Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1902-04-16

suffered. Can you wonder that We are
anxious to find him?"
II do not wonder at that at all"
said. MY only feeling Ia that must
regard 1T as an entirely business mat
ter"
I'VE cannot blame YOU" Kitwater
replied. Yet you must surely under
stand our anxiety for definite and
immediate answer. The man has had
considerable start of us already, and
he has doubtless disposed of the Jew
els ere this. At whatever price he sold
them, he must now be in possession of
a considerable fortune, which rightly
belongs to us. We are not vindictive
men; all we ask is for our own"
Il quite agree with you there" re-
Piied. The only question in my mind
is, who shall get it for you? Let me
explain matters a little more clearly.
In the first place have no desire to of
fend you, but how am 1 to know that
the story you tell me is a true one?"
Il have already told you that YOU
will have to take our word for that"
he said. 1T will be "A great disappoint-
ment to us if you cannot take the mat
ter up, but we must bear il as we have
borne our other miSfortunes. When
we realized the way you managed
those bank people we said to each
other: That's the man for us. Ifanv-
one can catch Hayle he's that person
IL naturally comes to us as a disap-
pointment to find that you are not
willing to take up the case"
Il have not said that | am not will
ing" | answered.; 81 only said that
am not going to commit myself until
| ha e given the matter due considera-
ton If you will call here at four
o'clock tomorrow afternoon, / shall
be able to give you Il definite answer"
Il suppose we must be content with
that, said Kitwater, lugubriously.
They thereupon thanked me and
rose to go.
by the way" i said, docs this man
Hayle know that you are in England?"
The blind man shook his head.
He thinks we are lying dead in the
jungle" he said, land it is not his
fault that we are not. Did he suspect
for moment that we were alive and
in the same country as himself, he'd
be out of ii like rat driven by Il fer
ret from his hole. But if you will give
us your assistance, sir, we will make
him aware Of our presence before very
long"
Though he tried to speak unconcern-
eddy, there was an expression upon the
mans face that startled me. | felt
that, bind though he was, should not
care TO be in Mr.. Hayle's place when
they should meet.
After they had left me lit Cigar
and began to think the matter over.
/ had had a number Of strange cases
presented to me in my time, but never
one that had opened in such a fashion
as this y man robs his friends in the
center of China; the latter are tor
tured and manned for life, and come to
me in London 10 seek out their be-
trayer for them, in whatever part of
the globe he might be. The whole
thing seemed so preposterous as to be
scarcely worth consideration, and yet,
try how 1 would to put it out of my
mind, l found myself thinking of it
continually. The recollection of the
blind mans face and that of his dumb
companion haunted me awake and
asleep. More than once | determined
to have nothing to do with them. only
later to change my mind, and VOW that
[ would see the matter through at any
cost TO myself.
Next morning, however, saner coun-
sells prevailed. An exceedingly re-
munerative offer was made me by
prominent trust company. which at
any other time L should have had no
hesitation in Immediately accepting.
Fate. however, which is generally
more responsible for these matters
than most folk imagine, had still n
card to play upon Messrs Kitwater
and Colds Eehalf, and it was destined
10 overthrow all my scruples, and what
was more to ultimately revolutionize
the conduct of my whole life.