The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1892-05-19

officer; undoubtedly they have
| placed it somewhere in Southampton,
in readiness to take i. flight becomes
necessary"
w'll have all the kens searched be-
fore the morning"
"That is part OF your business, OF
course. At the same time, would sug-
gest that it is of far more 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 safe
place for it's keeping"
"Pll have some pInin-clothes men
on the first thing tomorrow morning,
and I'd better so and telegraph to
Scotland Yard at once"
Gas soon as possible. But not to
alarm the men, you had better make
q 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, 81 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 | recog-
nized the Importance of conforming
with It; but | am the worst actor in
the world where my feelings are con-
cerned, and my very soul rev0lted
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 less guilty, but be-
cause l had felt more kindly toward
the Judge, to whom | seemed linked
by the brotherhood of labor.
l kept out of his way when we re-
turned to the library, and avoided
looking at him, lest he should per-
ceive that | 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 sagaciously, as
he closed his notebook:
81 have sufficient information for
my present purpose. may not be
able to discover the perpetrators Of
this outrage and robbery Immediate
| ly, but think ] shall be in position
to tell you something about the lost
y |,
Sir Edmund accompanied him to
the door. When he returned and took
the seat he had occupied at the head
of the long table, Brace rose, and,
placing himself at the 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, II don't want tospeak
disrespec'fuI OF the police; but the in
telligent officer who has Jest left
US, as if he'd got hold of the tail end
Of q rocket, and meant folIerin' 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 diamond lost, end he amt
goln' to find it in ,"emty-fOur hours,
nor in twenty-fouE l"arS. Eff it was a
haystack, | don't say but what, with
the help OF Providcncc-and O. good
lot OF 1.-THE might be UP to the job
he's undertook. But it amt q hay
stack. End eff he was o grind up the
whole of this country IL every blessed
thing upon it small, brNdled it in a
clean flume, and sifted the tailin' care
full, he wouldn't find it. End these
bein' my views, it stands to reason
that l amt goin' to hang about here
lookin' at the place where I've come
to grief, like an old female
what's slipped off the side walk on
bit of orange peel. With your per-
mission, Squire, Pm going away
right off"
II can not stop you, Brace, even il
wished to-" replied Sir Edmund,
who, be it observed knew nothing oil
the suspicion against the Judge. 81
am inclined to think that you will be
happier in seeking new fortune than
in lingering about with the faint hope
of recovering the old. If the diamond
is found, you will hear OF it wherever
you may be. Are you going to look
for another diamond"
"No, Squire; Pm goin' to find that,
please God" Brace, replied; then,
after a moments pause, he said,
"There's q matter of business to
finish up before go, sir: all the money
have in my pocket belongs to you
at is loan; keep it, Brace,-keer
it until you are in q position to pay
me; and l hope, for your sake, that
| NY NOT no for,
"You're grit, Squire,-real grit!
won't refuse your kindness. | shall
need q bit to start with. But I'll ask
you, sir, to hold this till claim it,"
He went round to Sir Edmund.
"What is it, Brace?" asked the
Baronet, taking the p aper Brace drew
from his pocket. He found it was the
Judges copy Of agreement. ooh, I dc
not need this, my good fellow" he
protested; 81 have your I o U, and
that is as good now as ever it was"
eff you won't keep it for your owr
security, Squire, III ask youto leepit
for my own. It's kinder ce'tif cate
and if any one hes got any thin tC
say agen me when Pm not here to de
fend myelf, I'll ask you to let that up
Goodbye, Squire"
He held out his hand, and said, as
Sir Edmund shook it cordially
"Thank you, sir, thank you! You are
grill"
He strobe down the room, brushing
past Van Hoeck, who sat immovablf
and silent as though he were carved
in stone, and came to where | was
standing. My face must have TOLD
him that my heart had hardened
But he stretched out his hand, anC
said hoarsely,-
"Say goodbye to us, pardner."
folded my arms and shook my
head. He dropped his hand by his
side.
"Prehaps you're right" he sold re
morsefully, ''prehaps you're not
Time will show that I've got q clear
conscience, if heaven is just" He
paused; then in q still lower tone, anC
with an accent OF reproach, he added
"Say yer hope So pardner, say vel
| -