The Bottineau pioneer. (Bottineau, N.D.) 1885-1895, 1892-06-18
THE GREAT AESPER,
TALE OF A BIG DlAAvNv.
How an Immense Gem Was Lost.
Recovered, and Lost Again.
CHAPTER XIII.

were Brace had placed it.
"a couple of cunning scoundrels!"
he exclaimed; "their pretended suspic-
ion OF each other was, OF course, in
tended to blind you to their compile
ity, while each, by duplicating the
other, diverted suspicion from him.
self"
II vas never in my life so complete
ly deceived" | said. "Brace seemed
to me the embodiment of rough hon
esty. | liked the man, and it was q
painful shock to me when l found him
unfaithful, and a thief"
"He is worse than that, Mr.. Thorne;
he is a murderer at heart; for there
can be no doubt it was he who at
tempted your life; it was q
sheer impossibility for the other
man to do it. We have
heard the story of the robbery from
Sir Edmund. The intelligence that
planned the attack was doubtless
Van Hoeck's. He looks like a man of
subtle intellect. I do not see what
other part he could have played in
this affair.""
"Sir Edmund told me, sir" said the
officer, "that, on your rctura from
the left wing, you heard sn 1blg in
Braces room?"
81 certainly did"
"That could very we'll have been
Van Hoeck, who had taken BRACES
place while he slipped off into your
room,-another proof that the two
were eating together"
"Precisely," said Mr.. Wray; and
then, with an air of business,-"Well,
now, what is to be done? that is the
first question. The evidence is
insufficient to charge either OF
the men even with being
concerned in the robbery. The leath.
er case proves nothing. They might
declare they found it empty, and
have concealed it through fear of &C.
cusation, or they might all three
swearyour statement to be false, and
absolutely accuse you OF being your
self the thief. And, until we can sub
stantiate the charge by positive proof,
W e must be careful to conceal our sus-
picions from them. If they think they
are likely to be brought to justice they
will quit the country by the first
steamer that leaves Southampton
and we cannot stopthem. The thing
that must be done at once is to search
for the diamond. That is your af-
fair" he said, addressing the
officer; undoubtedly they have
placed it somewherein Southampton,
in readiness to take if flight becomes
necessary"
"I'll have all the kens searched be-
fore the morning"
"That is part of your business, OF
course. At the same time, l would sug-
gest that it is of far lore Importance
to watch the men themselves. Van
Hoeck. would not trust the diamond
to the keeping OF ordinary thieves:
receivers: it would be safer merely
laid under q plant in the gardens
down by the dock. You may be sure
he has the ingenuity to suggest a safe
place for it's keeping"
"Tn have some plain-clothes men
on the first thing tomorrow morning,
and I'd better 60 and telegraph to
Scotland Yard at once"
GAS soon as possible. But not to
alarm the men, you had better make
a pretense of continuing your investl-
cations, and avail yourself OF some
plausible pretext for returning to
Southampton. Everything at this
moment depends upon keeping Van
Hoeck and Brace in ignorance of our
suspicion. And with that view, he
added, turning to me, ~ counsel you,
Mr.. Thorne, to conceal your real feel
ings. Not one of these three ought to
see any change in your demeanor TO-
ward them"
This was sound advice, and I recog-
nized the Importance OF conforming
with it; but I I'm the worst actor in
the world where my feelings are con
cerned, and my very soul revolted
against the men who had plotted to-
gether to take my life from
the mere insensate greed OF gain. |
felt more bitterly toward Brace than
toward his accomplice, not because I
thought Van Hoeck les sguilty, but be-
cause l had felt more kindly toward
the Judge, to whom I seemed linked
by the brotherhood of labor.
I kept out OF his way when we re-
turned to the library, and avoided
looking at him, lest he should per-
ceive that I was no longer his friend.
But knew he had his keen eyes upon
me, and was reading the signs of my
newly born aversion, and this made
my acting worse.
When the officer had completed his
investigation. he said s%agaciously, as
he closed his notebook:
III have, sufficient information for
my present purpose. I may not be
able to discover the perpetrators Of
this outrage and robbery Immediate
ly, but I.think I shall be in a position
to tell you something about the lost
diamond within -t~wenty-four hours"
Sir Edmund accompanied him to
the door. When he returned andtook
the seat he had occupied at the head
OF the long table, Brace rose, and,
placing himself at tho opposite end,
inclined his head first to the Baronet,
then to the right, and to the left.
esquire and gentlemen of this COM
mittee, "he said, "Idon't want to speak
disrespec'ful of the police; but the in
telligent officer who has jest left
us, as if he'd got hold of the tail end
OF a rocket, and meant follerin' it
right up, and holdin' tight on till it
bust, amt goin' to do any good for
hisself or any one else in this business.
The big diamonds lost, end he amt
goin' to find it in twenty-four hours,
nor in twenty-four years. Ell it was a
haystack, I don't.say but what, with
the help OF Providence-and a good
lot of it-he might be I'M to the lob,