Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1899-08-12
A BIT OF BLUE ENAnEI..
ICONTINUED FROM PAGE IL

lCON1lNUED fkoH FAVE I'll
"What is it, Marjorie?" he asked,
looking at her curiously.
Mr.. Hyde, my father was murder
I'D at midnight by thief who came 70
rob him."
He looked amazed-bewildered
-.Your father? - when: = how long
ago." he queried. in a voice which, try
as he might, he could not keep quite
free from excitement.
"Nine years ago. We lived in West
moreland then-at rather a lonely
house. My father was writing book.
and he always sat up late alone. One
-night-it was Valentines eve-he was
-murdered-stabbed to the heart by
some villain for the sake Of hundred
pounds in bank notes which had been
g,aid to him that day"
a Again the young man cast on her Q
strange look. .----- !, .
81 fancy 1 remember something Of
that murder" he said slowly. But
the name-surely it was not st. Clair 2"
"Oh. no."
And then Marjorie explained briefly
how she had come to change her name.
She told him, too, that her full name
was Ethel Marjorie, and that it was as
Ethel Bruce she had been spoken Of
III the newspapers at the time of the
~Zlu! Ger.
>"Itu me all about it.. will your he
,Jtaiu, and she complied, beginning with
fe~ ler's mysterious dream, and
corr.".jug with the extraordinary CO.
t"o:'...ao Of Medicines possession OF
til set. -,
So amazed was he at this that he
coulG not repress start, and, II ne had
>1ot X, pit his eyes bent on the ground
Marjorie must have marvelled at the
1traGSe look in them.
S6c went on to tell him how she had
preserved the little piece of blue enam-
el, and, by that means, was able to
prove, beyond the shadow Of a doubt,
. that Madelines locket was the one
which had been stolen from her father
o., .l;tt fatal night.
"Ihat bit of blue enamel is of the ut
mes, importance!" exclaimed Hyde,
raising his head for the first time dur
:ug, ~ narrative. Take every care of
st Where do you keep it, MarJorle?
'G!,, it is quite safe. l haven't kept
it ~ these years to lose it now. l
kee, i in a little ivory box my dear
father gave me, and this is locked up
inside another box, and that, again, is
locked inside my desk, and the desk IS
locked inside one of my drawers. Can
anything be safer than that?" said
Ma rjOrie.
MY word, should think not" and
Charles Hyde smiled SO broadly as TO
reveal all his fine white teeth.
He seemed excessively amused at all
this caution.
"Ot course, 1 don't attach much i'm
port3nce to the discovery of the lock-
e. vent on Marjorie, grayely, as she
rose md prepared to walk homewards.
AS Hadeline says, it no doubt passed
through many hands before it came to
hers .
oh no doubt" said Hyde, with
alacr,ty.
Still, it is a. coincidence-a very
strange coincidence: and somehow /
cant help feeling that through that
locket the murderer will be brought to
justice in the end"
The young man cast keen, side
long glance at her, as though doubt
ing whether she might not be keeping
back some suspicion in her mind. I
"And this gang of thieves you were
speaking Of" she resumed. isn't it
quite possible 1t is one of them who
killed my father?"
Quite possible. 1 should say" he
answered, rather dryly.
But not very probable, you Think"
said Marjorie, looking quickly into his
face.
81 didn't say So" And he smiled q
trife amusedly.
. Marjorie felt hurt.
"Oh. Mr.. Hyde. 1t isn't a testing mat
ter-to mel" she exclaimed, reproach
( fully.
Forgive me-" he said, becoming per-
fectly serious in moment. and draw
ing her arm through his as he spoke.
'Forgive me. 1 wouldn't have panied
you for the world" After pause he
added, very softly: "You believe that
Marjorie ?"
She did not answer, though joyous
thrill ran through her veins. and made
her heart beat fast
A few moments later they had reach.
ed the house.