The Bottineau pioneer. (Bottineau, N.D.) 1885-1895, 1892-05-07
THE GREAT HESPER.
TALE OF A BIG DIAMOND.
How an Immense Gem Was Lost,
Recovered, and Lost Again.
CHAPTER VII.

ledge? 1t was true she had access to
the house at night; but l doubted if it
were possible for her to see the ledge
in the dark, even from the bay win
dow. But admitting the possibility
would she risk her life for no purpose
but to alarm Miss Lascelles? There
was too much strength in Lola's char
acter for such q senseless and feeble
device to be acceptable to her. 1t was
not the act Of q rational being, but of
a mischievous or malevolent idiot.
I was inclined to believe that the ex-
PLANTATION Miss Lascelles had offered
was a just one, and that what she had
seen was purely imaginative and the
result of fear, inspired by those mys-
ferrous sounds which might yet be ex-
planned.
This was not Van Hoeck's opinion
nor was it Braces.
II will not say the Kidhes not done
it," he said; "there's no say
in what greaser blood will
not do. For the sake of fragment, we
will say she did; but l undertake she
shall not play the same bower twice,
if her fathers persuasion counts any
thin" and he went off at once to
search for Lola in the wood.
When we were alone, Van Hoeck
said:
"Ask Sir Edmund; he will tell you,
as he told me, that Brace was in the
woods yesterday while you were phil
andering with Miss Lascelles. What
was he there for but to find his daugh-
ter and employ her in working out
this plot?"
"Good heavens!" l exclaimed, los
ing my temper; "what notion have
you got hold of now? Last night you
suspected Sir Edmund-"
II would suspect any II who has
the opportunity to possess himself of
such a treasure as you hold. Do
you blame the man who protects
himself when his life is in danger?
That diamond is life to me. What
could I do if it were lost? You hold
that diamond-my llfe-in your keep
ing. You are bound to take every
precaution for it's safety. You have
no right to despise my warning be-
cause it does not agree with yourreck-
less trust in humanity"
"Take the diamond into your keep
ing, if you think it is not sale in
mine," I said.
"You make that offer because you
know 1 am powerless to accept it in
my blind and helpless condition. How
can l keep it against a man like
Brace?"
IF. you have more faith in
my power to keep the diamond
why do you accuse me Of neglecting
it's safety"
Because you are blind to the dan
ger that exists. God" he exclaimed,
protruding his sightless eyes to the
light, and clenehing his hands in frenzy,
ito think that those who can see will
not see?"
"What possible connection can
there be-" Iasked, "between the safety
of our diamond and the event of last
night?"
IA palpable connection. The event
of last night was an abortive attempt
to obtain the diamond"
As I heard this, and looked at Van
Hoeck, | almost doubted if he were in
his right mind.
"The plot failed" he continued,
because the girl mistook the ROOM"
An incredulous explanation escap-
ed me. -
"You shall hear me-" he muttered,
stretching his arm to the right and
left until he encountered mine with
his hand, and then clutching it tightly;
"you shall see-with my eyes, if not
with your own You have urged that
the girl could know nothing of the dis
position of the rooms; but she might
receive instructions from her father.
He went into the wood to give her in
structions yesterday. Look at your
plan" He handed me the diagram I
had drawn at his request. "Brace,
having his room at the back of the
right block, would naturally tell her
that, when she got to the top of
the stairs, she was not to pass
through the picture gallery, but to go
straight to the landing over the stairs
she had assembled, open the window
in the bay, which would then be on
her left hand, and make her way to
the oriel facing her. That, according
to his calculation, would bring her to
your window"
"Certainly."
"But he did not take account of the
fact that the door by which the girl
enters the house ia at the back of the
right block, and that the stairs by
which she would ascend to the first
floor bring her to the landing between
Sir Edmund's room and Miss La
s~celles'. Thus, though carrying out
her fathers instructions to the letter,
she must inevitably make her attempt
upon Miss Lascelles' room, and not
upon yours. Look at your PLAN"
II follow you perfectly WELL" I said
astonished by the ingenuity OF his ex-
PLANTATION, which had made a perfectly
Incredible superstition possible,-nay,
for the moment probable.
"Are you convinced?" he asked tri-
"You have yet to explain how
Brace thought to obtain the diamond
by the means he employed. He
would scarcely expect that I should
faint with terror"
aWho said he would? Brace calcu-
lated upon dealing with a heavy sleep
er, not nervous girl. The tapping
is described as soft and regular; il was
intended to test whether you were
asleep n not. The moment a
light, appeared the sound ceased
the girl had gone back to the bay.
From the landing she could see when
the light was put out, and it was safe
to recommends the attack. The can
die was lit with some difficulty the
second time,-Miss Lascelles possibly
stood with her back to the window as
she held the vesta. Lola may have