Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1904-02-16

5
at the Cape, in which case it would be
well for him to know the precise ma
ture of the reports. Then, too, he
wanted to be able to say truthfully
that he had actually set the sleuths at
work.
Arrived in the city, he went first OF
all to Lloyds, where he spent morn
ing poring over the files of all the
South African papers. Not a syllable,
not line, could he find bearing upon
the disappearance of Richard Dysart.
One solitary item alone rewarded his
close and anxious scrutiny. and that
reported the locating of new dia-
mond field on the Mooi river.
"Ah," he said to himself, then it
has leaked out!" He knew the hateful
spot only too well.
Then he visited a well-known pri-
vate inquiry Office In a street OF the
Strand, where he left minute instruc-
tions for prosecuting the search at the
Cape.
Spare no expense; use the cable
freely send your best detectives: find
the young man, alive or dead, and send
me the smallest item Of news!"
Such a commission. from a man of
such social and commercial promi-
nence, was safe to be worked up quick
ly and thoroughly. Kane felt that he
ran no risk in thus displaying his per-
sonal interest in what was, after all,
q very natural manner.
The mere act of being busy, even on
this partially fictitious errand, served
to steady his nerves, and he returned
to The Cedars> fortified for his Interview
with his aff1anced. With sort of
blind defiance of fate he determined to
let matters drift for few days.
Stella he saw on the morning after
his return, and was lavishly rewarded
for his quick compliance with her
maiden request
How good and thoughtful you are!"
she exclaimed, the love-light in her
eyes. "If you were one of us-if you
were Rick's own brother-you could
not do more"
The bitter-sweet of her praises
moved and thrilled him more deeply
than he would have believed possible
one short year ago, and again his con-
science smote him. But he was none
the less alert to seize the opening thus
afforded him. s.y .,..
Remember you have yourself given
me the best Of all rights to help you,"
he murmured, land when you give me
your sweet self shall be a brother to
Rick and something nearer and dearer
to you.'' Z.
She suffered his caress with an alto
gether happy abandon. Then sud-
denly:
Marcia was here yesterday" she
said. .She tells me Rick's photo
graph revealed nothing-suggested no
one to your
He shook his head mutely, and in
wardly thanked his stars that the form
of the question he had been dreading
made verbal lie unnecessary.
REST assured" he said aloud, that
If your brother is anywhere on Gods
footstool we shall hear of him. These
temporary disappearance are quite
common in all the new lands A man
hears of q new diamond field or a new
gold reef, or goes elephant hunting
for ivory up-country, and only his i'm
mediate companions could tell you his
exact whereabouts. Suddenly he re-
appears, sound as a dollar and rich as
very rare occurrances. assure you.
Rick may return to civilization any
day and laugh at us all for worrying
about him"
She hung upon his words with parted
lips and wide-open eyes.
you give me new courage!" she ex-
claimed resolutely. Until we hear the
worst shall believe and hope that all
will turn out as you say"
Kane breathed freely once more.
Another dangerous cape was wealth
cred. and the episode Of the photo
graph might be regarded as closed.
Stella's confidence in him was SUI
preme. A new hope shone in her eyes
or was it the reflex light Of her own
newly found happiness?
Now. 1t had been Kane's original in
tention to make the ball the occasion
for announcing to society his betrothal
to Miss Dysart, and at the same time
to introduce her as the future mistress
of The Cedars. But Stella's plea for de-
lay frustrated this-and fortunately so
in view of Kane's terrible discovery.
Nevertheless, he looked forward to
receiving her in his own house, be-
fore all his guests, much as a de-
butante anticipates her coming out.
But destiny was about to hurl an
other thunderbolt at his head.
Upon the morning Of the sventful
day mounted groom galloped up to
The Cedars requesting to see Kane in
person. Being shown into the library,
where the master happened to be
alone, he delivered a letter marked
Urgent" underscored three times, ad-
dressed in Stella's hand, saying:
Miss Dysart requests an immediate
answer, If you please, sir
With nervous forebodings he broke
the seal, but the news it contained far
outran his fears, and might have stag