San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1895-06-16

the OoIt IN place, not TO menuon the
key Of the lock being turned.
glanced at the transom. Sandhusen
explained that he fastened it before re-
firing and found it undisturbed in the
morning.
Leaning back in my chair, l tried to
think. He resumed his pacing up and
down the floor. After two or three turns
he stopped in front Of me and said:
THAT won't answer, Brown.
IL do not understand you"
"You are asking yourself whether l
am a somnambulist and whether with
the thought of the ruby ringing through
my brain did not get up and hide the
gem somewhere in the room. did not. "
Can you be certain"
Never in all my life did i walk in
my sleep, not even when my mental
trouble was tenfold as great Besides,
conceiving such thing possible, must
have left the ruby somewhere in my
rooms. have searched every nook and
corner where it could be concealed, and
10 isn't in any one of them.
There was one subject in my mind to
which did not dare refer. On the day
previous Sandhusen had made a refer
ence to Mrs. Howard, in which an I'M
charitable mind would have seen evil
dence that he was not a stranger to her.
wanted to ask him whether he had ex-
changed a word with her or seen her
ga 4 sc Dot hn N nf
family, of the highest character, and
likely he would have considered the
question an insult. No hint of the kind
passed my lips.
my good fellow" l said after a
minute or two of meditation, you must
have formed some explanation, some
theory of this strange business.
81 have tried to do so, but have given
it up. 1t is simply one of those things
that are beyond my comprehension and
yours, too, l judge"
Eyes, and wonder whether Wittner
will be able"-
Have you seen anything of the man
Howard" broke in my friend.
Il paid him for the ruby this fore
noon"
Il thought he was to wait till the
latter part of the week.
"Such was the understanding, and he
explained that he merely called to learn
whether had any news for him.
Il wonder whether Uhere could be
anything in that?" remarked Sandhr-
sen, running his hand through his hair
and resuming his walk more thought
fully. at would have made no differ
ence in the payment, though. He left
the gem with you, and you delivered
the goods as per contract. He has done
his part and was entitled to the pay
ment "
"Unless he happens to have the goods
in his possession.
How can that be-"
l shrugged my shoulders.
"It is beyond my ken. Nevertheless
l believe he either has Mana Sahib's
ruby or knows where it is.
How would it do" asked Sandhu-
sen, as if the thought was a brilliant
one, ito offer to give him the price to
restore it to me? would be paying
twice for the thing, but even that would
be less than it is worth. "
saw the absurdity of this sugges-
ton.
IF he is the man | take him to be,
he would not admit his criminality, for
it would be nothing less, for three
times the sum. Besides how can he
know anything about this robbery"
In my fancy figure assumed form
between my friend and myself 1t was
that of the dark eyed woman, the most
beautiful of her sex. l could not shake
off the belief that hers was the brain
that had played all this mischief, but
shrank from limiting my thoughts. If
she had pitted her mind against ours,
what a triumph it was for her!
well, Godfrey, remarked, rising
and taking up my hat, 1.-THE fog just
now is impenetrable. Neither you nor
can see our way out. Perhaps after we
have spent a night over it and made
some Investigations we may hit upon a
clew. Come down to the store tomor-
row, and We'll see what We'll see. ="
My yearning was to find Wilmer. He
delighted in such intricate problems as
the one which confronted us and had
done several things so creditable in his
line that 1 was hopeful that he would
help us in our present dilemma.
l sent a special messenger to his
home up town, but his wife replied that
he was absent and she could not say
when he would return. The message
from headquarters was less definite, be-
ing simply that he was not there. They
were too prudent to give even his
friends an intimation of what he was
about.
To my delight, however, the fellow
sauntered irto the store that same aft
ernoon, smoking his cigar and as non
chalant as usual. He had been to his
home and learned of my message few
minutes after it was received and took
his own time in answering it. He had
not visited headquarters, for he did
about as he pleased in reporting there.
/ took him back into my Office, closed
the door and told him the whole as
founding story, feeling some Impotence