Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1894-03-23
The Great Hesper.
BY FRANK BARRETr.
CHAPTER III-CoNTINUED.
and Ian Van Hnaclr pO

CHATTER lll-CoNrINBED.
sAnd Jan Van Hoeck?"
That's Israeli" responded the
Judge. indicating Van Hoeck; "and
darkness fell upon EN-" he added,
explanatively.
During a short space OF his event
full career Brace had earned pre-
carious existence as a travelling
preachcr.
"Then you are Bernard Thorne,"
the baronet said to me, land Lola
is"
1.-The Kid" said Brace; "her
mother was Il greaser--a Mexican, J"
he explained to Miss Lascelles
The dinner had warmed his spirits
and loosened his tongue, and he re-
lated the story of the finding OF tho
diamond
Zone thing is obvious, said Sir
Edmund checrfully; 'vou won't
want to leave me tonight"
'Neery one on US, sir, you betn'
replied the Judge, while Van Hoeck
and expressed the same sentiments
in other words.
The next thing to consider is. I"
he then said. chow can be of SER
vice to you in this affair. To pur-
chase your treasure is OF course alto
gether out of the question. But l
should like TO buy a small-a very,
very small-sharc in it, paying down
q certain sum for your present con-
venience. and taking it back when
the diamond is ultimately disposed
of, with reasonable percentage
upon the outlay. | make this sug-
gestion as u matter of business, that
you may feel yourselves free from
any restraint in accepting my offer. !"
1t took us but a few moments to
agree to this proposal
''In that case" he proceeded, Il
should wish TO have voice in the
management of this business, and the
first suggestion | should make is.
that the finest artist in work of this
kind be engaged to cut the diamond
under this roof, and that during the
operation you should take up your
residence here. This precaution is
necessary for the safe keeping of the
treasure, and for our own common
security"
This arrangement was too obvi-
ously advantageous to us to require
argument; we consulted together, and
quickly agreed to accept the condi-
tion.
Sir Edmund read the agreement
through again. and then said:
owe must consult a lawyer with
regard to legal form of agreement.
Here there is kind of toutine ar
rangement by which one would re-
ceive an enormous advantage by the
death Of his partners. 1t is an I'M
cmfortable clause. and do not SEQ
the necessity for its existence, now
that the circumstances which called
for its being made a, c changed. A
lawyer may provide f. r our security
without expos ng Us TO ugly POSSIBLE
ties. Your rooms are ready; Johns N
will show you to them if you feel you
wo Id like TO turn in"
The prospect of sleeping once
more in q good bed brought US TO
our feet at o ce.
Miss Lascelles. undaunted by a
first rebuff, had got Lola's hand in
hers. and was talking in low, en-
dearing tone to her. The Kid
snatched her hand away. started to
her feet. and came to my side, see
ing we were about to 60
In the morning her room was found
empty, the bed untouched, the floor
covered with shreds OF the clothing
Miss Lascelles had lain out for Lola S
use, and which, undoubtedly, the
little savage had torn up.
Poor little Lola She and l had
always been the best of friends. ex-
cept wnen a question of cooking or
washing occurred to trouble us. She
would yield TO my persuasion when
nothing else would bend her stub
born spirits. she feared my silent
reproach more than the scathing
sarcasm Van Hoeck treated her
with, or the heavy hand OF her
father. She respected no one but
me, probably because / alone re-
spected her feelings
Had ] foreseen that night the
course she was about to take. might,
with a little patient persuasion.
have brought her to reason. My
spirit is weighed down with regret
when / think how perhaps a dozen
words from me at that time would
have turned aside the fearful nse-
Quenoes Of that act--an act SO slight