The Red Cloud chief., 1897-01-08
The Great Hesper.
by FRANK
CHAPTER XIlI--CoNTINrEp.

CI1hT L EN- Alll-tONTINtED.
He continued.
''Thank you for Braces letter. The
tone Of it would lead one to imagine
not only that he knows where the
diamond Is. but has q strong belief
In his power to ecove 1t! One can
not possibly believe that il was he
who robbed and attempted to MUIR
der you. But whom are we to sus.
pect. IL not him? II he were not
guilty. why should he try to conceal
the leather case which might lead TO
its recovery? There Is a fascination
In this subject which overcomes my
wish to drop 1t. 1t Is like the fifteen
puzzle that drove half the world
mad some years ago.
EVAN Hoeck still wanders about
the woods through the night. More
than once he has been seer standing
o u side the room in which Edith and
l pass the evening. listening.
"His suspicious have perhaps fallen
upon us. The poor wretch may have
lost his reason. His appearance,
when caught sight Of him the other
day. justitles the suspicion.
ii have to confess to an indiscre.
ton which may have no serious re-
suit, but which | regret all the same.
Yesterday | received a telegram from
Furnival, dated Haxel's hotel.
at thus:
".We have important clew. Send
address Of Joseph Brace at once, or
place where h. is likely to be found.
"The we led me to suppose that
he was an agent OF the detectives
employed In this case. and without
further reflection l sent Braces ad-
dress. having your letter under my
hand. became uneasy as soon as
the messenger was out of sight. and
sent Wilson over to Southampton
with two kilograms, one for Furni-
val and the other for the head OF the
detective department. asking for
further particulars. have received
no reply whatever from Furnival,
and the detectives replied by letter
that they employed no one named
Furnival, and that all inquiries were
made through the head Office.
"Who on earth can this Furnival
be, and what can be the object of his
inquiriese The mystery was sufi-
GENTLY incomprehensible without
this addition"
Incomprehensible indeed. and the
more closely n examined the mys-
terry, the more inscrutable it APP
peared.
IL i%nclose," he wrote. in conclu-
ns1~ ..n 1tNN. ,l;-l - a. .-l
This morning"
It was a second letter from Brace.
This Is the copy:
"TIDBAL's L STATE HOTEL
SACRAMENTO CRY. November 8
GENTLEMAN THoRNE, SIR. | didn't
expec you to answer my letter. but
the Kid have took it to heart moren
natral. l told you she was kinder
f~rettin, and to please her l made be.
lieve l had sent the message she asl
me to rite. Which gettin' no answer
to said message she sorter felt you'd
turned your back on her for ever.
don't think she's going to make old
bones. Seems to me like as II she
meant knocking of early. SEES she
don't feel like gatherin any more
wild flowers.
1.-The doctor considers that sick
ness she got out in Africa has settled
into her. and she cant cOrtf it of.
1.-The rain hes set In
early up Petersville, and they
amt no good for a poor little sick
kid. We come down here day fore
yesterday.
''She's pinin' pardner, that's whats
the matter with her which Is why
rite her message.
''She says she wants to be good
thems her words. | never knew her
say such q thing, and | cant hardly
expec you to believe 1t, KNOWN
what she was, but II you could only
see her as she is you'd believe it.
Shes that altered; no tantrums. nc
opposishun. no obstinacy-no nothin.
.Seein this, you may be moved,
sir, bein kinder pitiful by natur, t.
rite her q few words. jest to say
you've got her message. and hope
she'll stick to her promise. With
little bit OF encouragement like that
l don't think she'd go away withou,
telling up what shes done with the
Great Hesper. Yours respectfully.
Jos BRACE"
/ started for Sacramento without q
moments delay.