Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1888-05-19
CHAPTER XIII.

CHAPTER XIII.
Il advise you, said the officer. "to
take the advice Of Sir Edmund's solicitor,
Alr. Wrav."
agreed, and he called in the LAWYER.
| old him, without reservc. all that had
happened, showing him the leather case
l had taken from the hole where Brace
had placed it,"
"A couple of cunning scoundrels!' he
exclaimed; their pretended suspicion of
each other was, of course. defended to
blind YOU to their completely, while each,
by duplicating the other, diverted sus-
plcIon from himself"
- was never III my life so completely
deceived" | said. Brace seemedt to mo
the embodiment Of rough honesty. |
liked the man, and it was a painful shock
to me when | found him untaithful and
a thief"
He is worse than that. Mr.. Thorne: he
is a murderer al heart; for there can be
no doubt it was he who attempted your
life; it was a sheer impOsSibility for the
other man TO do il. We have heard the
story of the robbery from Sir Edmund.
The intelligence that planned the attack
was doubtless Van Hoeck's. He LOOKS
like a man Of subtle intellect. | DO not
see what other part he could lave played
in this affair."
"sir Edyund told me, sir said the Of
wing. You heard snoringi in Braces ROOM
II certainly did
THAT could very well have been Van
IIoeck. who had taken Braces place
while n slipped off into your ROMAN
other proof that the W. were acting to-
gether."
"Preciscly, sand Mr.. Wray: and then,
with an air of hn,inras-'Wcll. now,
what i t. be done? that Is the question.
The evidence is insufficient TO charge
either Of the men even With being con
cernel in the robbery. The leather case
proves nothing. Thcy might declare
they found it empty, and have concealed
ii through fear OF accusation, or they
might all three swear your statement to
be false. and absolutely accuse YOU of
being yourself the chief. And until we
can substantiate the charge 10y positive
proof, we must be careful 80 conceal our
suspicious from them. If they think
they are likely to be brought TO Justice.
they will quit the country by the first
steamer that leaves SouthamptOn-and
we canno stop them. The thing that
must be don at once is 60 search for the
diamond. THAT is your affair" he said,
addressing the officer: '~'undoubtedly they
have placed it somewhere in Southamp-
ton, in readiness to take if flight becomes
necessary"
III have all the kens searched before
the morning"
THAT is part Of your business, OF
course. AT the same time, ! would sug-
gest that it is of far more importance to
,-otnh tha ,,a, tbn,,vlrnc Van 1Innnly
would not trust the diamond to the keep
ing of ordinary thieves receivers; it
would be safer merely laid under a plant
in the gardens down by the dock. You
may be sure he has the ingenuity to Eug-
gest a safe place for its keeping"
III have some plain-clothes men on
the first thing to-mHrrow morning, and
I'd better go and telegraph to Scotland
Yard at once"
"As soon az possible. But, not to
alarm the men, you had better make a
p~retence of continuing your mveStiga-
tons, and avail yourself of some plausi-
bic pretext for returning 10 Southamp-
ton. Everything at this moment de-
ponds upon keeping Van Hocck and
Brace in ignoranceof our suspicion. And
with that view" he added, turning to
me. 81 counsel You, Mr.. Thorne, to con
ceal your own feelings. Not one of these
three ought to see any change III your
demeanor toward them"
This was sound advice, and / recOgniz-
ell the importance of conforming with it:
but | am the worst actor in the world
where my feelings are concerned, and
my very soul revolted against the men
who had plotted together to take my life
from the mere insensate greed of gain.
4 g.JX ..l,a l.4t..l, $4,000 D,nz ILL.,.
toward his accomplice, not because /
thought Van Hoeck less guilty, but be-
cause | had felt more kindly toward the
Judge, to whom l seemed linked by the
brotherhood of labor.
kept out of his way when we return
cd to the library, and avoided looking at
him, lest he should perceive that | was
no longer his friend. But l knew he had
his keen eyes upon me, and was reading
the signs of my newly born aversion, and
this made my acting worse.
When the officer had completed his in
yestigation. he said sagaciOusly, as he
closed his notebooks:
II have sufficient information for my
present purpose. l may not be able to
discover the perpetrators Of this outrage
and robbery Immediately, but l think /
shall be in a position TO tell o some
thing about the lost diamond within
t~wenty-four hours
Sir Edmund accompanied him to the
door. When he returned and took the
seat he had occupied at the head of the
long table, Brace rose, and placing him
self at the opposite end. inclined his head
first 20 the baronet, then TO the right and
to the left.
squire and gentleman OF this commit
rcc." he said, 81 don't want To speak dis
rosIec'ful of the Police, but the intelli-
cont officer who has just left us, as If
he'd got hold Of the tai, end Of Il rocket,
ana meant ~follerin' it right mp. and hold
III tight on till il bust. amt Eoin 70 do
ary good for hisself or anyone else in this
business. The big diamonds lost, end be
Unit going to find it in twenty -.odr hours,
nor in twenty-four years. IF it was a
iiaystdck. don't say but what. with the
held Of Providence-and n good lot Of 1t
-n- might be up to the job he's Ondcr-
took. But it amt a haystack. End IF
he was To grind up the whole of this
country, end every blessed thing upon it
small, puddled it in a clean flume. and
sifted the tailins careful, lie wouldn't find
it. End these bcin' my views, it stands
to reason that ] Amt going TO hang about
here lookin' at the place where I've come
to grief, like an old female what'3slipped
of the sidewalk on n bit OF O~range-p@el,