The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1902-11-12

It was great nuisance. doweSeI'
take only q remote interest In NIL these
things, and but for your sake. don't
care two straws what became OF the
sequins. Your father has treated me
too badly for friendship between Us
even to be renewed; but confess l
should be gratIfied to learn that bis
frishtful blunder has been demon
strated to him. This Is my position;
and II you intend to try to recover the
treasure-good; will help you with
advice and money. Or II you don'e
think the amount worth the trouble,
good again; and we will agree not to
speak OF think any more OF the mat
ter"
At another time my uncle's deciara'
tion would have depressed me, for GER
tainly there was but one thing ! more
ardently desired than his reconciliation
with my father. But / was not now
disposed to be easily depressed. On
the contrary, to my eyes all things had
nut on q rosy hue, and ! not only
looked for the speedy possession OF
quarter Of o million sequins. and OF
Constance Marsh as my wife, but also
for the patching up Of the miserable
feud of which uncle Sam had just
spoken. Lovers thoughts are so ex-
travagantly fantastical that ! was
oblivious Of the fact that the sequins
might never be recovered. or II recov'
cred were not mine; that Constance
Marsh had not promised to marry me;
and that my uncle had just declared
the impossibility of renewing his for.
mGr friendship with my father. In
this cheerful mood / answered that
had fully determined to follow up the
clue he had suggested, and was pre-
pared to accept any assistance ne
might think necessary and was pre-
pared to offer.
Every good" said uncle Sam. "The
case is q simple one. You have not 10
deal with an accomplished thief. but
an ignorant old miser. who was over
come by q large temptation and has
already manifested symptom OF re-
morse. The world knows nothing OF
its greatest thieves; their success pre-
vents that. Your object, as under
stand 1t, is to get a grip on those Sc
quins; and mine merely to establish
the fact that I had no hand In ab-
stracting them. Am right"
"Quite right, uncle"
"Well. you have but to follow my
directions, and I venture to predict
that you will recover every sequin be-
fore three weeks are over your bead.
Return at once to Holdenhurst. and for
q few days closely observe every act
Of Adams; but be extremely cautious
that the old man doesn't become con-
scious you are watching him. Talk to
him freely, but make no attempt to
sound him on any point which BEARS
however remotely, on the matter In
hand. It ,s not unlikely your vigilance
will BE- rewarded by valuable knowl'
edge. About q week after your re-
turn send the old man on some errand
which win keep him away from Hold
enhurst for an entire day, and during
his absence thoroughly examine his
room and everything that Is his. Don't
scruple to turn out his drawers and
boxes-his suspicious conduct fully JUS
tiles the act. Should you fail to find
the sequins, when the old man returns,
seize him by the throat and, forcing
him against the wall thus'-here uncle
Sam suddenly arose and, grasping me
tightly around the neck with his left
hand, pushed me backwards against
q large cabinet with such vigor that
I was almost strangled. and my white
tie, which l had spent twenty minutes
In adjusting, hopelessly spoiled-"teii
him you possess the clearest possible
evidence that he has stolen the con-
tents Of ten chests belonging to your
father; that II he Immediately restores
what he has stolen he shall be FOR
given, but that II he dare refuse or
even demur you viii at once hand him
over to the police and charge him with
robbery. Be intensely earnest In your
manner, and let your subsequent acts
accord with your words. II you don't
find the sequins while Adams is away.
your accusation on his return Will
throw him into q deadly. terror; he will
fall on his knees like penitent VII
lain in a melodrana and give you in.
formation worth s560.OO0. II you find
the sequins. you can afford to deal less
harshly with the old man."
YES" I gasped, as soon as my un-
Gle relaxed his grasp on my throat
To be continued.