Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1903-03-20
BY ROBERT
LOUIS
STEVENSON
& Continued from last week. I


lamp in the lavatory was unshaded,
and in the lighted aperture thus dis
eflosed Mr.. ROLES could see the head OF
mr.. Vandeleur in an attitude Of deep
=attention. He was conscious that the
=~gaze of the dictator rested intently OH
his own face, and the instinct Of self
preservation moved him to hold his
breath, to refrain from the least move
ment and, keeping his eyes lowered, to
watch his visitor from underneath the
lashes. After about moment the head
was withdrawn and the door of the law
~atory replaced.
The dictator had not come to attack,
but to observe. His action was not that
Of man threatening another, but that
.od a man who was himself threatened.
If Mr.. ROLES was afraid Of him, it ap-
:peared that he In his turn was not quite
easy on the score Of Mr.. ROLES. He
had come, it. would seem. to make sure
that his only fellow traveller was asleep,
ard, when satisfied on that point, he
had at once withdrawn.
~The clergyman leaped to his feet.
The extreme of terror had given place
to q reaction of foolhardy daring. He
reflected that the rattle of the flying
train concealed all other sounds and
determined, come what might, to re-
turn the visit he had just received. Di-
resting himself of his cloak. wh!cE
might have intcrfered with the free
Gi2M of his action. he entered the lava
sa,l.S and paused to listen. AS he had
sss1Esected, there was nothing to be heard
anx..e the roar of the trains progress,
ard. laying his hand en- the door at the
Farther side, he proceeded cautiously to
l1raw it back for about six inches. Then
he stopped and could not contain an
ejaculation of surprise.
John Vandeleur wore fur travelling
gap with lappets to protect his ears,
and this may have combined with the
sound of the express to keep him in
Ignorance of what was going forward.
1t is certain, at least, that he did not
raise his head, but continued without
interruption to pursue his strange en-
sployment. Between his feet stood an
open hatbOx. In one hand he held the
sleeve of his sealskin greatcoat, in the
other a formidable knife, with which
he had just slit up the lining of the
Sleeve. Mr. ROLES had read of persons
carrying money in belt, and. as he
had no acquaintance with any but
cricket belts, he had never been able
srigh1ly to conceive how this was man.
aged. But here was a stranger thing
before his eyes, for John Vandeleur, it
appeared, carried diamonds in the lin
ing of his sleeve, and even as the
young clergyman gazed he could see
one glittering brilliant drop after an
~eofher into the hatbox.
He stood riveted to the spot, follow
ing this unusual business with his eyes.
The diamonds were, for the most part,
small and not easily distinguishable
seifher in shape or fire. Suddenly the
dictator appeared to find a difficulty.
He employed both hands and stopped
lover his task, but it was not until after
considerable maneuvering that he ex-
zrieated large tiara of diamonds from
.She lining and held it up for some Sec
sonds' examination before he placed it
with the others in the hatbOx. The
ttiara was a ray Of light to Mr.. ROLES.
He immediately recognized it for a
part of the treasure stolen from Harry
Hartley by the loiterer. There was NO
sroom for mistake; it was exactly rs the
detective had described it. There were
the ruby stars. with a great emerald il
the center; there were the inter la Gins.
acrescents, and there were the pear
shaped pendants, each Il single stone
which gave a special value to Lady
Wandeleur's tiara.
MIR. ROLES was hugely relieved The
dictator was as deeply in the affair as
he was. Neither could tell tales upon
the other. In the first glow of happi-
ness the clergyman suffered a deep
sigh to escape him, and, as his bosom
had become choked and his throat dry
Sduring his previous suspense, the sigh
was followed by cough.
Mr.. Vandeleur looked up. His face
contracted with the blacklist and most
sAeadly poison, his eyes opened widely
and his under jaw dropped in an as
Non1shment that was upon the brink of
fury. BY an instructive movement he
had covered the hatbox with the coat.
For half a minute the two men stared
npon each other in silence. 1t was not
a long interval, but it sufficed for MIR.
ROLES. He was one of those who
think swiftly on dangerous occasions
He decided on a course of action of a
*Angularly daring nature, and, although
he felt he was setting his life upon the
hazard, he was the first to break 81.
Aence.
Il beg your pardon said he.
The dictator sliivered slightly, and
when he spoke dis voice was hoarse
"What do you want here?' he asked
81 take particular interest in dia.
znonds," replied Mr.. ROLES, with an all
of perfect self possession. 1.-TWO con
noisseurs should be acquainted.
have here trife of my own which
may perhaps serve for an introduc
flon.'