The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1888-05-25
TIE GREAT HEsPER.
BY FRANK BARRETT.

@NNHF
on, Gentleman Thorne."
.'Tell me how on earth it is possiblefor
e man in Van Hocck's conditional man
absolutely helpless, az we know him TO
be-to accomplish a feat of this kind.
~ dent say he did it, pardner--I don't
gay he took tho Great Hcsper; on the
other hand, l don't say he didn't. But
am free to maintain that he knows all
about it. If you ask me how he knows
it, I'd tell you as don't know. There's
a many things we don't know, but that's
no reason why we shouldn't try fur to
find out. We amt SO everlasting clever
that there's nothin' more to be larnt out
of this almighty universe, take my word
for it. And though we hev drawed a
pretty good lot of truth out Of the well,
we amt yet come to the last bucket-fuil
not by q long way. One Of the things
we hev got to Iarn concerns Israel's pre-
sentiments, and" he added, emphatical-
ly, I'm going to larn it,"
I'VE must get back to the house. The
police must be sent for"
81 don't see what harm they can do,
and it's the regular thing, and SO they
from the trunk on which we had been
holding this discussion. ~ am going
for Israel. So long!"
I hesitated to separate from the Judge.
"You must promise me Brace, not to
commit violence on Van Hoeck."
eff you mean by violence taking of his
life away, l will give you my word not
to be violent with him. There's my hand
on it,"
On this understanding we shook hands
and parted. He plunged again into the
wood; l returned to the abbey. That
was between seven and eight o'clock.
At two o'clock I went once more into
the wood! Lola was wanted.
The police-otficer from Southampton,
on hearing my story, declared at once
that the theft had been committed by q
servant, and that Lola must be found at
once, to know if she had seen the thief
as he escaped by the window, and could
identify him.
To find Lola, however, was not my sole
object.
The protracted absence of Brace and
Van Hoeck excited my misgivings, and,
despite the Judges promise, 1 already
ed my blind partner. The Judges ne
lions of justice We're peculiar, and based
upon the rough usage of California min
ers in the days when they made and eN-
ecuted their own laws. I believed him
capable Of applying torture, only stop
ping short of actual murder, to wiring
from Van Hoeck the secret which he be-
lieved him to hold with respect to the
lost diamond.
l retraced my steps to the spot where l
had helped to conceal Van Hoeck. The
broken brake marked a distinct trail, and
i'll a pit lcss than a hundred yards from
that point the underground was beaten
down, rs if q struggle had taken place,
Was it not possible that Brace had gone
further than he intended, and killed Van
Hocck? Had he concealed the body. end
fled with his daughter to escape The con
sequences of his act?
asking myself these questions, l fol.
lowed a track from the pit that brought
me into tho bridle-way, Looking fol
further traces of a passage through the
brake, l made my way down toward the
road.
Again I perceived broken brake, ant
following the line, | threaded my way
between the trees upon the slope of tbs
hill until l emerged from the wood upor
the high bank that edged the abbey road
at that part. 1t was ss nearly rs posi-
BILE the point where Van Hoeck hat
stopped me in Che morning upon hearing
Brace in our rear. Looking upthe road
/ saw the tinger-post ct the crossroads
looking down, ] saw that which took my
breath away with amazcment-Bract
was trudging along the road toward the
abbey, With Van IIoeck holding his arm
on side, and Lola his hand upon TIL
other-an incomprehensible picture q
unity, friendly assistance, and reliance.
1t was true that without assistance Val
Hoeck could not have found his wa,
along the road, and very possible that
without the restraint of her fathers hand
Lola would not nave walked by his side
but all doubt as to the existence of
friendly understanding between the twt
me- was dispelled from my mind l.,
what followed.
Arrived opposite the bridle-path lead
ing up into the wood they stopped, ant
consultation ensued between the tw,
men. ] could not hear their voices a
that distance, but ! saw by their gesticu
lations that they were discussing som
point; it ended by Braces going to tn
side of the road, and craning his neck t
see if anyone were in sight. | crouche
down beside the thicket, which partl,
concealed me.
When l cautiously raised my head an
looked again, Brace, still standing OF
posite the bridle-way, was drawing hi
arm out of the sandy hank that Their,
skirted the road,
l ducked my itead as once more he
peered to tho right and left. They wer,
gone, all three, when | looked again.
When l thought it safe to venture,
went to the spot where Brace had stood
There was a rabbit-kole in the sandy cut
ting, partly hidden by the trailing growth
my coat, turned back my sleeve, thrus
IN my arm. and drew Out-the 1edthe
case IN trhich the diamond had been tax
en- from mig Nfist!!
1t was empty.
again thrust my arm in and explore
the hole, thinling-though it was litti
hkely-that the diamond had slipped on
of the case or been put in separately. I
was a kind of cul-de-sac-the earth ha
fallen in from above and blocked IL,
passage at less than the length of III
arm from the entrance: but ] did no
give up the search until | was ahso,rto,
certa!nthat tho Great Hcsper was Nc
there. 1t was not probable They woul
place the diamond IN such an open place
the leather case WAS different. 1t wa
unsafe to keep TINT, hut il was of littl
consequence where they abandoned il
But why Ind they taken the diamon
from the case, and what had they don
With III"
i clew to this mystery also | discove,
ed before long.
When l got back to the abbey, Brace
Van Roeck and Lola were in the Iibrar
witt, the police-otiicer, Sir Edmund, Nj
Wray-his lawyer-and u couple Q
friends, justices of the peace, who ha
been brought by the ru,nors which wer
already widely spread.
Lola was still under examination. Sh
was stubbornly silent. 1t was with lib
greatest difficulty that any response I
the questions put could be drawn fror
her. But she admitted seeing the mal
drop from the oriel; and, asked if it wa
one of the servants. she replied firmly
NO" But more than this could not t,
got out of her on this point.
To the inquiry how she had discovered
the means of getting from the bay int,
the oriel, for it was by that way she hat
come to my assistance, she replied tina
she had seen it done BEFORE but she
would not say whom she had seen.
The police-officer asked me to go into
the adjoining dining-room with him.
May l ask" he said, s'if you have any