Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-11-02

turbed; three butlers had lost their situa-
tons in our household for handling the
and tenderness. IT cannot bear a callous
butler" my father used to say.
Fetch" said my, father the last bottle
screw, funnel. a. piece of muslin and
napkin. 1 will decppt Sir Matthews wine
:sir Matthews Wginer' Could there have
1.-The colonel" my father continued. "pur-
himself. and, belisye. bottled large por-
ton of it with his own hands"
HE could not have been better employed,
said Sir Matthew cordially. But 1 think
there was latentrh hint that the colonel had
sometimes been mueh worse employed.
rled it as though It had been baby, COM
bining the love of a mother, the pride of
nurse, and the uneasy care of a bachelor.
You have not shaken it?" asked my
father.
Upon my word, no, SIR" answered Daw-
and family.
My father gripped the bottle delicately
with the napkin and examined the point of
the corkscrew.
ut would be great pity" he observed,
gravely, IF anything happened to the
cork"
Nothing happened to the cork. With in
finite delicacy my father persuaded it to
leave the neck of the bottle Sir Matthew
was ready with decanter. funnel and mus
lin.
I'VE must take care Of the crust" re-
marked my father, and we all nodded SOL
EMMY.
My father cast his ewes ND to Uncle Johns
portrait for an instant, much as If he were
asking the old gentleman's benediction, and
gently inclined the bottle toward the mus
Uncovered mouth of the funnel.
III only my poor uncle could be here" he
sighed. Uncle John had been very fond of
port.
Il should be delighted to meet him. cried
SIR Matthew, in genuine friendliness.
The vicar took off his spectacles, wiped
them, and replaced them. My father tilted
the hottie little more toward the funnel
lhen ne stopped suddenly. and a strange.
puzzled look appeared on his face. He
locked at Sir Matthew, and Sir Matthew
looked at him, and we all looked at the
hottie.
noise?" asked Sylvia.
For most mysterious sound had pro-
ceeded from the inside of the bottle, as my
father carefully inclined it toward the fun
mel 1t sounded if-but it was absurd to
suppose that r handful of marbles could
nave found their way into a bottle of old
port.
The crust" began the vicar, cheer
fully.
cisvely w
We let us see what it is" suggested Sir
Matthew, very urbanely.
I've done nothing to the bottle SIR
cried Dawson '
My father cleared his throat and gave
the bottle further inclination toward the
tunnel. A little wine trickled out and found
It's way through the muslin. My father
smeit the muslin anXiously, but seemed to
gain no enlightenment He poured on nm
der the engrossed gaze of the whole party
fhe marbles, or what they We're, thumped
IN the bottle; and with a little Jump some
thlns sprang out into the muslin. Sir Mat
thew stretched out a hand. My father
waved LIN away.
I'VE will go on to the end" said he. SOL
EMMY and he took it up. the object that
mad fallen into the muslin. between his
niger and thumb and placed it on his
plate. ri
1t was round in shape. the size of very
large pill or snallfsh marble, and of a
dull color, like that of rusted tin. NV
father poured on,handi by the time that the
last of the wine was out no less than seven
oil these strange objects lay in a neat
group on my fathers plate, one lying by
itself little removed from the Others
Il have placed this one apart" observed
my father, pointing 10 the solitary marble
because it is much lighter than any OF
the Others. Let us examine it first"
Il propose that We examine the six first
said Sir Matthew, in a tone of suppressed
excitement.
las you will, Sir Matthew" said my IA
ther gravely, and he took up one of the
SIX that lay in a group. The surface"
said he, looking round, appears to be COM
posed of TIM Ph' " t-t
we all dSIteu- ne surface was composed
OF tin; line running down the middle
showed where the tin had been carefully
and deXterously sodered together. Sir
Matthew having felt in his pocket pro-
duced large penknife and opened a strong
blade He held out the knife toward my
father, blade foremost, such was his agita-
ton.
Thank you, Sir Matthew" said my ia
ther in courteous and calm voice, reaching
round the blade and grasping the handle.
Absolute silence now fell on the company:
|. my father was perfectly composed. He
forced the point of the knife into the sur
lace of the object and made gap: then he
peeled off the surface of tin. ! felt Sylvia's
eyes turn to mine, but did not remove my
gaze from my fathers plate. Five times
did my father repeat his operation, placing
what was left in each case on the table,
cloth in front of him. When he had fin
ished his task he looked up at:S:r Matthew
Sir Matthews face bore look of mingled
bewiderment and triumph; he opened his
mouth to speak: gesture of my fathers
hano imposed silence on him..
1T remains" said my father, ito exam
inc the seventh object.
The seventh object was treated as it's
companions had been; the result was diff
ferent. From the shelter of the sealed tin
covering came small roll of paper. My
father unfolded it; faded lines of writing
appeared on it,
Uncle Johns hand" said my father SOL
EMMY. Il propose to read what he says"
IAN explanation is undoubtedly desir-
| able" remarked Sir Matthew
Aren't they beautiful" whispered Sylvia
| longingly.
glance from my father rebuked her;
he began to read what Col. Merridew had
written. Here it is:
That old fool Marston. having made the
life of everybody OH board the ship bur-
der to them on account of his miserable
| ruhies, and having logged my footsteps and
spied upon my actions in a most offensive
| manner, l determined to give him lesson.
| So l took these stones from his cabin and
| carried them to my house. 1 was about to
| return them when he found his way into
MY house and accused meme, Col John
Merridew-of being thief. What followed
| is known to my family. The result of Sir
| Georges Incorporate behavior was to make
| it impossible for ME to return the rubies
without giving rise to an impression most
| injurious to my honor. 1 have, therefore,
| placed them IN this bottle. They will not
| he discovered during my lifetime or in that
| of Sir George. When they are discovered
| l request that they may be returned to his
son with my compliments and an expression
| of my hope that he is not such a fool as
| his father. JOHN MERRIDEW, Colonel"
Continued silence followed the reading of