Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1894-04-27

picion of each other was, of course.
intended to blind you to their COM
plicity, while each, by duplicating
the other diverted suspicion from
himself"
II was never in my life so COM
pletely deceived" l said. "Brace
seemed to mo the embodiment OF
rough honesty. liked the man, and
it was a painful shock TO me when
found him unfalthful and a thief
"He is worse than that, Mr.
Thorne; he is murderer at heart
for there can be no doubt it was no
who attempted 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 man of subtle intellect | do
not see what other part he could
have played in this affair.
"Sir Edmund told me. SIR" said
the officer. that on your return
from the left wing, you heard snoring
in Braces room"
IL 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 acting 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 leather case proves
nothing. They might declare they
found it empty, and have concealed
it through fear of accusation. or they
might all three swear your statement
to be false. and absolutely accuse
you OF being yourself the thief And
until we can substantiate the charge
by positive proof, we must be careful
to conceal our suspicious 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 can not
stop them. The thing that must be
! done at once is to search for the dia-
| mond. ] counsel you. Mr. Thorne,
10 conceal your own feelings. Not
one OF these three ought to see any
change in your demeanor toward
/ tIem."
When the officer had completed
/ his investigation, he said sagacious-
| ly, as he closed his note book
Il 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 a position
to tell you something about the lost
diamond within twenty-four hours.
Sir Edmund accompanied him TO
| the door. When he returned and
took the seat he had occupied at the
head of tho long table, Brace rose,
and placing himself at the opposite
end, inclined his head first to tho
baronet, then to the right and TO the
| left.
Squire and gentlemen of this
committee" he said, al don't want
to speak disrespec'ful of the police,
but the intelligent officer who has
jest left us, as If he'd got hold OF the
tail end of racket, and meant
folicrin' it right up, and holdin'
tight on till il bust. amt goin' to do
any good for hisself or any one else
in this business. The big diamond S
lost. end he amt goin' to find it in
twenty-four hours, nor in twenty-four
years. IF it was haystack. 1 don t
say but what, with the help OF
Providence-and a good lot of 1.-The
might be up TO the job he's onder-
took. But it amt a haystack. End
Of he was to grind up the whole OF
this country, end every blessed
thing upon it small, buddled it in a
clean Hume, and sifted the tailins
careful. 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 of the sidewalk on a
bit of orange-peel With your per-
mission. squire, I'm goin' away
! right Of"