Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-02-07
CHAPTER XIV.
Suspicious,

Suspicious.
Madame Dupre gradually grew stronger,
but fortnight after the ring was missed
DR.. King told Mrs. Montjoy that her grand
mother would never again be well. though
she might live for some time. AS she i'm
proved she grew to believe that the ring
would be recovered. and lived upon that
hope. But she gave up any thought of ever
| seeing the mate. or the descendants who
1t might be-still had It in possession.
She spent much Of her time on her couch,
so frail that a breath might almost extin-
guish the vital spark. But the black eyes
retained their fire. and to stranger would
have struck terror-so great q contrast did
they present to the deathiy pallor. Of her
| face.
| voted slave. anticipating her slight
nothing else for her to do. she spent the
| time in arranging madame's toilet. chatter
| ing all the while to her in French, the lam
guage they both loved.
Cobb pinned alone during all these weeks,
| to Louise's secret rejoicing. Sometimes she
had leisure to reread the letters from one
| and occasionally madame would allow her
! to read one of them aloud
"Tu not keep you long from him now"
her mistress would say, and then the maid
WUulu DuTSl lItO tears anu lmplOT0 IdQdm6
not to break her heart. For the girl was
tenderly attached to her, and her service
| was one Of love rather than duty.
shade of sadness hung over the family
and Cover and Gyp felt it and were sub
dued and lived in peace with one another.
They were allowed to visit their grand
| mamma turn about. every other morning,
| for few moments
Where Is Phil. Govern Does he not
work at the Lodge now?" madame asked, a
week later.
'Oh, yes. but don't see much Of him.
Since Mr.. Glover set me to studying botany
he and go OF together to the woods and
| fields. Phil attends to his work pretty
close, too
"Ten him wish him to come to see me-
l grew fond Of that boy. and hoped he
would learn to love me. Tell him said he
must not desert me now
Cover kissed his grandmother and went
away without replying. He had in truth de-
c1ded In his own mind that he must keep
Phil from seeing her. for Phirs own sake.
He knew that il his grandmother asked him
II he had known Of the hiding place
Of the ruby, or IL he had ever seen IT, he
would not tell a falsehood. To do Cover
| Justice. he was more anxious that his friend
be spared any blame than he was to shield
himself. AS can be understood, no arrests
were made, and no clue was found. Mr..
Montjoy became discouraged.
II have come to feel sure that some one
on the place is implicated. Some one near
us either took it, or assisted an outsider to
do So" he said to his wife.
What possible reason could one Of the
servants have for taking that, and leaving
equally valuable jewels that were in the
same drawerT
IT can think Of several reasons they may
have had, not necessary to state just now
but can't think Of so many for an out
sider.''
I'VE always regarded our dependents as
| honest. Hartley"
Eyes. know. You would better question
the children again. and find out II either Of
them ever told any one the secret"
Even II they did not tell Of It. how do
you account for young mana complete
strengthening Mr.. Harlow duplicate the
| ring from an accurate description Of our
own?'
II don't account for 1t at all, Just at
present, but II can discover who furnished
the description to Mr.. Dupre-or the man
who called himself that-I think I shall
have some clue, and I am convinced that
some one around us Is interested in the
theft"
"Gyp." said her mother that evening, ARE
you positive that you never told any one
where grandmamma kept her ruby?"
why, yes. mamma. told you so before.
I never mentioned it to a person. not even
Vera King. I don't remember that I ever
talked about the ring to anybody"
Il am glad to hear you say It, my DEAR
Of family affairs-as I have often told you
before"
81 remember what you said, mamma, and
I don't do It," said Gyp. proudly "But
tell me. is It true that Mr. Glover is to go
away in October to the law school, and
that Cover will have a new tutor?'
Yes, am sorry to say that he leaves us
then. 1t Is unfortunate for poor Cover"
what is unfortunate for poor Govern"
asked that individual. coming into the IL
brary.
| Mrs. Mont5oy repeated her remark and
| then sent Gyp to her practtcing. Her
brother was about to follow her.
"Stay, my son. his mother said. IT wish
| to speak to you. 1 must ask you again
| II you ever showed any one the missing
ring or where 1t was hidden?
Cover could no longer eyade his confess
| sion. and he wished heartily that he had
| told all when his mother questioned him
! before. He told her now about showing
| Phil the ring: Of the hand stretched out to
| clutch 1t. and of playing burglars that May
| night. He was relieved when his story was
| ended.
Phil had anything to do with taking 1t. or
| helping that young Dupre," he said eager
ly. II know he never did It! Why. he
| won't even tell Her.
Mrs. MOntjoy looked grave. "And did
you never learn who 1t was that tried to
4 get 1t while you were showing 1t to him?
It Is of great importance that we learn
| that If You had only told of this at the
| time. all our trouble might have been
| avoided by our sending the ring away, or
placing It In our own SAFE"
Il never knew VINO the man was, though
| was always on the lookout for a SCARED
wrist. I believe he must have been a
| stranger"
Your papa must know Of this. Think
what a suspicion 1t casts on Phil. regret
that son OF mine should have thrown
| temptation In poor boys way. And one
| too. who seemed anxious to do well and
make something of himself"
"Oh. mamma, don't, don't blame Phil! It
| must be that Dupre told some one in
Easton who came out and took it,
| wen not discuss it any more now I
| shall certainly try to think Phil innocent
until he is proved guilty."
| Mr. Montjoy was informed of his sons
confession. Il will question Phil myself
and promise him that IL he will return the
| ring he shall escape punishment 1 had
grown interested In that boy, and am very
| sorry to hear this. What foolishness that
| was of Covers! / do declare he Is almost
| equally to blame. Well I'll still try to be-
| lieve in pills innocence until he convicts
himself. So young a boy is certain to do
So"
Begging her husband not to be hard -on
| him. Mrs. Montjoy left the room and went
| to sit with Madame Dupre.
| Go be continued)
aluminium is superior to any stone for
] sharpening cutlery.