The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1891-12-12
LOVER, EUSTACE.

taco. Flo never did him Justice from
the beginning, and when he heard that
was actually engaged to him hc spoke
such n way that | declared | would
not endure it.
"Pm old enough, ! hope, TO choose for
myself" said /.
" don't know about that, Patty"
said my unclc, Struggling his shoulders.
But | remained to hear to moro. l
bounced back into the house, slamming
the doorin Uncle Meriwc.her's honest,
specialized face, and burstins into tears
rs soon as ! reached the sitting-room.
ITS shame" said my sister Elspeth.
Don't cry, Patty. I'm sure tho whole
matter is transparent enough. Uncle
Mcriwethcr wouldn't be 20 domincering
about it il he did not want YOU to mar.
ry Paul."
q wouldn't marry Paul Mcriwcthcr
Il there wasn't another man in tho
world" said !, viciously. "And III
MARY Eustaco Dalecll, anyhow, now.
Uncle Mcriwcthcr Says We don't know
anything about him., hut I'm sure We
know enough"
That was u false assrr.Ion on mypar'.
only knew Of my handsomctiancc what
no himself had chosen to tell me
namely, that he was a New York en-.
S!necr, staying down at Wraysgcld 4
few weeks Tor his health. And his
friend, Mr.. Bclfcld, was Il stock broker.
Oh, how | wished Mr.. Bcllield might
take 4 fancy 10 Elspeth! 1t would be
SO nice TO be married at the samctimc-
to 20 together anG live in New York.
We lived together in tho lonely old
brick house on the edge Of the moor, so
that | was very glad when Olive Oatlcy
came down from Chichester to visit
us and brought her wedding set OF dia-
monds to show.
Elspcth and l looked with awe and
admiration at Observation-Disclosures
lace, crrings and brooch.
Are they very valuable" l asked.
Three thousand dollars, | believe"
replied Olive. complacently. "Thcy be-
longed to Hcrbcrt's mother, and are to
w AScSV bClotc 1 We'll lllclll. .
But Just then Elspeth gavea start and
turned scarlet, and following the direc-
ton OF her eye turned and beheId Eus-
tacc Dalzc!l standing smiling i'll the
doorway with his hat in his hand.
Somehow the diamonds made me
nervous, and l could not help in the
course OF the evening, coniiding my
vague terror to Eustacc.i But he laughed
at me and made light OF my fears.
Eustacc DaIzcll went home earlier
than usual that night. In my pertur-
baton ! had almost resolved to ask
him to remain all night, 4 self-consti-
tuted guardian OF our treasure, but l
did not venture to do so, and so at 10
O'Clock we three girls, with Dinah in
the kitchen, were left to ourselves.
! had intended to lie awake all night,
but | must have fallen into 4 light doze
without being ware OF it, for the clock
was strikin. u when | started up at
the door-bcll below. Olive WAS at nv
side i'll an instant. Elspeth had her
arm around me, and ven Dinah hob.
bied in with Il tlarins lamp in her
hand.
go TO tho door, do, some of you'll" l
cried, Historically. ".Ask who it is. Ask
what they want"
And while Olive, Elspcth and the old
attendant obcycd my bcilest l hurriedly
threw on my white dressing gown and
went to tho head OF the stairs to listen.
for / felt that in an emergency like this
some II ought to keep close to the
diamonds.
''There is no one here" l heard Els
neth say, after the bolts and bars OF the
front door were withdrawn.
"ies, there's l heard some groaning
at the other end OF the vcranda," per-
sisted Dlnah. "Oh, dear! the dranght
has blown out my candle. This way.
Miss Oatley, please-Tm afraid there's
been an accident or something"
The next minute the neavy oakcn
door blew to with Il bang. 1t was SELF
fastening on the inside. l was all alone
in the house.
4. rustic under the vines that draped
the north side OF the housc--alow wills
tie, and | could hear u voice saying in
suppressed accents:
''Yhey're sale enough outsidc-all
three Of them. Now's your time
quick!"
1t all flashed upon my mind in n mo-
ment; the sturdy boilghs OF the wistaria,
which afforded so easy n ladder for an
aspiring burglar to.rcach olives wind.
ow--the open casement--thc diamonds
lying under her pillow. 5L,
Ny worst Tears had como true, and,
scizinS the little siN-barrcled pistol, |
rushed into the room just in time to
see a tall figure with a mask over his
face spring through tho window and
steal with cat-!iko motion across tho
room.
AS he laid his hand upon tho tiny
canvas bag containing tho precious
jewels l raised the pistol and fired.
There was n muttered oath mingled
with Il cry, md the sound OF something
falling shook the beams OF the floor.
| am not one of the fainting kind,
but for 4 moment or two l stood notion
less. Then, sprincins downstairs, l
admitted the three eager women who
were huddlcd ut the door.
1--WE shot him! Two killed himW I
exclaimed. "Run upstairs quick, Dinah,
and see ii he is dead!'
But Dinah would not 90 up alone, so
We all hurried up in 4 crowd, and there,
hali.sitting ha!tlying against tho bed
post, with the canvas bag fallen to the
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