The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1899-12-16

now. mere, now uHu rtt tukCN &W<
trouble to get rooms at the hotel cIoee
here and good meal all ready for you,
thinking you'd start home first thing
in the morning. Why, doubt whether
there's any train to-night-all the pas
sengers are stopping. Besides, you
couldn't see Lottie till tomorrow, any
how. could your"
mo, OF course not. Only" stood
n minute, turning il over. One night
could make no diiIerence-the authori-
ties would not be in attendance till
morning. / had landed safely, and Jack
was here--dear old Jack Hamlyn.
"Come along, then; you take the big
box. I'm glad i wired now"
Fifteen minutes later we were sit
ting in a private room at the hotel.
The dispatch was safe in my small
trunk. If only Lottie could see us at
that minute--how her brown eyes
would widen! IL only the London
editors, eagerly competing for informa-
ton, had guessed at the contents of
that little leather case!
"Just imagined" Jack repeated, cram
ing himself over the red Goals. i had
just told him; there was no secret in
the world / should have dreamed of
Withholding from Jack. "Eh? I'm
looking awfully queer? Pooh, ii is you
who have taken in fresh stock of vi
tally out yonder. Dad and the others?
yes, all going well and strong"
"All?" / dropped my voice. was
touching on the family skeleton here.
"Er-you don't include Wilfred, of
course? No change or hope in that di-
rection, / suppose? I've never heard
word of him."
"And you won't, Brian!" Jack whis-
pered that with n hand to his eyes
he had been the last TO taboo that scape
grace brother of his. L knew. HE
doesn't count-a hopeless outsider-we
don't mention his name, if we can help
il. Living? No one knows; at least,
it's some days since he last came try
ing to squeeze more money by lies
from me, and-and you know what
I've done for him in times past. But
drop that now. You wrote home about
some diamonds-do show mel"
Turned them all into cash at
profit" / laughed; "all except one, that
I've had set i'm brooch for-you can
guess who. It's in the big trunk; you
can see it when we go up to bed"
So we chatted on, till an irresistible
drowsiness crept over me. l was doz-
ing as Jack talked; and soon after nine
o'clock caught up the small trunk and
declared for bed and a clear head in
the morning. The morning-the sig
nificant morning! / should be thanked
by the colonial secretary himself!
\. Up we went.
OH my buzzing brain! Try ms j
would, tired as / felt, / could not quite
succeed in losing consciousness. Had
done wrong in staying hereP Might
the delay of even those few hours mean
danger? Was quite sure had locked
that door? Most provokingl Once or
twice i whispered to Jack in the bed
opposite, but only prolonged
"ch-r-r-h!" answered me. Finally i
gave up trying, and lay framing Lot
ties oval face in that wavering reflec-
ton Of the gaslight overhead. Heaven
alone knew what ii had meant TO leave
the woman one longed for, and now
Oh, what was that? A clock down
stairs had just struck II times, and ut
the last stroke Jack had swayed silent
ly up In his bed and sat staring across
in my direction. A query was on my
lips, but / could not seem to sound il.
Perhaps my eyes were nearly closed,
but | could see enough 10 make me lie
perfectly still, while kind OF mystic
rious misgiving crept through me.
Why, ] hardly knew must have been
inspired by sheer instinct. But Jack
over there, he had lifted himself out
Of bed with n queer stealth; he had
taken n step and still he stared across
in that unnerving way. | wanted TO
spring up and gasp an end to the spell,
but there seemed mesmeric numbness
in my limbs. Why, on that craned face
OF his-almost chalk-whte il looked
in the low glimmer Of the gaslight be-
tween us-was there an indescribab bic
expression Of mixed dread and evil?
Merciful heavens! did il mean that
Jack. my oldest and dearest chum, who
had chased butterflies with me in the
meadows 20 years ago
One more stealthy step, as II to make
quite sure of-yes-of my sublime I'M
consciousness. Now he was hesitating.
like a man weighing all the odds for and
against some design; now he was slip
ping on his clothes. Fully
dressed-hat, boots and all! He took
something from his pocket, stole across
quietly and dropped 1t ever so lightly
across my face-a silk handkerchief.
The thing seemed too paralyz-
ing for sanity. / remember | counted
just Goa minute of nameless horror
for me; and not till afterwards did |
know why / made no sound or sign.
Then my teeth closed on fold OF the
silk, and drew il down a little; could
just see. IL ever mans heart
stood all but still through sick amaze
ment. mine did then. The Transvaal's