Connecticut western news., 1896-01-16
return? I'm not sure that he would ,nrr tc, hnr,o. thor,, n ltnrol 11

care to nave them altered.
 "Oh, he won't object If 1t is my wish," she said sweetly. II am going into the town early tomorrow. 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 visit to MT. Link later, to whom he explained the cir cumstances and then requested that the stones should not be unset until they heard from the colonel himself.
 "But. my dear sir," the jeweler said, "I know nothing of these jewels No such telegram as you mention has been received by us. "
 The September afternoon was waning when he got back to Broadwater, and Mrs Fairholme, superb in velvet din- ner gown, swept across the hall to greet him.
 "You tiresome fellow, she said play fully, "where have you been all dayP The man from Linklater's s has been here since o'clock waiting for you to come home with the stIongroom keys"
 There was moments pause, wherein a dozen wild ideas flashed through Dicks bra@ It 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 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 haven't dropped them out of doors
 ''I don't think it will be much use searching for them," she replied, with an unpleasant laugh. ''I shall have a locksmlth down from London the first thing in the morning. And the jeweler' 8 man shall wait"
 Dick wrote out a telegram and gave it to groom with sovereign. "Send it off at once, Rogers. And keep still tongue ill 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 circuplstances-four days before he was expected by Mrs. Fair holme.
 When the locksmith arrived, Dick had little private conversation with him, and bank note changed hands. As the result, the nian told Mrs. Fairholme that the jobwas 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 strongroom door was not opened yet The workman was awaiting instruc- tions. #..-.
 About D. m. there was rattle of wheels in the avenue, and somebody rang the front door bell
 The next moment the colonel, in trav- cling cap and ulster, stepped into the lamphght. She shrieked and sprang to her feet, overturning the bamboo table with crash
 "Colonel Fairholmer' she gasped W1luly. dOmo already
 Mrs. Bellarminel Bless me, what a remarkable thingl Why, I thought had left you in Melbournel"
 "Then she's not your wifel' cried Dick aghast
 My wife i' exclaimed his uncle, per plexed to irritability. "You know very well 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. D .... Of course the "man from Linklater's' was her husband, and the pair of ad- venturers, knowing the colonel's plans, had taken advantage of his illness to in tercept his letters, forge substitutes tc serve their own ends and make this bold attempt to steal the famous rubies. The colonel. .beamed upon his nephew. "And what shall do for you, Dick, for saving my rubies?' "You can repay me very easily if you like, sir. Call upon Sir George Warbur' ton"
 The colonel made @ grimace. But he went. And within two months Evelyn's prophecy was fulfilled. d.-Answers-