The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-01-05

sorry for her, deceiver though she was,
when thought how much on the wrong
side of the balance her accounts were
likely to make UP.
I shall return by the midday express
and bring the diamonds to your cham
bers in the afternoon. I am. sir, your
obedient servant JOHN DENE.
Sidney Marion, Esq. Temple, London.
p. S. We were only just in time. 1
heard at the Court this forenoon. where
strolled so as not to seem to leave hur-
riedly, that Mr.. Walcot was coming
down by midday. and they are off to
Paris on Friday. j. d.
WELL" said Marion, as he folded up
Dene's report, II suppose that is about
| the end of the business, except inter-
viewing the man and getting the dia-
monds; it is to be hoped that the supple
fingered Indian hasn't tricked Dene after
all, and kept the genuine articles herself
By the way, should rather like to hear
what that woman has to tell US. Step
down with me to the Arundel and we
will try to find her.
l did not much care to hear anything
more about the abominable business; but
as Marion seemed to wish it, and / was
indebted to him in the matter, 1 smoth-
cred my Discrimination and went
Safiyah was not hard to find, and this
is the tale she told us:
'As soon as 1 heard the gentlemen dis
perse from the smoking room and the
| house at last began to be still / crept
down stairs and quietly sat down in
| the window seat at the southern angle
| of the corridor. had taken care to open
| the easement before, and the night was
| perfectly calm. SO that / could catch
| whatever sounds came from Mrs. Wal
cots rooms,Has they were reached from
| the opposite wall; / heard her talk to
| her dog Venus, Poor dear creature, what
makes it so sleepy q could have told
herr; heard her open and shut with a
| click her travelling bag, and soon fol-
| lowed another hard metallic sound,
| which / guessed came from laying the
revolver on the little marble table by the
| bedside; 1 heard the clinking of the
| spoon in her cup of cocoatina, then the
| sound of the cup and saucer set down;
! then ten minutes of shutting, then a
| long yawn-Of which 1 was glad, for it
| meant drowsiness-the light went out;
| luSter clear enough to see by all night.
| Soon all was still. / waited there full
| hour, that her sleep might be settled
| and deep. Next / looked to see that all
| the doors in the corridor were closed, so
| that there might be no draught to shut
any of them with an awakening bang.
| though as the night was calm there was
| little chance of that; STILL 1T was well to
| be on the safe side. Then with the small
| screwdriver Mr.. .Dene gave me softly
| turned the key, pushing back against
| the spring, but not relaxing my hold
| after the resistance was overcome. so
that there was no sound; then 1 turned
| the handle, and as this. like all at the
| Court, was we'll fitted, 1T made no noise;
| inch by inch / opened the door, and at
last 1 stood inside; 1 had nothing with
| me but the bag containing the false
| stones, delicate feather, and my own
| skill and courage.
II stood and considered. I could see
| a little and hear more; the dog was
| breathing heavily in her basket near the
marble table. Mrs. Walcot had her face
turned the other way, and was fast
| asleep. Then / slipped silently round the
| bed and observed the sleeper. One hand
| lay outside the coverlet, the other was
| placed beneath her cheek and parted
| lips, but whether it held anything could
not be seen, nor. as she then lay could'
1 pass my hand beneath the pillow. And
| now began my task. You have heard
of the Indian thieves, and how by MAX
| ing a sleeper toss about restlessly they
can steal away the very bedclOtheS on
which he is lying. All this 1 knew, and
many another trick of hand cunning.
And now, one slightest touch of the
| tiny feather, she moved her head; an
| other touch, her hand stirred; a third
her head turns half round, and held
| loosely in her fingers appears in the
| shadowy twilight small leathern bag.
| Now for the test Of delicate skill; hard
| ly a brush, hardly more than a tanning
of the surface of those slender fingers
and the hold relaxes; / touch the bag
the treasure is mine-no. not yet-the
hand slowly begins to close again. Shall
| / snatch the prize? No; such roughness
is only for clumsy hands; let be a while;
yet one more subtle stirring of that satin
skin, the faintest ruffie; her hand once
more uncloses, and remains Enclosed.
| Softly l graSped the bag, untying the
thick cord of silk and burying 1T in my
pocket where the diamonds make no
sound as they fall; then Withdrawing my
| hand / unfasten the other bag and insert
| it in the neck of hers, Smothering the
two in my shawl, as / reverse their posi-
ton, to drown the noise of the moving
stones. And now it is done, the silken
band is tied again-still she sleeps peace
| fully-and lastly l replace the bag near
| her hand as it was before. Was it a
| part of my natural cruelty or the pride
| of a triumphant skill that made me yet
once more touch her hand, which, as it
opened and reclosed, again grasped the
| bag, to complete the unhappy woman's
| deception? All over now save an easy
| retreat one look around to see that no
| traces are left; softly / open the door,
softly pass through, softly close it again.
/ go down the stairs and pass out into
/ the cool night air, where / walked into
the shrubbery until Mr.. Dene came, and
l gave him the real diamonds. Ah Sa-
| hibs,' she added, You are our masters,
but you have a great deal to learn from
| u.s.