Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-08-11

On the eve Of my departure, three days
after had taken leave of Mr.. Blake, what
WAS my astOnishmeut when ] received %
letter from BIN, brought by q messenger
who had ridden all night and all day III
order 10 reach me that evening. Still more
was I surprised az the contents Of the let
ter. which ran thus:
NV Dear Harry" Che had taken 10 call
ing me Harry when was ilQ,-" You once
told me that If ever you could serve me in
any way Won would do SO gladly. Little
did think that the time was at hand when
! should ask yOur service, not for myself
alone, hut for my child Ll0ra. For her
sake. then. / pray of yOu 10 return TO
England at once (this may reach you III
time for the next steamer and bring
back Vasartas. This favor | ask Of
you u a great one, but | ask 1t under a
terrible necessity. Go and see nay llora,
and YOU will the more readily believe
how fearful - the thought 10 me that She
may be in danger and alas through me.
At all costs hung back Nasartas, exc 1t may
be TOO late, for We cannot know how fnto
will reckon time, or whether we may live
a dav or a year. BRING back Nasartas, and
IL am not there word was erased IN
Alexandria TO meet yOu ! will leave instruc-
lions for you, which ! beg Of you IN tho
name OF fathers love to carry out.
nave " iilifI " ilAE UAi. h'Ap " paw ~~"t'"'
TO your credit 10 dtfray expenses con-
ncctcd with the recovery OF Nasartas.
"To save Llora's life bring back Vssar-
tas, implOre YOU. and You will earn the
heartfelt gratitude of your true friend.
JOES BLAKE.
"P. S.-Llora is o boarder at Miss Rus
sells. Deyoushire House, Lower Norwood.
Please see her and make sure that she Is
we'll y, b."
road this letter over and over again,
and each time / read il | became but tho
more pcrplexed as 10 its meaning. With
what carue-tuc-s 1T bcsOught ne to brng
back Na.artas. -Four times the request
Wa. repeated. and always the safety Of
I.lora was pleaded. In what way could the
Whereabouts of mummy affect LlOra >
well-being. nav, her lite. IL was a hopeless
enigma. once 1T struck NE that perhaps
Mr.. Blake was overcome by some strange
halluciuatiOn.
At length recollectcl that he had taken
with ham the mysterious stnp of parch-
mcut. as Ahmed Bon Amen, who was sald
20 Doe recovering, lived but Is few miles OF
the track Of his route. / inquired Of the
messenger who had brought me the letter
if Mr.. Blake had visited the seer, and
fouud that such indeed was the case. This
letter then must, / argued be due 10 some
thing Ahmed Ben Amen bad told him; |
made vain cOnjectures as TO what that
" something" might be- All that was
Gle 10 me was that for some reason or
other Nasartas must be brought back.
fortnight afterwards / was back IN
ENGLAND. aud a letter awaited me from Mr..
Blakes bankers stating that $1,000 had
been placed 10 my credit. rather Won
dered why lie had deemed 50 large a sum
necessary.
At once / made application to the au-
thOrities for the return OF Mr.. Blake's g1l.
much 10 their horror and astOnishment. A
mummy was even more precious then than
il would be now, for Ramcses II. and Seu,
and several other gentlemen now on view
in tho British Museum, had not been DIS
covered. Besides Nasartas was quite at
tractive-lOOkiug in her own way, and NUM-
mics are generally hidoOus. Rameses and
Seti certainly are.
The charms Of Nasartas had not yet been
displayed, 50 / argued that 20 give her mp
would not be dcpuvlnG the British puohc
of lts possessions. Whercat the authorizes
hemmed and hawed, and SAID they would
consider the matter.
Meantime had another missiOn--to see
Mr.. Blake's daughter, over whom hung ap-
parentlv some mysterious doom. 80 he
took myself 10 Miss Russelps high-class es-
tahlishment for Young ladies' and expected
to make acquaintance with the usual type
Of unhedged hObbledchOy, with which Que
generally associates the idea of school
girl. was ushcred into Miss Russell's own
and smiled at the idea of
myself. % Young fellow of thirty, coming 10
pav "a sort of latherly or brotherly visit toa
girl at boarding school.
Miss Russell herself-a prim lady Of some
threescore summers IN q black SILK dress
and little white shawl and violet berib-
boned cap, between winch and her face on
each side were three gray curis kept IN
place bv little Ombs-Mlss Russell herself
inspected me before she allowed me TO sec
the object of my visit. Was Ia relative of
perhaps2 Had | any particular message 20
deliver. as she did not care tor the young
ladies of her select establishment To be up
set bv visitors. / mentally remarked that
the equilibrium preserved by the SAID
vouno Indies must be uncertain, as II was
SO easily upset but | didn't dare to say so;
That cap with the violet ribbons and
those three curlson either side OF the lady's
face had produced something akin 10 awe
in me.
She asked several other questions, and
finally told me in SO many words that she
didn't believe had come from Mr.. Blake
that | WAS an impOstOr in fact-a Wot
sneaking into her fold. Then | hit on
bold Milan. and tried what a bit of real i'm
positiou would DO. It's astonishing how
neoDle mistake the real for the counterfeit
and the counterfeit for the real-Just to
suit their lnchnauOns.
d" BY the way" | said, will you be so
very kind as to let me have prospectus or
,bis snlendid establishment. My aunt,
Lady Belgraye has three daughters who -
That was enough to have gained an audi
ence with all the girls IN the school had
wished IT, 4 change came over tho spirit
If Miss Russell she became ahable 10 me
directly. and enlarged upon the advantages
which would be reaped by my aunt's three
daughters If under her charge. The aunt
md daughters were fictitious. OF course,
but they gained my point. lIora Blake
was summoned. l4lOra Blake How snail
describe her? / cannot, and yet that
first sight of her remains an lmPerlshaoIe
mace of beauty on the negative OF my
,neroorv. She was petite, but exquisltely
,raceflil. and q certain hdwef0 about
Tie carriage Of her pretty head I'M
rressed one with the idea that she was
AN Her face was perfectly oval, win
srnell but deliCatcly chlselled features
and fnely-pencilled brows, and her eyes
Io what shall ! compare them 4 KNOW
not Once pluckeda violet on whlGh
Iron of dew had fallen, because somehow
h reminded me of llora's eyes; yet the
lew OH the Nltiltk WAC 80
ives were deeper than the sea: her red-
odd hair gave the idea of suns rays that
gore TANGIBLE. When my eyes hrst met
hers she was pale, bat the next instant
soft rosv hue had sudused All her face ana
lbroat have taken good many words
10 tell what. perhaps, any moderately iaI-
seeipo individual could sum up, ana riSht-
IL TOO in three words" loved her;
There the truth is out and the Know
Iedee OF that truth came TO me pretty
Iuiekly. as opickly as the. soft PINK rusnea
~ Ilofa's cheeks. and do believe II MISS
Rnsseil had not remained in the, room L
'honid have impaired my knowledge 10
Llora herself then and there; As ~ was;
xs talked common-places, Miss Russell
ioing the largest share, and not forgetting
10 remind me every moment that my aunt
aad three daughters.
When returned TO town found Iepy
ron, the authorities Of the British Museum
EATING that on no account could they re-
nm Vasartas 10 the givor; that now tnsy
al her they meant TO keep her. tnougns
= Iiora. for whose sake wouid lay
,,ade an effort 10 transport OF. fhuis
- NV Westminster Abbey 70 Egypt, haa ~
- 'aar neoessary, and l determined 10 SEE
' : ,aonev would be Of any avail. "nae
soei mad been not 10 offer ~ AZ tne
ser ry frsti OF course Mr.. Blake must n mi