they had seen the
Prince Of the Powers of the Air himself bodily
before them.
We turned in early, having hard davis work
ahead wax aft hon I
saw Farrar sitting over the embers, and after
surveying him awhile arose and sat beside him
'Farrar," said l, Il owe you confession and
Ican't keep it any longer. All this winter
strange likeness has haunted me, whenever L
have looked at YOU 1t was only recently that
it gathered into shape and l understood what it
meant. This is not so strange, seeing that |
only saw you once in your life. But then had
particular reason to remember that once, for it
was after seeing you, when you rushed by and
brushed me aside, that found canvas bag of
South African diamonds in my overcoat pocket"
The exclamation died on Farrar's lips II
gave the case to the authorities" / continued
Il advertised for you kept the diamonds six
years and over, waiting for YOU L had about
given you up
II was in prison." said he quietly son false
charge of murder; an unjust sentence, an I'M
righteous Judgment. 1 had been wrecked in the
Indian seas, and had found my way to South
Africa. had just got home and fell into bad
company, and when flung away the stones I
was running from the officers who had come to
break up drunken row, and ] thought. being a
tri1e in liquor, to rid myself of a suspicious
prominence-just then life being more to me
than wealth, all the more that one of the parties
was drunken dealer in stones. / didn't kill him.
l don't know who did. But there were plenty to
swear it on And went to the wall They
gave me pardon last year-when they found
out the real murderer. But they didn't give me
back my six years of youth, and strength, and
health, and nerve. There are some people who
n n WI
against them. And so it is you that have the
diamonds, he said presently.
1T was" said; but just they're repre-
scented III these logs out there in the jam" And
I waited for his reply
1t was slow in coming about as l thought
it would turn out" said he at length, without
glancing up. Il haven't counted on them 1t
wouldn't be in the line of my luck to get them.