San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-04-07
THE VALDEZ SAPPHIRE.

, iblel My hngeis twitched, my breath
came short and fierce with the lust oi
possession. She must have seen the COW
etous glare in my eyes. A look of graf
flied, spiteful complacency overspread
her features, as she swept on ahead and
descended the stairs before me. | fol-
lowed her to the drawing room door.
She stopped suddenly, and murmuring
something unintelligible, hurried back
again.
Everybody was assembled there that
l expected to see, with an addition. Not
a welcome one, 10y the look on Toms
face. He stood on the hearthrug con-
versing with great, hulking high
shouldered fellow, sallow faced, with a
heavy mustache and dropping eyelids,
from the corners of which flashed out u
sudden suspicious look as approached.
which lighted up into greedy one as it
rested on my rubies, and seemed unac-
countably familiar to me, till Lady Car
witchet, tripping past me, exclaimed:
"He has come at last! Ny naughty,
naughty boy! Mr.. Acton, this is my
son, Lord Carwitchetw
broke off short in the midst of my po-
lite Acknowledgements to stare blankly
at her. The sapphire was gone! A great
gilt cross, with a Scotch pebble like an
acid drop, was her sole decoration.
81 had to put my pendant away" she
explained confidentially; "the clasp had
got broken somehow" / didn't believe
a word.
Lord Carwitchet contributed little to
the general entertainment at dinner, but
fell into confidential talk with Mrs.
Duberly-Parker. l caught few unin-
telligible remarks across the table. They
referred, l subsequently discovered, to
the lady's little book on Northchurch
races, and l recollected that the spring
meeting was on, and tomorrow "Cup
Day." After dinner there was great talk
about getting up party to go on Gen
eral Fairford's drag Lady Carwitchet
was in ecstacies and tried to coax me
into joining. Leta declined positively.
Tom accepted sulkily.
The look in Lord Carwitchet's eye re-
turned to my mind as locked up my
rubies that night. 1t made him look so
like his mother. went round my fas-
Jennings with unusual care. Safe and
closets and desks and doors, l tried them
all. Coming at length to the bathroom,
it opened at once. 1T was the house
maids doing. She had evidently taken
advantage of my having abandoned the
room to give it "a thorough spring clean
ing" and l mathematical her. The
furniture was all piled together and
yelled with sheets, the carpet and felt
curtain were gone, there were new
brooms about. AS l peered around, a
voice close at my ear made me jump.
Lady Carwitchets .....-
81 tell you / have nothing, not pea
ny. | shall have to borrow my train
fare before can leave this. They'll be
glad enough to lend it,"
Not only had the portiere been W
moved, but the door behind it had been
unlocked and left open for convenience
of busting behind the wardrobe. l
might as we'll have been in the bedroom.
"Do2't tell me" recognized Carwitch-
cts growl. you've not been here all
this time for nothing. You've been col
Letting for Kilburn cot or getting sub
scriptions for the distressed Irish land
lords. know you. Now, I'm not going
to see myself ruined for the want of a
paltry hundred or so. tell you the colt
is dead certainty. If could have got
thousand or two on him last week we
might have ended our dog days million
aires. Hand over what you can. You've
moneys worth, if not money. Where's
that sapphire you stole?"
81 didn't. l can show you the receipt
ed bill. All possess is honestly come
by. What could You do with it, even if
gave it you! You couldn't sell it as
the Valdez, and you can't get it cut up
as you might if it were real"
eff it's only bogus, why are you al
ways in such flutter about it? I'll do
something with it, never fear. Hand
over" ..
81 can't. l haven't got it. had to
raise something on it before 1 left town"
evil you swear it's not in that ward
robe? dare say you will. mean to
see. Give me those keys"
l heard a struggle and jingle, then
the wardrobe door must have been flung
open, for streak of light struck through
a crack in the wood of the back. Creep
ing close and peeping through Icould
see an awful sight. Lady Carwitchet
in flannel wrapper, minus hair, teeth,
complexion, pointing a skinny forefinger
that quivered with rage at her son, who
was out of range of my vision.
stop that, and throw those keys
down here directly, or I'll rouse the