The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1898-11-04

eye wouldn't do it even If he were
an enemy I'd leave the service first. s.
OF course the deputy commissioner
had to report it to the commissioner,
and he to the chief commissioner
The report read that the sacred
Beda, the famous ruby had been stolen
from the forehead of the image of Bud
dha in the pagoda there by hill man.
Hpo Thit; Hpo Thit had been captured
and the ruby traced to the possession of
the superintendent of police Mr. Wal.
entyne; that il appeared from Hpo
Thit's evidence that he had fired it
from musket into the superintendent 8
body but as to whether Hpo Thit's
evidence could be accepted and the su-
perintondent held to be in innocent pos
session of the stolen goods or not or
whether he should be arrested as re.
ceiver Of the stolen goods he was not
prepared to say. That must rest with
the higher authorities to decide. He
suggested that it might be better to re-
fer it to the judicial commissioner
VALENTINE in the meantime had to be
| guarded at the hospital, for Mi MIRA
discovered that the Phoongyes had set a
scheme on foot to kidnap him and Incl.
| stone.
There were many reasons why they
should recover it as soon as possible
Their Buddha had lost all prestige since
his maltreatment, and no pilgrims came
now to lay their generous offerings at
his great square feet. The pagoda had
ceased to do paying business, for w.
zana's ruby had been drawing card
1t had been good investment that for
IL centuries had gone on making money
for the priests.
VALENTINE applied for and obtained
sick leave, handicapped with an order
that he must not take the ruby out of
the jurisdiction of the Burmese courts
IL was a splendid bit of judicial rul-
ing that and the deputy commissioner
smiled grimly when it passed through
his hands
The surgeon swore like a trooper
when he heard about it, for he had or.
dered VALENTINE off to Darjeeling for
change. "You can't stop here" be
said, because if you don't die of fever
they'll murder you sure. By Jovei
your body will be worth something for
dissecting purposes, though, if they don t
get the first slash at you.
But VALENTINE steadily improved.
The wound was healing up nicely, the
ruby seemingly giving him no trouble
whatever
AS soon as he was able TO sit up and
NOVA a hout ba diccovarad a noun conrca
Of annoyance. Devout Burmans were
constantly coming and prostrating
themselves at his feet, touching their
foreheads to the ground and muttering
their prayers.
"What does it all mean?" he asked
Moung Ouray.
"Sar, they are worshiping the Beda
which you, by the grace of God and
that wicked Hpo Thit, have got.
"This is intolerable, thought Valen.
tyne. II am a ruby mine and Bur.
mese god and receiver of stolen goods
all in one.
AS he got better the beauty of his
new life was further enhanced by the
deluge of official correspondence that
commenced TO pour in upon him.
By order Of the chief commissioner
he was asked to explain how he meant
to make good to the pagoda the value
of the ruby he was still retaining on
his person. 1t was cheerfully pointed
out that if half his salary was escheat-
ed for this purpose it would take at
least 40 years to make up the value of
the jewel.
A delay of this sort would hardly be
fair to the Phoongyes. Besides, in that
uncertain climate his salary might
cease at any moment At any rate, un.
der the 55 years service rule, he could
not retain his position in service for
that length of time, and his pension
would be barely enough to live upon.
The civil surgeon was raked over the
Goals for not acting upon the deputy
commissioner suggestion and probing
the matter to the bottom, as it were
for not making another effort to recover
the jewel
1t was in vain that he wrote in an
swer that the superintendent life
would have been endangered by another
operation
His answer only brought another lit
erary wigging, in which he was CURLY