The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1895-09-20


cumstances and then requested that the
stones should not be unset until they
heard from the colonel himself.
"But, my dear SIR the jeweler
said, II know nothing of these jewels.
No such telegram as you mention has
been received by US"
The September afternoon was waning
when he got back to Broadwater, and
Mrs Fairholme, superb in velvet din
ner gown, swept across the hall to greet
him.
"You tiresome fellow" she said play
fully, "where have you been all day?
The man from Linklater's has been here
since 8 o'clock waiting for you to come
home with the stIongroom keys"
There was moment s pause, wherein
dozen wild ideas flashed through
Dicks brain. 1t was evident that Mrs
Fairholme had merely used the pretext
of wishing the jewels reset in order to
get them out of the house.
ooh, of course. I forgot. He has
come for the jewels, hasn't he? I'll
fetch them"
But when he reappeared his hands
were empty.
''I'm awfully sorry, Mrs. Fairholme,"
he said coolly, "but I've mislaid my
keys. 1 hope haven't dropped them
out of doors. F"
81 don't think it will be much use
searching for them," she replied, with
an unpleasant laugh. II shall have a
locksmith down from London the first
thing in the morning. And the jewelers.
man shall wait
Dick wrote out a telegram and gave
it to groom with a sovereign. "Send
it off at once, Rogers. And keep still
tongue in your head
The message ran as follows:
To Colonel Fairholme, on board the Australian
mail steamer Oratava at Naples:
Return overland Imperative business.
Please don't fail. DICK.
If the colonel obeyed, he would be at
home in three days-that is to say, four
days before he would have arrived un-
der ordinary circumstances-four days
before he was expected by Mrs. Fair
holme.
When the locksmith arrived, Dick had
little private conversation with him,
and bank note changed hands. As the
result, the man told Mrs. Fairholme
that the job was long one, and that he
could not undertake to accomplish it
under three days.
The mysterious man, who was not
from Bond street, went away, and on
the third afternoon returned, but the
strongroOm door was not opened yet.
The workman was awaiting instruc-
tions.
About p. IN. there was a rattle of
wheels in the avenue, aud somebody
rang the front door bell.
The next moment the colonel, in trav-
cling cap and ulster, stepped into the
lamplight. She shrieked and sprang to
her feet, overturning the bamboo table
with crash.
Colonel Fairholmep' she gasped
wildly. "Home alreadyp'
Mrs. Bellarmine! Bless me, what
remarkable thing! Why, thought
had left you in Melbourne"
"Then she's not your wife!' cried
Dick aghast.
"N~ wife ~ exclaimed his uncle, per-
picked to irritability. "You know very
well have no wife, sir! met this
lady and her husband i'll Melbourne,
and they very kindly nursed me through
my bout of influenza. 1 told you SO in
my letters. !"
OF course the imam from Linklater's"
was her husband, and the pair Of ad
venturers, knowing the colonel's plans,
had taken advantage Of his illness to in
tercept his letters, forge substitutes to
serve their own ends and make this
bold attempt to steal the famous rubies.
The colonel beamed upon his nephew.
"And what shall do for you, Dick,
for saving my rubies?"
"You can repay me very easily if you
like, sir. Call upon Sir George Warbur-
ton. -
The colonel made a grimace. But he
went And within two months Eyelyn's
prophecy was fulfilled -Answers.