Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1895-10-05


George Lane, however, put him and
the painful story with which he was
associated out Of his mind, and he de.
tormined that the past should throw
no shadow over him.
Very often when he is at sea far
away from all he loves best, will he
think OF that evening he spent at the
old home of his race after Nelly had
promised to be his wife.
When he got to his room he found
he could not sleep, and after some
time he gave up this attempt and sat
at the open window smoking and look.
ing out to sea.
1t was that sort OF twilight which is
all the night one gets when the days
are at their longest at Orkney.
Everything was still, except the faint
splash of the sea. After while he
saw the figure of n man walking on the
path that led from the sea shore up to
his house.
"a strange hour for a visitor" he
thought, but even then the idea Of
thief never occurred to him. The
thing was SO out of keeping with his
surroundings.
But the man seemed to be coming
up to the house, and he passed under
meath his window. Walking stealthily
on the grass, he went ON till he got to
the smoking-room window. Then
George recognized the man. He was
their friend of the afternoon, Sam
Dredge, For some minutes he stood
at the window which had been shut
up, iumbling at the lock. 1t appeared
to give way without much difficulty.
AS the man went into the smoking
room George dropped from his win
dow on to the grass it was only fall
of few feet-then he silently fol-.
lowed in the others footsteps. But
he came to stop at the window. The
man had lit candle, and when George
came up, he was in the act of taking
down the picture OF Nellie's mother
tnat nunS on tne wall.
"Now what can his little game be?'
thought George rs he watched the &C.
centric burglar take the picture down
and lay it face downwards on the
table, and then proceeds with his
knife to cut away the card board back.
Then he stopped forward, and from
the expression of his face George felt
sure that he had found what he was
looking for Just then George sprang
into the room. The man turned
around ferceIy, and with an oath
rushed at him, making a stab at him
with the knife.
But George was too quick for him,
and got hold of his wrist with his left
hand, while he let out with his right,
hitting him on the point Of his chin
and sending him staggering into the
corner of the room.
The knife had dropped out of his
hand, and the first thing that George
did was to secure it. Then he slood
watching his PROSTATE foe, ready
enough for him in case he should
think fit to get up and recommence
proceedings. AS he began to rise,
there was a sound OF footsteps along
the passage, and Daniel Lane came
into the room.
"Hullo, George, my boy, what's the
meaning of this? Why, here is our
friend again.
81 don't know what it is, but what
he came after is there" answered
George, as he pointed at the picture on
the table.
Daniel Lane took up the candle and
walked to the picture, and as he did
SO he gave an exclamation of sur
prise.
"And enough to come after, too"
he said. "Why by Jove, l never saw
a nicer parcel of diamonds all the time
l was on the fields"
We'll he might say so, for the back
of the photograph, from which the
cardboard had been stripped off, was
covered with rough diamonds, all OF
them from ten to twenty carats.
BY this time Sam Dredge had got
on his legs again, He made, however,
no attempt to escape or interfere, but
stood looking at the other two out OF
his ugly little eyes.
"Now, look here, let's be reason.
able. That there parcel of stuff is
mine by rights, cause Dick johnson
and | got 'em, and we hid 'em there;
and, Dick being out of it, take his
share. | have doue my time for the
diamonds, and ought to have 'em.
When | heard, after I came out, how
you'd found down the river, [ made
sure as the diamonds you got came
from behind that picture, where we
put all we took from o. Brien Brothers
floor. You wouldn't be the first by
long bit who went off to the river with
the diamonds ready found. This after
noon, when ] was here, it came over
me all of a sudden that you knew
nothing about the diamonds. and they
still were where Dick johnson and
had hid 'em behind the picture.
"Well, | came for em, but you've
been too many for me. Whoever they
belong to, they don't belong to you.
Now | says, halves, or they go back
to O'Brien Brothers representative.
Come, there is plenty for us both and
| says halves. "
"halves, you rascal. Do you think
] would go halves in plumber with
you? Go back to their rightful own
ers, they SHALL" said Daniel Lane,
and though the idea did force itself
into his thoughts that the price of
those diamonds he saw glttering on
the table would help to pay off the
debts on his property, he never, to do
him justice, let it stay there
"You are fool, Dan Lane. A
bigger fool than thought you," said
the Disguised Sam Dredge, "lettins
this parcel so to you don't know
who"
81 don't care whose they are, they
are not mine or yours" said Lane.
SPY the Lord Harry, though, 1 do
know, George they are Nelly's. She
is the only real descendant of the
O'Brien Brothers left alive that 1 ever
heard Of. That is Nelly's fortune, and
nfter nll Won will marry Nh heiress."