The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-02-15
THE GOLDEN
IDOL. :"
by FERGUS HUME

Always was And 1 don't think ought
really to help you deny yourself for him.
1 don't" But the generals eyes dwelt
lovingly on the idol, and 1t proved too
much for his scruples. "Ah, well I'll hold
my tongue and give you the money I
will See! III put the image up here.
Look at it, @
The BOojam was placed on a high shelf
in company with some Chinese ware, a
ship of carved ivory and a gaily painted
porcelain pagoda. Its like home to him,
it is" said the general, shuf1ing over
to Chippendale table, one of his bar
gains. Hold you now, my dear TT
write you a cheque, 1 will
Moran waited and looked round tho
room. 1t seemed to her to offer very
great temptation to burglars. She won-
dered indeed. that Gen. Burnley had not
been robbed long before Those French
windows, toe, oTcnirg on to the lawn,
which was divided from the common only
| Try small fence, seemed to Norah any
| thing but secure. The nearest houses
were some considerable distance awayI
in fact, the cottage was almost as iso-
| lated as that of the late Capt. jayne.
The room resembied nothing so much "a
a curiosity shop. II was literally pack 4
with quaint and valuable furniture, silk
en- curtains from japan, pictures by mas
tiers old and new, porcelain, china, books,
old silver, carvings, and suchlike. Gen.
Burley's taste did not seem to lie in any
one especial direction. All was grist to
his mill, from snuff-boxes to steel fem
ders. From the terrible disorder which
prevailed, Norah judged that the old
mans mind must be in a very confused
state. There was a little clearing ct
one end OF the room occupied by the
writing-tabIe at which the general now
sat. !,
'I wonder you aren't afraid of being
robbed" said Norah, when he had fin
shed.
Pooh! Nonsense! Robbed? Why,
there's nothing here worth rotb.ng. I've
lived like this for fifteen years and no
one has come near the house, they
haven't"
Norah's gaze, she could rot say why,
was attracted towards the golden Boo
jun, smiling and glittering there on his
nigh shelf
81 wish you'd lock up that idol. gen
it was unlucky."
Jayne? Oh Jayne was a fool. he vast
don't believe in luck. I'm long past
that sort Of thing, I am. You've no
news of him yet, I sIppcse?''
''No. I begin TO fear we never shall
have" said Norah, dismaEy.
"Ah, well, get another. There are as
good fish in the sea as ever came out OF
it, there are! See, here's your chedue.
Forty pounds. Go and cash 1t at F'let-
mouth. And, Norah, If your mother
cares to sell that Chinese jar FL buy it,
! will. Good-day, go1d-day. You're lock-
ing pretty and fresh, you are, and he
hustled her out
So Norah left him to gIoat over his new
addition to his collection. What there
was to attract him in any of the rub, ism
he seemed to have gathered together she
could not see. She no longer wondered
that his relatives were wrath at his wa to
Of money. But with his cheque In her
pocket for forty pounds wherewith she
could succour Philip, she was not in
clined to find great fault with him her
self on that score. 1t is an i'll WIND that
blows nobody good, and this particular
wind had blown her the money she 80
urgently needed
She walked into Fletmouth and was
fortunate enough to get to the bank be-
fore 1t closed. She changed her cfequs
for gold Ten sovereign5 she kept, with
which to propitiate her mother should tFe
sale of the idol be discovered premature
ly by her. The remaining thirty she
placed in a little canvas bag for Philip.
Then, her errand accomplished, she
turned home.
She found Fancy in great state OF
excitement.
Mothers In the kitchen talking to the
new servant" announced Fancy; and
I've Just been dying for YOU to cCme.
Have you sold the Boojum?"
Eyes. to Gen. Burnley. for forty
pounds
Then you'll never see Leonard again"
said Fancy, solemnly. "Norah. you must
get 1t back at once at any cost. With
out 1t Leonard is lost for ever!''
What do you mean?
Did you read the Telegraph This
morning? OF course you didn't. Mother
had it, and she keeps it for hours.
Goodness knows why. She only looks at
the births, deaths and marriages. we
been reading IL a.l-all. even To the al
vertisements. And I've found tntz--iook,
Norafl. tnis-in the agony colGnlnL I'm
so excited, dear. don't kn1w if =. m on
my heal or MY heels"
Norah WAS equally excited when she
read the advertisement
"N. Oidport IF you want T. will YOU
exchange golden god AasEsr in this
column daring next three lays to Wang
Ho.' -
Go Be Continued Daiiy.)