The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1892-04-28
THE GREAT HESPER.
TALE OF A BIG DIAMOND.
How an Immense Gem Was Lost,
Recovered. and Lost Again.
CHAPTER X.-CoNTrNuED.

CHAPTER N.-CoNTINUED.
Between the right side OF the bed
and the wall was q square table,-on
ichstood the lamp, hesaddle-
back chair beside it. On the left. hand
! side of the bed was a tall carved black
press. A large chimney, with seulp-
| tured mantel and an open hearth,
| faced the door. A screen shut off the
washstand, which stood to the left of
the oriel. A broad settle, with val
ance, and covered with stuff simil-
ar to the hangings OF the bed, ran
round the three-sided recess formed by
| the window,-curtains of the same
kind shut off this recess. A corner
cabinet, with folding doors in the
lower part, fitted the angle of the
walls to the right; between this and
| the door was q deep, wide, and long
chest, and above it a large mirrow.
An escritoire, somehigh- backed chairs,
and second table, completed the fur
niture. There was no door but
the one opening upon the corridor,
and no windows save the oriel.
In the early part OF the night, / had
| described these particulars to Van
Hoeck, at his request, and he had
made me examine the press, the old
chest, the hangings of the bed and
settles; everything, in fact, which
might afford q hiding place to Lola
| or another.
/ had even gone down upon my
knees, and looked under the bed, to
appease his anxiety. And yet, now,
vague uneasiness possessed me as |
raised the lamp shade, and looked
around the room. The dark oak
wainscot, the sombre hangings, the
painted ceiling overhead, absorbed
the light; there was black void on
the opposite side of the bed, where
the light from the lamp was inter-
cepted by the curtains; I could not
see even the outline of the great press.
l readjusted the shade, turned the
wick higher, and, half-undressed, threw
myself upon the bed. l was not
afraid, lin strength was match for
any natural foe, and did not believe
i'll the existence of any other,-yet I
felt myself infected with Van Hoeck's
presentiment of impending calamity.
Van Hoeck's theory of Lola's com
plicity in plot to steal the diamond,
had been upset by the fact that l was
watching her asleep at my door at the
very time Edith believed she saw the
girl looking through her blinds; but
this had in no wise shaken his con-
viction that the mysterious appear
ance was connected with scheme to
rob us.
care a mans convictions to be linn
| SENl L. L
are convinced that cloud is rising in
the horizon because you seeit; but am
/ to deny it's existence because | have
no sight? Are you justified, then, in
declaring that we are not menaced by
this disaster which is to overwhelm
US because you have not my faculty
of provision? You who can not deny
prescience to bee, the presentiment
OF coming storm to cattle, tell me that
my conviction is nothing. 1t is only
by conviction that we live. What
saves us from destruction but the
conviction that, by stepping into an
abyss, we must fall? tell you to
look about you; we are on the edge of
an abyss. There are signs to strike
the dullest intelligence. Your turn will
come!"
l had hung my watch in the pocket
upon the hanging at the head of the
bed; its lively ticking sounded strange
| ly out of keeping with the gloom and
| stiffness of the surroundings. The
shaded light gave a funeral aspect to
the bed hangings; the baldaquin over
my head might have been q catalal-
que for the dead. | wondered how
many men had ended their days in
this bed since these hangings had been
put up. Would Van Hoecks presen-
! timent be fulfilled? Should be found
there in the morning dead?
TWAS well suited for murder, that
bed, with it's palElike hangings to con-
ceal the lurking murderer. -.
Tic-tac, tic-tac, tic-tac, tic-tac, tic
tao.
My ear had become so familiar to
the brisk movement of my watch that
the slightest sound was audible above
it. And sound slight indeed I heard.
TO my mind, dwelling then upon as
sassins, it sounded like the drawing of
dagger from it's sheath.
Turning my head toward the side
from which the sound seemed to pro-
coed, fancied saw the heavy cur
tain move; it was between me and the
lamp. The movement was as slight
as the sound. If it was fact that l
heard one, it was fact that saw
the other.
I drew myself up gradually, and,
leaning forward, / suddenly flung back
the curtain with my left hand. There
was no resistance to my hand;
nothing could be seen beyond but the
lamp burning steadily on thetable, the
saddle-back chair, and the dim outline
of the big chimney piece.
lgot upon my knees, and pushed
the curtain fiat against the wall, to be
sure there could by no possibility be
any one concealed in the heavy folds,
Ito assure myself that my suspicion
was utterly without foundation.
This end of the room was compari-
lively light, and the saddleback chair
was SO placed as to preclude the pos
sibility of any one hiding beyond it.
If the curtain had indeed moved, it
must have been by hand from under
the bed. 1t was easier to believe that l
had been mistaken in seeing the slight
movement than to suppose that Ihad
overlooked a concealed thief when I
looked under the bed,t satisfy Van
Hoeck; SO Ilet the curtain fall, and lay
down again.
My thoughts still dwelt upon the
idea of assassination. Setting aside
the idea of an intrigue in which Lola
was concerned, there was yet nothing
prosperous in Van Hoeck's presenti-
ment. There was eight or ten SER
wants in the house, and undoubtedly
ever one of them knew OF the marvel
Gus treasure in my keeping. They
would tell their friends in the adjacent
village, the keepers, the tradespeople,
lin a few days the story would be
carried about and made known to
hundreds; and was there none
amongst them whose cupidity
might take practical form2 It
was quite possible that under this
very roof there was one with the in