The Press., 1892-05-26
THE VALDEZ SAPPHIRE.

was alone in the house one afternoon, sitting by the window toying with the key of my safe and wondering whether dare treat myself to peep at my treas nres, when a suspicious movement in the park below caught my attention. A black figure certainly dodged from be- hind one tree to the next, and then into the shadow of the park paling, instead of keeping to the footpath. It looked queer. l caught up my field glass and marked him at one point where he was bound to come into the open for few steps. He crossed the strip of turf with giant strides and got into cover again, but not quick enough to prevent me recognizing him. It was great heavens the bishopi In soft hat pulled over his forehead, with long cloak and a big stick, he looked like poacher.
 Guided by some mysterious instinct l hurried to meet him. opened the con- servatory door, and in he rushed, like a hunted rabSA. Without explanation led him up the side staircase to my room, where he dropped into chair and wiped his face.
 ,"You are -astonished, Mir. Acton" he panted. Il will explain directly. Thanks" He tossed off the glass of brandy had poured out without wait ing for the qualifying soda, and looked better.
 "l am in serious trouble. You can help me. I've had shock today-a grievous shock" He stopped and tried to pull himself together. ''I must trust you implicitly, MT. Acton. have no choice. Tell me what you think of this." He drew case from his breast pocket and opened it. "I promised you should see the Valdez sapphire. Look therer'
 The Valdez sapphirel A great, big, shining lump of blue crystal-fawless and of perfect color-that was all. took it up, breathed on it, drew out my magnifier, looked at it in one light and another. What was wrong with it? could not say. Nine experts out of ten would undoubtedly have pronounced the stone genuine. 1, by virtue of some mysterious instinct that has hitherto always guided me alright, was the un- lucky tenth. 1 looked at the bishop. His eyes met mine. There was no need of spoken word between us.
 "Has Lady Carwitchet shown you her sapphirey" was his most unexpected ques- tion. "She has? Now, Mr. Acton, on your honor as connoisseur and a gen. tleman, which of the two is the Valdez"
 Mot this one." l could say naught else.
 You were my last hope" He broke off and dropped his face on his folded arms with groan that shook the table on which he rested. while l stood dis mayed at myself for having let so hasty Q judgment escape me. He lifted a ghastly countenance to me. "She vowed she would see me ruined and disgraced. 1 made her my enemy by crossing some of her schemes once, and she never for gives. She will keep her word. 1 shall appear before the world as a fraudulent trustee. can neither produce the valu- able contided to my charge nor make the loss good. have only an incredible story to tell" he dropped his head and groaned again "Who will believe me!'
 II will, for one.'
 "Ah, you? Yes, you know her. She took my wife from me. MT. Acton. Heaven only knows what the hold was 
 that she had over poor Mira. She en- couraged her to set me. at defiance and eventually to leave me. She was an- swerable for all the scandalous folly and extravaganza of poor Mira's life i'll Paris spare me the telling of the story. She left her at last to die alone and uncared for. reached my wife to find her dy- ing of fever, from which Lady Car witchet and all her crew had fed. She was raving in delirium and died with out recognizing me. Some trouble she had been in which must never know op- pressed her. At the very last she reused from a long stupor and spoke to the nurse. Tell him to get the sapphire back-she stole it. She has robbed my child These were her last words. The nurse understood no English. and treated them as wanderings; but heard them. and knew she was sane when she spoke"
 "What did you do2"