El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1900-09-01

| it Will come OH. No, you need not d
afraid of touching it; it isn't wet. He
he, And this crescent. Look at thos'
diamonds! A duchess would be proud
of them. had them from a private sol
| der. | gave him two rupees for them.
| Dear mel how the sight of them brings
back old times. But won't leave them
| ont any longer. We must put them
away-put them away"
And the glittering mass was gathered
| up and shoveled back into the old brown
| bag. He looked into it once with hungry
| eyes, and then he pulled the string and
| pushed it over to me. Take 1t, he said.
Put it away now. Put it away" he
repeated, as 1 hesitated-
put the bag into my pocket. He gave
a long sigh as he watched it disappear.
Now what you have got to do with
/ that bag he said moment afterward,
lis to take it to Ralph Danvers, the sec
| ond son of Sir George Danvers, of Stoke
| Moreton, in D--shire. Sir George has
| got two sons. have never seen him or
his sons, but l don't mean the eldest to
have them. He is a spendthrift. They
are all for Ralph, who is u steady fell
low, and going to marry nice girl-at
least 1 suppose she is nice girl. Girls
who are going to be married always are
nice. Those jewels win sweeten matri-
mony for Mrs Ralph, and if she is like
other women it will need sweetening.
There, now you have got them aid that
is what you have got to do with them.
There is the address written on this
card. With my compliments, you per
ceive. He! he! don't suppose they will
remember who | am"
Have Won no relationsy" / asked, for
1 am always strongly of opinion that
property should be bequeathed to rela-
tives, especially near relatives, rather
than to entire strangers.
None" he replied, mot even poor re
lations. | have no deserving nephew or
Scotch cousin. If l had they would be
here at this moment, smoothing the pill
low of the departing saint and wonder
ing how much they would get. You
may make your mind easy on that score"
Then. who is this Ralph whom you
have never seen and to whom you are
leaving so much:'' 1 asked, with my
usual desire for INFORMATION.
He glared ut me for n moment, and
then he turned his face away.
Oh il. What does it matter, now
I'm dying" he said. And then he added
hoarsely, Il knew his mother"
l could not speak, but involuntarily ]
put out my hand and took his leaden
one and held it. He scowled at me, and
then the words came ont. rs if in spite of
himself:
Shelf she had married me who
knows what might But she mar
ried DanverS. Sine called her second
son Ralph. Ny first name is Ralph"
Then. with "a Sudden change of tone.
pulling away his hand, There. now
you know all about it. Edifying, isn't
it? These deathbed scenes always have
an element of interest, haven't they:
Good evening -ringing the bell at his
elbow-''I can't say | hope we shall
meet again; it would he impolite. No.
don't let me keep Won. Good-by again"
"Good-by. Sir John l said. taking
his impatient hand and shaking it gently:
''God bless Won"
"Thankee." grinned the old man with
a sardonic chuckIe. If anything could
do me good that will. Tn sure Good
by"
As | breakfasted next morning previ
ously To my departure | could not help
rejecting ON the different position in
which | was now returning To England
AS colonel on long leave-to that in
which had left it many. | do not care |
tn think how many, years ago, the I
youngest ensign in the regiment.
1t was curious TO remember that in my |
youth had always been considered the |
fool of the family; most unjustly so con-
when L look back at my quick |
promotion owing to casualties, and at |
my long and prosperous career in India,
,,t~
of high principles and abilities. to say the
least of it, OF not the meanest order. On
the point of returning to England the
trust Sir John had. with his usual shrewd-
ness. reposed in me was an additional
proof, if proof We're needed, of the conf
lence 1 had inspired in him-a conf
lence which seemed to have ripened
at the end of his life, after
many years of hardly concealed mockery
md derision. Just as / was finishing
my reflections and my breakfast Dickson,
,ne of the last Joined subalterns, came in.
This is very awful" he said, so grave
v that / turned to look at him.
What is awful
Don't you know" he replied
Haven't you heard about-Sir John
asst night:
Dead | asked.
He nodded and then he said:
Murdered in the night. Cathcart
leard IA noise and went in and STUN bled
'ver him on the floor. As he came in he
aw the lamp knocked over, and a figure
ush out through the veranda. The
noon was bright and he saw a man run
cross clear space in the moonlight
tall. slightly built man in native dress,
mt not "A native, Cathcart said; that he
would take his oath on by his build
rnnsal tba hons. h,,+ tba ,,,an ,,,t