Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1896-12-19
TlG Evil Genius.
A nnMEGTU STTnv
A DOMESTIC STORY.
BY wILKIE COLLINS.
BEFORE II STORY.

erty to make her arrangements FOR the de-
sertiOn Of poor little sgd.
The person ON whose assistance she could
rely was an unmarried elder sister, distin-
guished as proprietress of a cheap girls
school IN one OF the suburbs OF London. This
lady-known TO local fame as Miss Wigger-
had already proposed to take sgd into train
ing as a pupil teacher. I'm force the child
on Miss Wigger promised, It'll she eau
earn her board and lodging by taking my
lowest class. When she gets older she viii
replace my regular goyerness and | shall save
the salary"
With this proposal waiting for reply Mrs.
Westerfeld had only TO inform her sister that
IL was accepted. "Colne here" she wrote,
son Friday next at any time before two
O'Clock and sgd shall be ready for YOU. p.
ST. am 10 be married again Oh Thursday
and start for America with my husband and
my boy by next Saturdays steamer"
The letter was posted, and the mothers
anxious mind was, 10 use her own phrase, re-
lieved Of another Worry.
As the hour OF S drew near on "Wednesday
evening Mrs. Westerield's anxiety forced
her TO find relief in action of some kind. She
opened the door Of her sitting-rooin. and list
ened on the stairs. 1t still wanted a few
minutes to = O'Clock when there WAS a ring
at the household. She ran down 10 open the
door. The servant happened 10 be in the
hall and answered the bell. The next mo-
ment the door was suddenly closed again.
Anybody there?' Mrs. Westertield asked.
"No, ma'am."
This seemed strange. Had the old wretch
deceived her, after all? Look in the letter
box" she called out. The servant obeyeh
and found a letter. Mrs. Westcrield tore it
open. standing on the stairs. II contained
half a sheet OF common note paper. The in
depreciation of the cipher was written on II
In these words:
Remember No. u Purbeck road. II.
Johns Wood. Go 10 the snmmer house in
the back garden. Count to the fourth plank
In the floor, reckoning from the side wall on
the right as YOU enter the Summer house.
Prize up the plank. Look under the mold
and rubbish. Find the diamonds
Not a word OF explanation accompanied
these lines. Neither had the original cipher
been returned. The strange old man had
earned his money and had not attended 10
receive it-had not even sent word where or
how it might be paid! Had he delivered his
letter himself? He t0r his messenger had
gone before the house door could be opened.
A sudden suspicion of him turned her cold.
Had he stolen the diamonds? She was OH
the point OF sending for a cab. and driving to
his lodgings, when James came in, eager TO
know if the Interpretation had arrived.
Keeping her suspicious 10 herself. she
merely informed him that the Interpretation
was in her hands. lie at once asked Ia see
il. She refused to show it Ia him until he
had made her his wife. "Pnt a chisel in
your pocket when we 20 to church to-mOr-
row morning. was the one hint she gave
him. AS thoroughly worthy OF each other as
ever, the betrothed lovers diStrusted each
other to the last.
At IL o'clock next morning they were
united in the bonds of wedlock; the land
| lord and landlady Of the public house ia
which theyhad both served being the only
witnesses present. The children were not
permitted TO see the ceremony. On leaving
the church door the married pair began their
honeymoon by driving TO ~. Johns Wood.
A dirty printed notice, In a broken window,
announced that the house was 10 let; and a
sour-tempered woman informed them that
the. were free TO look at the ROOMS.
The bride was in the best of hunOrs. She
set the bridegroom the example of keeping
tip appearances by examining the dilapidated
house first. This done, she said sweetly TO
the person in charge: May We look at the
garden"
The woman made a strange answer TO this
request. That's curious she said.
James interfered for the first time. What's
curious?' he asked, roughly.
Among all the idle people who have come
here, at one time or another, a. see this
house." the woman said, only two have
wanted to look at the garden"
James turned on his heel, and made for
the summer-house; leaving his wife 10 pur-
7ue the subject or not as she pleased. She
did pursue the subject.
Il am one OF the persons, OF course" she
said. WHO is the other%'
IAN old man came on Monday"
The brides pleasant smile vanished.
what sort OF person was hep she asked.
The sour-tempered woman became sourer
than ever. 'Oh, how can / tell? A brute.
Therer'
"A brute?' The very words which the
new Mrs. Bellbridge had herself used when
the expert had irritated her. With serious
misgivings, she too turned her steps in the
direction OF the garden.
James had already followed her instruc-
tons and used his chisel. The plank lay
loose on the floor. With both his hands he
rapidly cleared away the mold and the rub
bish. In IA few minutes the hiding place was
laid bare.
They looked into il. They looked at each
other. There was the empty hole, telling its
own story. The diamonds were gone.
9.-The Mother.
Mrs. Bellbridge eyed her husband, pre-
pared for a furious outbreak OF rage. He
stood silent. staring stupidity straight before
him. The shock that had fallen on his dull
brain had stunned 1t. For the time he was
q big idiot; speechless, harmless. helpless.
She put back the rubbish, AM replaced the
plank, and picked up the chisel. Come,
James," she said, pull yourself together"
1t was useless to speak 10 BIN. She took his
arm, and led him out 10 the cab that was
waiting at the door.
The driver, helping him to get in, noticed
a piece OF paper lying on the front seat. Adj
vertisements, seeking publicity under all
possible circumstances, are occasionally sent
flying into the open windows OF vehicles.
The driver was about to throw the paper
away, when Mrs. Bellbridge Seeing it on
the other side) took it out OF his hand. 1T
isn't print" she said; Its WHITING A
closer examination showed that the writing
was addressed to herself. Her cJrrespon-
dent must have followed her 10 the church,
as well as to the house in St Johns Wood.
He distinguished her by the name which she
had changed that morning, under the sane
ton of the clergy and the law.
This is what she read: Don't trouble
yourself, madam, about the diamonds. You
have made a m~istake-you have employed
the wrong man.
Those w~ords-and no more. Enough,
surely, 10 justify the conclusion that he had
stolen the diamonds. Was il worth while 10
drive TO his lodgings? They tried the expert
ment. The expert had gone away on busl-
ness-nobody knew where.
The newspapers came as usual on Friday
morning. To Mrs. Bellbridge's amazement
it set the question or the theft at rest. on the
highest authority. An article appeared, in a
conspicuous position, thus expressed:
Another Of the many proofs that truth is
stranger than fiction has just occurred at
Liverpool. A highly respected firm OF ship
owners In that city received a strange letter
at the beginning of the present week. Pre-
missing that he had some remarkable circum-
stances TO communicate. the writer OF the let
ter entered abruptly on the narrative which
follows. A friend of his connected with lit
erature had, 1t appeared, noticed a lady's
v~isiting-card left on his desk, and had been
reminded by 1t lin what way IL was not