Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-10-25

tected. So he hesitated, peering at the
carpet, and the golden opportunity passed
him b. Then each moment made the
avowal more difficult and less possible
until when his host appealed to him-"H
you have hidden ii for joke, old fellow,
out with itw-he had no choice-or il
seemed to his uneasy conscience that Ne
had no choice-but to answer as he did.
| He looked up, indeed, with admirably
acted surprise, and said his: Il? GER
tainly not somewhat peremptorily.
| Half dozen of the guests were peer
ing stupidity about, as if they expected to
find the lost article in a fower-vase, or
within the globe of lamp. Presently
their hostess stayed these explorations:
"Wait moment she cried abruptly.
raising her head ~ have it?'
"Well?" eagerly, from several.
"John must have moved it when he
brought in the tea. That must be it.
Ring the bell, James, and We will ask
him."
So it was done. John came in, and the
question was put to him.
Eyes, sir" he said readily: 81 saw a
bracelet On this table, by the lamp"
He indicated the table near Lady Lin
acre.
"Did you move it ?"
"Move it, sir ?" the man repeated, sur
prised by the question, the silence and the
! strained faces turned to him. "No. sir;
certainly not. l only saw it when was
! handing the tea toto Mr.. Wibberley, |
! think it was"
"Ah, very WE'LL" his master answered.
"That is all. You may CO."
1t was not possible, indeed, to doubt the
mans face and manner. But when he had
left the room, an uncomfortable silence
eusued. at is very strange" Burton Smith
said at last looking from one to another,
| and then, for the twentieth time, cropping
under the table.
at is very strange" Wibberley muir
INJURED. He felt bound to say something
He could not free himself from an idea
that the others, and particularly the In
dian civilian, were casting special looks at
him. He appeared calm enough, but he
could not be sure of this. He felt rather
as if he were each instant changing color,
and betraying himself to every eye. His
very voice sounded forced to his ear as he
repeated fussily, st is very odd-yery
odd Where can it be?'
at COST" Lady Linacre quavered-ir-
relevently, but by no means impertinently
at cost fourteen thousand out there.
Indeed it did. And that was before it was
set"
4 hush as of awe fell upon the room.
Fourteen thousand pounds p Burton
Smith said softly, his hair rising on end.
'No, no, said the old lady, who had
intended this justification. mot pounds
rupees"
II understand" he replied, rubbing his
head, "but that is a good sum-"
at is over thousand pounds" the In
dian civilian put in, stonily, "at the pres
ent rate of exchange"
"But good gracious, James p Mrs. Bur
ton Smith said, impatiently, why are you
valuing Lady Linacre's iewelry-instead
of finding it for her? The question is,
Where is it? 1t must be here. 1t was
on this table fifteen minutes ago. 1t can
not have been spirited away"
'1f anyone" her husband began seri-
ously, ''is doing this for joke, l do
hope"
'For JOKE" the hostess cried, sharply.
'Impossibler'
81 say, my DEAR" he persisted, "lf any
one is doing this for joke, hope he will
own up. It seems to me that it has been
carried far enough" There was chorus
of assent, half indignant, half-exculpatory.
But no one owned to the joke. No one
produced the bracelet.
"Well, l neverw Mrs. Burton Smith ex-
claimed. And as the company looked al
one another, 1t seemed as if they also had
never known anything so extraordinary as
this.
"Really, Lady Linacre, 1 think that it
must be somewhere about you" said the
host, at last "Would you mind giving
yourself good shaker
She rose, and was solemnly preparing to
agitate her skirts, when CUES. interfered,
1t was the Hon. Vereker May. "You need
not trouble yourself, Lady Linacre," he
| said, with curious dryness. He was still
standing by the fireplace. at is not
about you"
"Then where in the world is it ?" re-
torted Mrs. Galantine. ado you know ?"
"If you do, for goodness sake speak out"
Mrs. Burton Smith added, Indignantly /;
while everyone turned and stared at the
civilian.
"You had BETTER" he said, task Mr.
| Wibberleyp
That was all. But something in his
| tone produced an electrical effect on every
one. Joanna, in her corner-remote, like
the Indian, from the center of the disturb
ance-turned red and pale, and flashed
! angry chances round her. For the rest,
| they wished themselves away. 1t was i'm
| possible to misunderstood the insinuation.
| L. l. c,,,,lA thav hoh in
moment put graver complexion on the
matter. Even Mrs. Burton Smith was
silenced, looking at her husband. He
looked furtively at Wibberley.
And Wibberley? Up to this moment he
had merely thought himself in an I'M
pleasant fix, from which he must escape as
| best he could, at the expense of little
| embarrassment, slight loss of self-respect.
Even the latter he might regain to-mor-
row, if he saw fit, by telling the truth TO
! Mrs. Burton Smith; and in time the whole
thing would become subject for laughter,
| a stock dinuer-party anecdote. But now
now at the first sound of the Indians voice
he recognized his danger, and saw clearly
| in the hundredth part Of q second that
ruin, social damnation, perhaps worse,
threatened him. His presence of mind
seemed to fail him suddenly at the sight
of the pit opening at his feet. He felt
himself reeEng, choking, his head sur
| charged with blood The room, the ex-
pectant faces all turned to him, all with
| that strange expression upon them, swan
round before him. He had to lay his
hand on a chair TO steady himself. But
he did steady himself, so far that those
who marked his agitation did not know
whether it proceeded from anger or fear.
He drew himself up and looked straight at
his accuser, holding the chair suspended
in his hands "What do you mean? he
said, hoarsely.
81 should not have spoken" the civilian
continued, returning his gaze, and speak
ing in cool, measured accents. "lf Mr..
Burton Smith had not twice appealed to