The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-10-19
A I'D BE II

the rubies; don't rest day or night till
you give them to her." Well, / had sworn
TO keep my promise, and 1 had better set
to work, without loss of time, TO unravel
the mystery and dispose of my charge; it
was distinctly a responsibility TO have jew
els Of that value suddenly thrust upon you
belonging to someone else, especially in my
bachelor, wandering life-and henceforward
1T probably would be a wandering one.
Still, my uncle had managed to keep them
safely hidden, even from me. for all these
years, and SO probably 1 could do the same.
One by one 1 took out the letters and
read them. Evidently they had been sent
TO him before he left England. They were
all written in the same fine, delicate-point-
ed Italian hand, and sweet, womanly little
letters, signed Janet" The address on
them was Beech Manor, Woodfeld. Not
one of them contained any mention of the
rubies, and after 1 had gone through them
all 1 was no better off than before.
And. although my uncle had left his af-
fairs In the greatest order possible, there
was no word about the Jewels. Why, in a
matter of such serious Importance, had he
left no word of instruction, no hint as to
his wishes, to me, except those few last
disjointed words with his dying breath?
1t was all a mystery, and I felt sorely per-
picked.
AS 1 remarked before, when all was set
tied up. / found myself in possession of a
very considerable fortune, quite independ-
ent of everything and everybody. without
a tie in the world.
AT first after my uncle's death my life
went on much as it had done before; 1
had made no plans as yet; but, instead of
growing accustomed to his empty chair, 1
came to miss his CHEEKY presence more and
more. and then came an irresistible longing
for the old homeland again. 1t was twelve
years or more since / had left England,
and, although India is a pleasant enough
place to live in-many a good time nave l
had out there-still my soul longed for my
native shore once again.
My mind was soon made up. I settled up
my affairs, disposed of my comfortable
bungalow, I said goodbye to my kitmatgar,
behrer and all the rest of them, and in a
very short time 1 LANDED myself and my
baggage on board the p. and o. steamer
Turin. bound for England. 1t was a COM
Portable boat; the passengers, most of them,
were charming people, many of the girls
were pretty, all Of them were jolly, and
varied were the enjoyable half hours !
passed. Altogether my voyage was a
thoroughly pleasant one to look back upon.
When l arrived in London I felt strange
after my lazy, calm existence in the East,
where no one ever hurried; here every one
was in a hustle and a hurry, jostling you
about as IL they hadn't a moment to
breathe. However, I did not waste much
time in looking up some Of my old college
chums. Many Of them were married to
pretty wives, and we had a good time all
round. But those rubies, they lay heavy or
my conscience. / could not forget or neglect
my charge, and before 1 could turn my
thoughts pleasurewards / must use every
effort in my power to find out something
about them.
/ had no one to question, no relations to
ask. nothing to go upon but the name OF
Woodfeld. The little knowledge 1 had was
so slight that it was worth absolutely moth
ing. 1 Travelled down to Berkshire to the
little village Of woodfeld. Once the family
of Fortescue had lived at Beech Manor-sc
much 1 Iearnt-but they had, by some
means that nobody seemed to know, lost al
their fortune in one crash. and the estate
NV OCAh6 ChtoiSu, bACs iidu ia " lSdtc u
and it had passed into other hands.
Soon after this, it was believed, brother
and. sister-all who were left of the For.
tescue f~amily-had died within a few
months of each other. Meager, indeed, wa.
this information to go upon. 1 had all tn,
parish registers Of marriages and death
searched, but they told me nothing.
1 caused advertisements to be inserted il
every London and country paper for new
of Janet Fortescue or her heirs. And nov
another trouble haunted me; were they
she and her Manipulating in comparativ,
poverty, while 1 had possession of thes,
priceless jewels? My lawyers were cease
less in their efforts; indeed, 1 think we lef
no stone unturned; but all our search
proved fruitiess; no answer came to any o
our advertisements Janet and her famil.
seemed to have disappeared from the fac,
of the earth.
The months passed on and grew int,
years, and ] made Up my mind hi searcl
was hopeless. The rubies, though, wer
rarely, If ever out of my mind; they cause,
me sleepless nights and bad dreams. Offer
1 would wake up, a cold perspiration al
over me, in the conviction that they ha,
disappeared. until in my heart Of heart
1 had begun to think of them as 'thos
blessed rubies." 1 had been in Englan,
now for three years., and 1 had settled dow
peaceably to an English country life.
After my visit to the little Berkshire vii
lage a fancy had possessed me that, If b,
any chance Beech Manor were in the mar
ket, i would buy it. / had some trouble a
first about 1t. but before long 1 was able I
come to a satisfactory agreement with tn
owner. and it passed into my hands.
1t was a snug house. and a nice littl
estate. the shooting was fairly good, an
the hunting excellent. / had spent tn
winter here, but 1t was past now-th
April days were lengthening into May, an
1 felt IL was about time TO AXE up m
abode in town..
One sunny afternoon wended my way t
the club. 1 had an appointment with Char
lie lie Mesurier: we were to talk over som
horses / wanted to buy.