The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1892-06-09
THE GREAT HESPER.
TALE OF A BIG DIAMOND
How an Immense Gem Was Lost.
Recovered. and Lost Again.
CHAPTER XVIII.


that Lola had taken the Great Hes
per, and intended to restore it as
soon as the snow had melted, and
allowed us to reach the cavern III
which it was concealed. In answering
this letter, he wrote:
"After reading your good news,
Edith and went for % stroll through
the park, where we encountered poor
Van Hoeck, whose woe-begone appear
ance appealed once more to Edlth's
heart, and mine also. Why she
asked, should we any longer treat
him as q possible scoundrel, now that
the Braces admit having taken the
diamond?' We turned back, over
took Van Hoeck, and told him what
had happened. The poor wretch was
overcome with emotion, not because
of the possible recovery OF the lost
diamond-of which he entertains
strong doubt,-but in being once more
treated as an honest man."
Now, did Van Hoeck deserve to
be treated as an honest man?
That was the question. | will give
here Braces account of what occur
red in the woods, and, as near as
can, in his words:
"When we parted company in the
woods" he said, 81 hunted around
for Israel, as was my intention, you.
will remember. 1 found him crawlin'
like varmint of a reptile through the
ferns. / fetched him into q conven-
IL 1T spot, and, says /, 'Israel,' | ses,
you air goin' to prophesy what has
gone of the Great Hesper. It's not a
hard job, if you give yer mind to it.
faint nothin near so hard as proph-
esying what's goin' to be-
Il had hold on him by the arm. All
CT suddent, he filings himself round
grapples on to me, and fore Pm
aware of anythin' Pm on my back,
and his two thumbs is inter my wind
pipe. meyer thought he'd got it inter
him. such strength and
agility,-and I'll allow he would have
strangled me hef the Kid hadn't come
up in the nick and frightened him by
singing out for you. did not lose
any time, and when l had shown /
was as strong as him, with a little bit
to spare, got him to prophesy. He
wanted a plaguey lot of perswadin,'
| and he got it; but when he couldn't
stand no more on it, he let on that it
was inside of q rotten willer, alongside
a pond in the holler. didn't know
no pond, but I ketched sight of the
Kid sneakin' off, end jest sneaked
after her, takin' Israel along case he
mighter made o mistake in his jog
raphy. There was no walking fast
with Israel over the brambles, end
l lost sight Of the Kid; but it
stood to reason that the holler was
downhill, so down / went the way the
Kid l1eOd 5orse, N anAD oa t1Its
and there was the pond, and the
rotten willer, all he had prophesied,
and there at the foot of the willer was
the empty case but nairy diamond. |
cooked my eye around end once more
ketched sight of the kid sneakin' off
| went for her, naturally, but might
lest as we'll have went from q tom-tit.
She got clean outer sight about the
same times | got outer wind, but
Israel wouldn't give up end so we
hunted about for the Kid until we
couldn't neither of US hunt any more;
then we sit down in committee, and,
arter pretty warm discussion, we
came to the unanimous conclusion
thet, fur the sake of every
one consarned, we he'd better get rid
of the leather case and say nothin'
about it. laid it down that the Kid
had not took the diamond for mere
mischief She knew, in her own greas-
er way, that the thing had power in
it to bring happiness to the owner,-
like charm. She see that it clothed
us decent and lodged us comfortable,
and that, while it separated you and
her, it brought you and squire )
daughter together. And we laid it
mutual that the Kid he'd too much
gumption to pitch the thing away,
but would hide it somewhere where
she could fetch it bimeby. Now, hei
we'd done otherways, what would
have happened? Van Hoeck nd have
declared it was all lie, and wild horses
wouldn't er dragged the secret outer the
Kid, The only hope Of gettin' back the
Hesper was ter let her play her game
and watch her Close"
A copy of this statement / sent te
Sir Edmund, and added:
"Either Van Hoeck is possessed o.
supernatural clairvoyance, or be
must have been in completely with the
man who took the diamond from me.
"Can that man have been the Fur
nivap who obtained the address o
Brace and myself from your"
For my own part, doubted Var
Hoecks innocence. Perhaps l may
have been biased in forming an .opin
ion Of him by my jealous dis
like of the relation he had formed
with Edith. She was the only livinl
creature Van Hoeck had spoken vel
of in my hearing and fancied he wa
playing hypocritical part to obtain
the pleasure of her society and friend
ship.
BY the return mail, Sir Edmund
wrote:
"I felt it right to read that part @
your letter referring to the robbery t.
Van Hoeck, who for the last week he
been an accepted visitor here and,
may add, the object of Edith sympa
thetic ccommiseration. He declared uI
on his oath that there had been n
. struggle between himself and Brace, an
2 that no statement had been extorte
from him by the violent means ind
4 Gated; that when you left, he felt hi
bis way to the road, and waited there
Brace came and undertook to lead hir
home. He remembers stopping on tn
way while Brace asked him if h
thought you had really been robbie
ofthe diamond. He knew nothing of th
leather case, which Brace might hav
concealed in the manner you describ'
Y without his perception. After thi
] explanation, he said that he mus
y once more relinquish our friendshi
until all doubt is cleared up. But i
added emphatically, as he was abou
to leave us, If only part of th
story is true, If the girl got possessio
OF the diamond, hid it, and shoul
restore it to Brace and Thorne, the
will make away with it and yo4 wi
never see any one of them again
. 'If Van Hoeck is not the very ole
: un himself said the Judge, when
d, showed him this letter, "he's hand