The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1895-10-03
TOY. But the rubies seemed especially

TOY. but the rubles seemed especially
to captivate her fancy.
"They are magnificent! - she said,
and her eyes were almost as bright with
excitement as the gems themselves. II
never saw anything like them. And
the diamonds are fine too. But those
old fashioned settings are horrible. I
shall have them all reset at once. Do
you know the address of a good jew
elerY'
"Linklater Of Bond street is one Of
the best, l believe. But, If you will
excuse me saying SO, don't you think
the matter will keep till the colonel's
return? I'm not sure that he would
care to have them altered"
"Oh, he won't object if it is my
WISH" she said sweetly. II am going
into the town early tomorrow. l shall
wire myself to Linklater's to send one
Of their people to fetch them"
He quietly ran up to London in the
morning and paid a visit to Mr.. Link
later, ito whom he explained the cir
cumstances and then requested that the
stones should no be unset until they
heard from the colonel himself.
But. my dear SIR" the jeweler
said, Il know nothing Of these jewels.
No such telegram as you mention has
been received by u.s."
The September afternoon was waning
when he got back to Broadwater, and
Mrs. Fairholme, superb in a 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 st1ongroom keys"
There was o moments pause, wherein
a 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.
"Oh, 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. I hope I haven't dropped them
out of DOORS"
Il don't think it will be much use
searching for them," she replied, with
an unpleasant laugh. Il shall have a
locksmith down from London the first
thing in the morning. And the jewelers.
man shall wait"
Dick wrote out q telegram and gave
it to q groom with a sovereign. "Send
it off at once, Rogers. And keep a 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
a little private conversation with him,
and a bank note changed hands. As the
result, the man told Mrs. Fairholme
that the job was a 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
door was not opened yet.
The workman was awaiting instruc-
tions.
About s p. m. 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 a crash.
Colonel Fairholmep' she gasped
wildly. Home already"
Mrs. Bellarminel Bless me, what a
thing! Why. I thought I
had left you in Melbourner
"Then she's not your wifer' cried
Dick aghast.
MY wife !" exclaimed his uncle, per-
picked to irritability. You know very
we'll I have no wife, sir! I met this
lady and her husband in Melbourne,
and they very kindly nursed me through
my bout Of influenza I told you SO in
my letters"
Of course the man from Linklater's"
was her husband, and the pair Of ad-
v%enturers, 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 I do for you, Dick,
for saving my rubies?"
"You can repay me very easily if you
like, sir. Call upon Sir George Warbur-
The colonel made a grimace. But he
went. And within two months Evelyn's
prophecy was fulfilled Answers