Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1904-08-20

Il ID.
lily party" he remarked ''I think !
| shall have pull at that flask, Holmes.
Well, think we may all congratulate
each other. Pity we didn't take the
other alive; but there was no choice. |
say, Holmes, you must confess that you
cut it rather fine. It was all that we
could do to overhaul her"
"All is well that ends we'll" said
Holmes. But l certainly did not
know that the Aurora was such a
| clipper"
Smith says that she is one of the
fastest launches on the river, and that
if he had had another man to help him
with the engines we should never have
| caught her. He swears he knows moth
| ing of this Norwood business"
Neither he did" cried our prisoner
mot a word. chose his launch be-
cause heard that she was flyer We
told him nothing, but we paid him
| well, and he was to get something
| handsome if we reached our vessel, the
Esmeralda, at Gravesend, outward
bound for the Brazils."
well, If he has done no wrong we
shall see that no wrong comes to him
| If we are pretty quick in catching our
men, we are not so quick in condemn.
ing them" It was amusing to notice
| how the consequential Jones was al
ready beginning TO give himself airs on
the strength of the capture. From the
slight smile which played over Sher-
lock Holmes face, could see that the
speech had not been lost upon him.
"We will be at Vauxhall bridge
presently" said Jones, "and shall land
you, DR.. Watson, with the treasure
box. need hardly tell you that am
taking very grave responsibility upon
myself in doing this 1t is most irrer-
ular; but of course an agreement is an
agreement must, however, as mat
ter OF duty, send an inspector with
you, since you have SO valuable
charge. You will drive, no doubt?"
"Yes, shall drive"
ut is pity there is no key, that we
may make an inventory first. You will
have to break it open. Where is the
key, my man?"
AT the bottom of the river" said
Small, shortly. ~
"Hum! There was no use you Civ
ing this unnecessary trouble. We have
had work enough already through you.
However, doctor, need not warn you
to be careful. Bring the box back
with you to the Baker street rooms.
You will find us there on our way to
the station"
They landed me at Vauxhall with
my heavy iron box and with bluff,
genial inspector as my companion. A
quarter of an hours drive brought us
to Mrs. Cecil Forrester's. The servant
seemed surprised at so late visitor.
Mrs. Cecil Forester was out for the
evening, she explained, and likely to
be very late. Miss Morstan, however,
was in the drawing-room; SO to the
drawing-room I went, box in hand,
leaving the obliging inspector in the
cab.
She was seated by the open window,
dressed in some sort of white diaphan-
Gus material, with a little touch of
scarlet at the neck and waist. The soft
light of shaded lamp fell upon her as
she leaned back in the basket chair.
playing over her sweet, grave face, and
tlnting with dull metallic sparkle
the rich coils of her luxuriant hair, one
white arm and hand dropped over the |
side OF the chair, and her whole pose
and figure spoke of an absorbing |
melancholy. AT the sound of my foot |
fall she sprang to her feet, however,
and bright flush of surprise and of |
pleasure colored her pale cheeks.
81 heard cab drive up" she said. ST |
thought that Mrs, Forester had come
back very early, but / never dreamed 7
that it might be you. What news have |
you brought me?"
II have brought something better |
than news" said l, putting down the |
box upon the table and speaking jov-
tally and boisterously, though my |
heart was heavy within me. Il have |
brought you something which is worth |
all the news in the world. / have |
brought you fortune"
She glanced at the iron box SIS !
that the treasure, then?" she asked,
coolly enough.
YES, this is the great Agra treasure.
Half OF 1T is yours and half is Thaddeus
Sholto's. You will have a couple of
hundred Thousand each. Think of +
that! An annuity OF ten thousand
pounds. There will be few richer !
young ladies in England. Is it not
plOric,,S 4