The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1888-06-01
THE GREA! HESPER.
by A BARRETT.

DY FRANK BARRETT
81 V ordered Il carriage to be at
the door in half an hour, Mr.. Van Hoeck, .
said The baronet. "Be good enough to
make your arrangements for departure
by that time
Van Hoeck inclined his head.
Il shall be glad if you will redeem
your | o U at an early date" the baronet
added, sternly.
Van Hoeck put his hand IN his pocket,
drew out a purse, ard extended it. l
took 1T, seeing the baronet's repugnance,
and placed it on the table.
\ accompanied Van Hoeck to South
ampton. Neither of us spoke on the
way indeed, | had not heard q word
Pass his lips since We parted in the early
morning.
l took a room for him ct an hotel, and
when the servant WHIP led US to it was
gone, / said:
~ am going toleave you, Van Hoeck.'
A gesture Of Indifference was his only
reply.
You have nothingto say-no explana-
ton to otfer" l asked.
"What do you mean?-speak plainly
he said.
q saw you discussing with Brace what
should be done with the case that held
the diamond before he secreted it,"
"f you know that we were discussing
shat, you know ALI 1t is useless to make
an explanation that you would not be-
llere. have nothing to say"
lie CROPPED his way to chair and threw
himself into it.
put a packet of notes on the table.
AND told him that if he had need of fur
ther help he might write to me. address.
ing his letter to the are of Sir Edmund.
Then l left him.
l had a vague idea of purchasing a
partnership in some business where /
could ind active employment, and with
ehls view took lodgings in London, and
began to look about me. | had been
engaged in this pursuit about a week
when received a letter from Sir Ed
mund.n
VI enclose he wrote, "a cutting from
one OF the weekly papers. Nine-growing
as it is here described, seems to be the
very thing that should suit a mar of your
disposition and taste: it would suit me,
II were thirty years youngerthan I am
AS 1t Is, nothing would better please me
IMAM TO see you a prosperous fruit farmer.
THAT Edith might have something to
look forward to, ] have proposed that
our next summer holiday trip should be
to San Diego. She thinks we should find
Californian hotels msupportable. Fer
haps you will be able to offer something
more acceptable than hotel accommodate
ton. In any case, my dear fellow, YOU
can give me no more acceptable tcsti-
mony OF your affection thar in availing
yourself freely and fullyo OF my pecuniary
assistance"
The cutting referred to vine-growing
and fruii-culture in Southern California:
bat before l read a single line in it I had
made up my mind to lie at San Diego to
receive Edith and her father in the sum
mer,
CHATTER XIV.
Fortune favored me: before / had been
twenty-four hours in San Diego, | learned
that N OF the best fruit farms in the
state was to be sold. 1t lay in Elysium
valley, about twelve miles back Of San
Diego City, and was the property of
Colonel links. On hearing this, / hired
q horse at once, and rode to the estate.
The road ran between irrigated planta-
tons of lemons, citrons, oranges and
other fruits that perfumed the air; the
higher slopes were covered with vines.
In the distance before me were the snow.
capped peaks of the Sierra Nevada, and
turning IN my saddle as l assembled the
gentle rise on which the house stood, nv
eyes were dazzled with the beauty of
San Diego Bay.
The house was large and well-built in
the Italian stylc-a style not unsuited to
that unclouded sky, andthe surrounding
scenery. The view from the belvedere
was lndescribably beautiful, and indeed
justified the ~high-sounding name given
to the valley it overlooked,
There We're flowers everywhere about
n around the house; they f~estooned the
terrace fronting the facade; they hung
from the windows; they edgedthe paths;
they even twined from bough to bough
of the great cedar that lent shade to the
lawn.
This is g house worthy of Edith" l
thought. "Oh, that it may be mine to
offer her"
&c would be time wasted TO enter into
my business transactions with Colonel
links. Suffice it to say that my ardent
wish was realized, and that in less than
a month from my arriving in San Diego
1 entered into possession of the beautiful
property. Doubtless, it was a hazardous
undertaking for II who knew nothing
whatever OF the business, but what h,z-
ard IS too great for a man whose object
is to win the woman he loves? That the
money l invested was not my own. did
not lessen the risk | ran, but Increased
1t; for, unless | could show a reasonable
probability of repaying Sir Edmund's
loan, L could not demand Edith's hat.d.
However, l had every reason TO believe
ina Colonel links was q gentleman, and
an honest and conscientious mar of bus
mess. added tn th.c I l,oJ ,a,eJ.a. =.
my own perseverance, energy, and
strength, and that buoyant feeling of
hope with which nearly everyone who
breathes the healthfui air of this delight
Iu! continent seems to be inspired.
Early in November | received q letter
from Sir Edmund. Among other things
he wrote:
The robbery is still a mystery-to me
II is a greater mystery than ever. Van
loeck has taken lodgings in the village,
1 nave met him twice in the woods. n
witu, deplorable object, and, indeed. pit
liable, II one may doubt his completely in
the robbery. Once he was upon his
hands and knees, CROPPING among the
terms, as II he expected to find there the
lost diamond; but he chooses the night
Tor these eSpeditions-probably because
ne Is uien less open to observation. The
Keepers tell me that he passes the whole
night, and every night, in this hopeless
search. Why on earth should he do this,
II he and Brace got possession of the dia-
mond, as we suppose?:'
In q postscript he added-'Mr. Furni
Val, dating from liaxel's Hotel, London,
wrote asking mo for your address. / re-
piied that you were at San Diego, Cali
fornia."
Tiie news with regard to Van Hoeck
did not add greatly to the mystery in
which tllis strange man was already in
VOWED; but the postscript was a new
source of perplexity to me. l knew no
one Of the naine of Furnival: I could not
%recolleet having spoken TO anyone of Sir
Edmund while | was in London.
How, then, could this Mr.. Furnival
have known where to apply for my adj
dress: lexpected a letter from him to
''nr up this mattec but nc lattar roma
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