The Red Cloud chief., 1896-12-04
The Great Hesper
Icy Franz IikR,Irr.
CHAPTER NI-CoXrINrEp

buJ nc ala not take account q
me TACT that the door by which III,
girl enters the house is at the bacl
of the right block. and that Tn,
stairs by which she would ascend {,
tho first floor bring her TO tn,
landing between Sir Edmund's room
an Miss La,cclIc's. Thus. thougl
carrying out her fathers instruc
tons to the letter. she must incvi
tably make her ATTEMPT upon Mis-,
L~ascclIc's room and not upon yours
Look at yoGr plan.
II follow you perfectly wcll,"
said, astonishcd by the ingenuity G,
his explanation, which had made q
perfectly incredible supposition o
elblc--nag. for the moment, probable.
! was forced to admit that this
explanation vas feasible. yet I could
not believe that Lola. who seemed
sincerely attached to me. woull con.
sent TO aid in my ruin merely at the
instigation of her father, whose au-
thority She habitually disrcgardcd.
] said this to Van llocrk
cit IL because she il attached To
you-becausc she loves you he re-
piled. with emphasis, ..that she
would readily ent, n into her fathers
project TO rob you of the diamond
The diamond is her cncmv-it has
separated you from her. and placed
you side by side with Miss Lascellcs.
FOR whom she has manifested a
Jealous hatred from the very first.
What could be more gratifying to
her savage disposition than to take
away the diamond that has created
this difference between you and her,
ana reduce you once more to her
level. 1t is the only hope she can
have OF getting you away from Miss
~Lascelles, and restoring the former
condition Of equality upon which
your companionship with her rested"
Again ! was compelled to admit
the force Of Van Hocck's argument.
.'But why | asked. =. hould
Brace tr st such II pcrilous under
taking to his daughters"
''For an obvious reason" he re-
piled. ''lf you caugho her in the
act OF robbing, you would not raise
your hand against her: if you caught
him, you would blow hi. brains ONT.
For her you would find excuse: for
him nono.n
In this there was truth also.
Talking Of that, he continued,
what arms do you keep about you
for defense"
None" I replied.
81 thought so. TAX, this" he
said. drawing Il long clasp.knifc from
his breast pocket.
lie showed the spring with which
the narrow blade Opeued, and the
which locked it at the back of
horn handle. AMI made me prom.
lse to use il for my defense, no mat.
Ter who attacked me. | also prom
Ised to close my window, which |
n~abitually Ike I open ut night, and To
secure the fastening OF that, as well
the do Il, before going TO bed. !
he exacted that | should
O inclose the Hesper in the
Gather case, and strap it TO M,
tho last thing at night.
The Judge did t return until
lusk. He was fatigued. and his
'enerai ap earancc indicated a pur-
uit through rough and thorny ways.
81 hev seer the kid," he said:
but she would not listen to reason:
md not bein' Altered OF spiliny her
lothes. she naturally got the best of
he argument and played it low
own on her father"
lie advocated starving her into
ettcr behavior, ana would have had
door closed to cut OF her com.
i~unication with tho dairy, but Miss
ascelles would not listen I, this:
would not y cid to fear, and de.
to change her room or alter
err ordinary habitudes.
When night came Van Hocck said
me, after we had separated from
40 rest
''Ihis is no time for sleep, Thorne:
o must watch thrOu IN the nigat.
neither you like it or not. il il Ia
lly for Miss L.ascclle's sake"
! really agreed to this and for an
our we walked on u part Of the .
'wn from which ! could zee Edith's
indow. Then the rain which had
zen drizzling for some time, fell
and forced US to go in.
! might have been occupied with
regulation for half an hour or more
hen ] heard IA scream Of terror that I
could not doubt came from the I
ing In which Edith lay. In an in
ant opened the door and ran
rough the corridor. The doors in
Q picture gallery were open, As a
aside the curtains which closed /
the staircase corridor Of the left
ny, raw sir Edmund come from Z
> room with IL lamp The door Of G
room cXact.y faced his: IL Z
- wlds open oil was dark within. I