San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-12-29

sources bare to the public would serve
no useful end, nor would it be an ex-
pedient act on my part. All you have
.any claim to bt told is that, however
costly and complicated however danger
ous even, the means employed may have
been that / say nothing about), the
ultimate end has been obtained. The
Venus, sir, wiz be restored to her place
in the Gallery at Wricklemarsh Cour
without a scratch on her!"
"You don't say so! Lori" cried Lean
der, hoping that his ~countenance would
keep his secret. "Well, there now.
And my ring sir,i if you remember-isn't
that on ber?"
"You mustn't expect us to do every
thing; your ring was, as i had every
reason to expect it would be, missing.
But I shall he talking the matter over
bic, thicket, and oSjer-bed is wonder
fully well stocked. The whole of the
village, with the exception of one small
farm. which was M own property, be-
longed to the lord of the manor. The
Squire, for various reasons, was very
anxious 10 get possession of this farm.
He had made repeated overtures to my
uncle Sir Gylbart Give; but that astute
guardian declined to do anything dur
ing nv minority, and, when l became
my own mistress, advised me to bide
my time. At last however he considered
that my time had come, and recommend
ed my acceptance of the latest and
most advantageous off; but he thought
/ had better GO down, see the place
for myself, and hear what the intending
purchaser had to say about the con-
templated transfer before ] made up my
mind.
At the request of Mrs. Wheatcroft, /
remained a few days at the Abbey
Farm, and while there received a tele-
gram from Sir Gylbart anent the ex-
change of ownership, requiring an
answer by return of post-an utter i'm
possibility, seeing that | did not get the
telegram until five o'clock and the post
went out at three. Obviously the ans
wer must be either taken by myself or
sent by messenger to the post-town. 1t
was nearly T. end of h~arvest-hop-
picking had juSt ~begun-and Mr.
Wheatcroft vas ia great trouble about
his "borley." 1t was going to rain, and
it was a matter of life and death with
him to get his outstanding corn carried
and stacked in the rickyard before the
weather broke. Knowing this, 1 could
not ask him to spare a "hand" for me:
/ resolved rather to walk myself to
the post-town with the answer to my
uncle's letter. 1t was rash, / know;
but then / have done many rash things
in my life.
at is a lonesome road, Miss Clive,"
my hostess said rather dolefully.
"0h, j don't mind!" / replied as airily
as possible; but nevertheless l felt just
the least bit afraid.
"Well, I'm sure / hope you will get
there safe" Mrs. Wheatcroft said, in a
on which implied that she had no hope
of it.
"Oh, l shall be all right" 1 returned,
in a firm voice; and | looked very brave.
And the gipsies, if you meet them?"
Il am afraid of no gypsy under the
sun!"-aud there was the ring of true
courage in my voice this time.
"Ah, that's because you don't know
them!" my hostess said.
at is because l do know them that I
am not afraid, " / responded very quiet
ly. my father was a great traveller,
and / went with him nearly all over the
world-with my heart in my mouth
more frequently than in the place as
signed to it by nature-but gipsies had
no terror for me-"
why not?"-4I am half a gypsy my.
self"
GLaw-you don't say sol"
GBut / dol ] have their blood in my
veins-sadly diluted now-and l know
the secret signs, sacred words, and
hidden mysteries; and l al speak in
gypsy glib"
"And can you tell fortunes, too?"-
%Oh, yes, with the best!"
"But do you ever?"
Frequently. l have often made use
of my knowledge for the benefit of
charities, and earned large sums of
money by Indian palmistry."
did you ever go to India?"-"I lived
there about nine years"
SAh, l remember now-your poor
father died there! Wasn't he writing q
book Oh something's"
Igave a little nod of acquiescence and
farewell The good lady had uncon
~sciously touched a tender point
My father was an eminent scholar
and a man Of great experience and wild
with sir Peter PurbecKe, wno's JusI
come back to Wricklesmarsh from the
Continent, and, Observation-Disclosures
won't go talking about this affair, |
should feel justified in recommending
him to make you some substantial ac-
acknowledgement for any-well, little in
convenience you may have been put 10
on account of your slight connection
with the business, and the steps | may
have thought proper to take in conse-
| quence. And, from all l hear of Sir
Peter, I think he would be inclined to
come down uncommonly handsome"
"Wel, Mr.. Inspector" said Leander,
"an 1 can say is this: If Sir Peter was
to know the life his statue has led me
for the past few days l think he'd say l
deserved i'll do, indeed!"
CONCLUSION.