The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-01-15

Jewels; a gross. one. You would have done
better to have allowed Mr. Miles to take
them with him. Though / do homage to the
desire to make partial restitution"
Il beg your pardon, sir
The girl looked, or tried to look, as if she
did not understand-though a slight tell
tale flush showed in her cheeks.
Not at ALL" Mr.. Champnell turned to
Miss Darling. This is the person, Miss
Darling, who has put back your Jewels in
the case The little document. of the nature
of a promise to marry, she retains
The girl-she was pretty one-went as
red as fire, than all white. She made a
quick backward movement towards the door
she had come some distance into the room
lin an instant Mr.. Champnell was between
her and it. She turned and confronted him,
gasping for breath.
Let me go!' she said.
zone moment, if you please" Mr. Champ
nell motioned towards her, with his hand
Your cousin, Miss Darling / believe
How do you know she's my cousin?" de-
manded Miss Darling. who seemed to be
herself slightly disconnected.
Mr.. Champnell shrugged his shoulders.
How? Especially as, 1 am afraid she
She has had, for some time, her eye on that
promise of marriage, touching which, 1 fear
you have been slightly indiscreet. She i'm
agined that if she could only get It into her
possession, it would be worth a fortune to
her, and Also that she would have you in her
mercy. The scheme she formed to get hold
of it, and yet prevent suspicion falling on
to her, was ingenious. Her fault has been
that she has been too clever"
Miss Darlings eyes had been fixed upon
the maid, whose demeanor betrayed her
Il never thought it of you, PoIy! ex-
claimed the lady.
But the girl was still. Mr. Champnen
went on.
"A gentleman, whose name is Miles, and
whose profession is burglary, formed, some
time ago, the intention of burglariously en-
tering Azalea Villa. Experience had taught
him that the best aid to a burglar was a
maid whom he could pump. But in endeav-
oring to pump the maid at Azalea Villa,
Mr.. Miles, unconsciously, had met more
than his match While he thought he was
pumping her, she, in reality, was pumping
him. She perceived that here was the OPP
portunity offered which she had so long
been seeking. She decided to allow Mr..
Miles to commit his burglary, and then,
under cover of his burglary, to steal that lit
tie document. The dea one must own, was
in its way neat one.
IT'S lie!' gasped the girl. Its a lie!''
Really, it is unkind of you to say so-and
uncvil too. Last night, Mr.. Miles did COM
nit his burglary. Although he did not know
it, the maid was expecting him. She per-
mitted him to abstract the jewels from the
case. But, as he was about to take his de-
parture, in the little room with the white
walls he saw bottle and a glass on the
table, which the maid had placed there
knowing that Mr.. Miles was Of a thirsty
nature Mr.. Miles rose to the bait He put
down his bag with its precious contents, he
filled the tumbler from the bottle, and he
darkened his lantern. That same second the
maid, who, all the time, was concealed be-
hind a curtain, exchanged his bag for one
of her own, which she had already prepared,
and, simultaneously, removed the cap from
a magic lantern, which, / noticed is still
in the little room with the white walls and
which she lighted and focused and fitted
with slide which took the shape of a capt.
tai colored portrait of Lord George Car
man. The startled Mr.. Miles, expecting
nothing of the kind, and taken unawares,
not unnaturally imagined that the picture
which ne saw on the wall-the white wall
served as an excellent screen-was the man
himself. He snatched up the substituted
bag, without perceiving in his haste the
substitution which had been effected, and
ran for his life. The maid, therefore, was
left in possession offthe spoils. fancy that.
when it came to the point, she did not dare
to retain them in her possession. But to
return them a tactical blunder. The
document, which she removed before Mr.
Miles's arrival on the scene, as have said,
she retains.
AS she listened, the girls face had been
picture of varying emotions. She shrank
from him if he had been some uncanny
thing.
It's lie!' she gasped again, mechan-
ically rather than of her own volition
SO far from its being a lie, you have
that document upon your person at this
moment. Give it to me-take my advice
before it is too late!'
Mr.. Champnell's tone became stern. his
manner commanding. The girl qualled be-
fore his searching glance. His force domi-
mated hers. With trembling fingers, un-
fastening the buttons of her bodice, she
drew from her breast a paper In an in
slant the Hon. Augustus had snatched it
from her. AS he did So with cry as of
fear, she sank on to the floor and burst into
a flood of hysterical tears.
Mr.. Champnell handed the paper which
he had taken from her to Miss Darling.
THAT, believe you will find is the prom
Use of marriage
1t was.