Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1904-07-30

chart is dated at a time when Morstan
was brought into close association
with convicts. Jonathan Small did
not get the treasure because he and his
associates were themselves convicts
and could not get away"
But this is mere speculation" said I.
1T is more than that. II is the ONLY
hypothesis which covers the facts Let
us see how it fits in with the SEQUEL.
Maj. Sholto remains at peace for some
years, happy in the possession of his
treasure. Then he receives a letter
from India which gives him a great
fright. What was that?"
"A letter to say that the men whom
he had wronged had been set free"
"Or had escaped. That is much more
likely, for he would have known what
their term of Imprisonment was. 1t
would not have been surprise to him.
What does he do then? He guards him
self against a wooden-legged mana
white man, mark you, for he mistakes
white tradesman for him. and actual
ly fires pistol at him. Now, only one
white mans name is on the chart.
The others are Hindoos or Moham-
medans. There is no other white man.
Therefore we may say with confidence
that the wooden-legged man is identi-
cal with Jonathan Small. Does the
reasoning strike you as being faulty?"
No: 1T is clear and concise"
We'll, now, let us put ourselves in
the place of Jonathan Small Let us
look at 1T from his point of view He
comes to England with the double idea
OF regaining what he would consider to
be his rights and of having his revenge
upon the man who had wronged him.
he found out where Sholto lived, and
very possibly he established commune
cations with some one inside the house
There is this butler, Lal Rao, whom we
have not seen. Mrs. Bernstone pives
him far from good character. Small
could not find out, however, where the
treasure was hid, for no one ever
knew, save the major and one faithful
servant who had died. Suddenly Small
learns that the jor is on his death,
bed. In frenzy lest the secret of the
treasure die with him, he runs the
gauntlet of the guards makes his way to
the dying mans window, and is only de-
tered from entering by the presence
of his two sons. Mad with hate, how
ever, against the dead man, he enters
the room that night, searches his pri-
vate papers in the hope of discovering
some memorandum relating to the
treasure, and finally leaves memento
of his visit in the short inscription upon
the card. He had doubtless planned
beforehand that should he slav the
major he would leave some such rec
ord upon the body as sign that it was
not common murder, but, from the
inf Nf II IL
something in the nature OF an act of
justice. Whimsical and bizarre con-
ceits of this kind are common enough
in the annals of crime, and usually af-
ford valuable indications as to the
criminal. Do you follow all this?"
Very clearly"
Now! what could Jonathan Small
do? He could only continue to keep a
secret watch upon the efforts made to
find the treasure. Possibly he leaves
England and only comes back at inter
walls. Then comes the discovery Of the
garnet, and he is instantly informed of
it, We again trace the presence of
some confederate in the household.
Jonathan, with his wooden leg. is ut
terly unable to reach the lofty room of
bartholomew Sholto. He takes with
him, however, rather curious asso-
ciate, who gets over this difficulty, but
dips his naked foot into creosote,
whence come Toby, and six-mile
limp for half-pay officer with a dam
aged Achillis tendo."
But IL was the associate, and no,
Jonathan, who om.nitted the crime u
Quite so. And rather to Jonathan's
disgust, 10 Judge by the wav he
stamped about when he got into the
room. He bore no grudge against Bar
tholomew Sholto, and would have pre-
ferred if he could have been simply
bound and gagged. He did not wish to
put his head in halter There was no
help for it, however, the savage in
stincts of his companion had broken
out, and the poison had done its work:
so Jonathan Small left his record. low
cred the treasure box To the ground.
and followed il himself That was the
train of events as far as can decipher
them. OF course as TO his personal ap-
pearance he must be middle-ared. and
must be sunburned after serving his
time IN such an oven as the Andamans
lis height is readily calculated from
the length of his stride, and we know
that he was bearded. His hairiness
was the one point which impressed |
itself upon Thaddeus Sholto when he |
saw him at the window. don't know |
that there is anything else"
THE asSociate?"
"Ah, well, there is no great MYSTERY
In that But you will know all about |
1T soon enough. How sweet the morn |
ing air isl See how that one little !
cloud floats like a pink feather from |
some gigantic fiamingo. Now the red |
rim of the sun pushes itself over the |
London cloudbank. 1t shines on a good |
many folk, but on none, dare bet, who |
are on stranger errand than You and |
l. How small we feel with our petty |
and strivings in the presence |
OF the great elemental forces of naturel |
Are you well up in your Jean Paul?"
Fairly so. | worked back to him /
through Carlyle"
THAT was like following the brook |
to the parent lake. He makes but one /
curious but profound remark 1t is |