Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1898-02-17
CHAPTER vII-eContinuea,

their Tag, which lac locked up in nh,
drawer from which he had taken IL.
In order 70 keep up the p%retense ihaI
their visit had been "a bona tide one
kisch pressed the owner OF the dia.
monds to give him the first offer Of
then. after they were cut; but this
Joyce refused 10 do, and the pair de
parted, apparently disappointed. but Ia
reality oyerjoyed with the success of
their visit
1T cannot be, my dear Mr. Clovis
whispered the Jew, Siding up n his
companion: surely. he cannot keep ali
those diamonds In 4 drawer with Il
common lock. Diamonds worth a for
tune. Yet he did not expect us In the
Least"
Are the diamonds really valuable,
them asked Clovis, ia even tones,
though his heart was beating wildly
"Ah. | cannot say what they are
worth until they are cut; you know I
can't. But they must turn out very
hadly IL they are not worth FROM sew
enty TO a hundred thousand pounds"
Add a hundred per cent for your
profit"
a hundred per cent. my dear Mr..
Clovis. Say ten per cent, or FIVE"
49, 9 AAtAA ~ I W..
said Clovis. "and l mean 10 have 1 try
this very night"
He started with Kisch on the return
Journey to town, but he left the train
EN- route, aud, after dining comfortably
at an unpretentious COMMERCIAL
house. he took the last train back to
I1lbridge-0r, rather. to the last sta
ton the train stopped at before reach
ing the little town.
A little after two O'Clock in the
morning he stole with n~oiseiess steps
across the strip of lawn that divided
the Old Rectory from tho deserted
high road. and made straight for the
window OF the l~ibrary-the room in
which Joyce had received him AMI his
companion the day before. He had
noticed. while Joyce was locking and
unlocking the dgawer in which he kept
the diamonds, that the fastenings or
che window were Of the old fashioned,
accommodating sort, which any handy
man with a stout knife, could open in
q fer minutes.
tu spite &C the heavy ulster he wore,
Clovis got inside with $ % little noise.
that eve IL there had been a dog in
the house, he would have been per-
fectly safe. The noise of the storm
etfectually drowned the slight sounds
h9 had made ia opening and closing
the window, aud other sounds there
were none.
Once inside. Clovis made his way IN
the dark mot CROPPING, but moving as
IL he were accustomed 10 do without
the help of his eyes, to the writing tn
bic which contained the drawer with
the diamonds. A moment later, select
ing the drawer by touch, he had In
serted a ~pisch-lock in the iey-hole and
turned 1t. An cath sprang to hts lips.
for the instrument had met with no re
sistance. Tearing the drawer open. he
passed In his hand and moved 1t about
inside. The drawer was empty!
His first thought was that the Jew
rad played him false-that he had re-
turned secretly an hour or two before
him. aud committed the robbery on his
own account. But, on examining the
window and window-sill carefully. by
the light OF the dark lantern. which he
now lit for the first time. he found no
marks that would justify him In sup
posing that anyone had ON that way
before him that night. His next Idea
was that he had mistaken the ORA wer,
or that Joyce had put them somewhere
else before he went away. But a
short search convinced him that this
was not the case-at any rate. they
wers not in the room He was on the
point OF closing the lantern. when his
eye fell upon ael open letter which was
lying on the writing table along with
the envelope which had contained Il.
He picked &c mp and read:
Dear Ursula II forgot 10 tell you this
morning that I am going of this after
noon to Carlisle. and then to Moor
Edge for a day or twos fishing. |
shall most likely he gone before o
come back, aud ! want you to attend
10 this most particularly the moment
you come in.
sYou VIII find the keys Of the draw
.ers of the writing table in the little
drawer OF my dressing table UP stairs.
Open the second drawer. counting
from the bottom on the right-hand
side of the table, and you will find in
il a small black velvet bag. LIZ con-
talns some valuable specimens. do
not open the bag. but take great a
of IL. III you have time to go over TO
Market Marlborough before the bank
closes. you had better take the bag TO
the manager of the bank. Mr.. Stewart.
and ask him to keep ii for me. And
IL you are too late TO DO that to-day. do
Ii the first thing tomorrow morning.
IL Mr.. Stewart won't take the bag, SET
that you keep 1t by you In the safest
place yor can think OF. aud don't give
1t up to anyone, no matter WHO and
no matter what he may say. This is
most Important so mind you follow
these Instructions exactly. or you may
bring me Ia for the loss of nearly all |
have In the world. Take rare OF your.
self until I come back. which l expect
will be on Thursday or Friday.
..Your affectionate father.
~ "Richds Joyce
The letter dropped from the hand OF
the wouid-be thief. aud he stood for q
few seconds motionless. thinking
whether he must give up hope of ac
quiring the diamonds by the mos
simple and Inexpensive or ali methods
Ii Ursula had had time to take the III
almonds to the bank that afternoon
that was an end of the matter. They
we've beyou,i mis- Treash aat she might
have returned home too hate to do that
Her father seemed to have expected
that she would not be able to take the
diamonds to the bank that day. Their
probably they would be in her room
Should he-9"