The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1892-05-19
THE GREAT HESPER.
TALE OF A BIG DIAMOND.
How an Immense Gem Was Lost
Recovered. and Lost Again,
CHAPTER XII.-CoNTINUED.

CHAPTER Xll.-CONTINUED.
Again I perceived broken brake,
and, following the line, threaded my
way between the trees upon the slope
of the hill until emerged from the
wood upon the high bank that edged
the Abbey road at that part. 1t was
as nearly as possible the point where
Van Hoeck had stopped me in the
morning, upon hearing Brace in our
rear. Looking up the road, | saw the
finger-post at the crossroads; looking
down, Isaw that which took my breath
away with amazement, Brace was
trudging along the road toward the
Abbey, with Van Hoeck holding his
arm on one side, and Lola his hand
on the other,-an incomprehensibl
picture OF unity, friendly assistance,
and reliance.
1t was true that, without assistance,
Van Hoeck could not have found his
way along the road, and very possible
that, without the restraint of her
fathers hand, Lola would not
have walked by his side; but all doubt
as to the existence of a friendly under
standing between the two men was
dispelled from my mind by what fol-
lowed. Arrived opposite the bride
path leading up into the wood, they
stopped, and consultation ensued be-
tween the two men. could not hear
their voices at that distance, but
saw by their gesticulations
that they were discussing some
point; it ended by Brace going to the
side OF the road, and craning his neck
to see if any one were in sight. l
crouched down beside the thicket,
which partly concealed me.
When | cautiously raised my head
| and looked again, Brace, still stand
ing opposite the bride way, was draw
ing his arm out of the sandy bank
that there skirted the road.
ducked my head, as once more he
peered to the right and left. They
were gone, all three, when looked
again.
When thought it safe to venture,
| went to the spot where Brace had
stood. There was rabbt-hole in the
sandy cutting, partly hidden by the
| training growth from the overhanging
edge. | took off my coat, turned
back my sleeve, thrust in my arm,
and drew Out-the leather case in
which the diamond had been taken
from my wrist. 1t was empty.
again thrust my arm in and ex-
plored the hole, thinkin2-though it
was little ikely-that the diamond
had slipped out of the case, or been
put in separately. 1t was q kind OF
cul-de-sac,-the earth had fallen in
from above, and blocked the passage
at less than the length of my arm
from the entrance; but did not give
up the search until was absolutely
certain that the Great Hesper was
not there. It was not probable they
would place the diamond in such an
open place; the leather case WAS
different. 1t was unsafe to keep
that, but it was of little con-
sequence where they abandoned it. But
why had they taken the diamond from
the case? and what had they done with
| it?
A clue to this mystery also, dis
covered before long.
When | got back to the Abbey,
Brace, Van Hoeck and Lola were in
the library with the police officer, Sir
Edmund, Mr.. Wray,-his lawyer
and q couple Of friends, justices of the
peace, who had been brought there by
the rumors which were already widely
spread.
Lola was still under examination.
She was stubbornly silent. 1t was with
the greatest difficulty that any re-
spouse to the questions put could be
drawn from her. But she admitted see
ing the man drop from the oriel; and,
asked if it was one of the servants, she
replied firmly, "No." But more than
this could not be got out of her on
this point.
To the inquiry how she had discov-
ed the means OF getting from the bay
into the oriel, for it was by that way
she had come to my assistance, she
replied that she chad seen it done be-
fore" but she would not say whom
she had seen.
The police officer asked me to 90
into the adjoining dining-room with
him.
"May I ask" he said, eff you have
any reason to suspect that you have
been robbed by your friends,-your
partners in the diamond? Be
cause they profess to have
been in the woods all the
morning, whereas I have good cause
to believe that they have been in the
town OF Southampton part of the
time"
care you sure of that?"
II will take my oath that saw the
little savage in the red petticoat in the
High Street as I started to come
here"