The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-09-10

StoolbIs Ol tue tIiDiits HHiF
 's Precisely He opened the case, and
 there imbedded in soft, hesh-colored vel-
 vet, lay the magnificent piece of jewelry which he hfId named. There are thirty
 nine enormous beryls said he, and the
 price of the gold chasing is incalcul- , able. The lowest estimate would put the
 worth of the coronet at double the sum which l have asked I am prepared to leave it with you as my security
 ''l took the precious case into my hands and looked in some perplexity from 1t to my illustrious. client.
 " You doubt it's value?' he asked.
 '' Not at all. I only doubt
 The propriety of my leaving 1t. You may set your mind at rest about that.
 l should not dream of doing so were it
 not absolutely certain that l should be able in four days to reclaim it. It is a pure matter of form. Is the security
 sufficient?'
 "'Ample'
 " You understand, Mir Holder that I am giving you a strong proof of the con- fidence which I have in you, founded up on all that 1 have heard of you. l rely
 upon you not only to be Siscreet and to refrain from all gossip upon the matter, : but, above all. to preserve this coronet with every possible precaution. because need not say that a great public scandal
 would be caused if any harm were to be-
 fall it. Any injury to it would be almost 1, as serious as its complete loss, for there
 are no beryls in the world to match these, and it would be impossible to replace them. I leave it with you. however, with every confidence. and I shall call for It | in person on Monday morning,
 Seeing that my client was anxious to | leave, I said no more; but, calling for my cashier, I ordered hi into pay over | fifty 91000 notes. When I was alone once
 more, however, with the precious case
 lying upon the table in front of me, l | could not but think with some misgiv- ings of the immense responsibility which l it entailed upon me. There could be no doubt that. as it was national pos session, horrible scandal would ensue l If any misfortune should occur to 1t. already regretted having ever consented to take charge of it. However, it was too late to alter the matter now. so locked 1t up in my private safe and turn ed once more to my work.
 "When evening came 1 felt that 1t
 would be an imprudence to leave so precious a thing in the office behind me. Bankers safes had been forced before
 now. and why should not mine be? If so. how terrible would be the position in
 which I should find myself! I determined,
 therefore. that for the next few days I
 would always carry the case backward and forward with me, so that it might
 never be really out of my reach. With this intention I called cab and drove | out to my house at Streatham, carry ing the jewel with me. l did not breathe
 freely until l had taken it upstairs and locked it in the bureau of my dressing room.
 And now word as to my household, MT. Holmes, for I wish you to thoroughly
 understand the situation. My groom and
 my page sleep out of the house, and may
 be set aside altogether I have three
 maid servants who have been with me number of years, and whose absolute reliability is quite above suspicion. An
 other, Lucy Parr, the second waiting | maid, has only been in my service few months. She came with an excellent character, however and has always given me satisfaction. She is very pretty girl,
 and has attracted admirers who have oc- casionally hung about the place. That l Is the only drawback which we have ] found to her but we believe her to be a | thoroughly good girl in every way. 1 "So much for the servants. My family l itself is so small that 1t will not take me 1 long to describe it. I am widower, and ! have an only son, Arthur. He has been a disappointment to me, MT. Holmes-a | grievous disappointment. I have no doubt l that I am myself to blame. People tell
 me that I have spoiled him. Very likely
 I have. When my dear wife died 1 felt . that ne was all 1 ndu 10 love. could not bear to see the smile fade even for a
 moment from his face. I have never de- nied him a wish. Perhaps it would have l been better for both of us had I been sterner, but I meant 1t for the best.
 Tt was naturally my intention that he
 should succeed me in my business, but he
 was not of business turn. He was wild, wayward. and, to speak the truth, l | could not trust him in the handling of l large of Whan :
 young he became member of an arsto-
 cratic club, and there, having charming
 manners, he was soon the intimate of a
 number of men with long purses and ex- pensive habits. He learned to play heavi- ! ly at cards and to squander money on the turf, until he had again and again to come to me and implore me to give him
 an advance upon his allowance, that he
 might settle his debts of honor He | tried more than once to break away from
 the dangerous company which he was keeping, but each time the influence of his friend, Sir George Burnwell, was
 enough to draw him back again.
 And, indeed, could not wonder that | such a man as Sir George Burnwell
 should gain an influence over him, for he
 has frequently brought him to my house,
 and 1 have found myself that I could
 hardly resist the fascination of his man. ] ner He is older than Arthur, a man of
 the wrold to his finger-tips, one who ; has been everywhere, seen everything a brilliant talker, and man of great per sonal beauty. Yet when 1 think of him in
 cold blood, far away from the glamour of
 his presence, I am convinced from his
 cynical speech, and the look which I l have caught in his eyes, that he is one who should be deeply distrusted. So I
 think, and so too, thinks my little Mary, who has a woman's quick insight into ] character.
 And now there Is only she to be de-
 scribed. She is my niece; but when my l brother died five years ago and left her | alone in the world I adopted her, and have looked upon her ever since as my ] daughter. She Is a. sunbeam in my house 1 sweet, loving. beautiful wonderful man. 1 ager and housekeeper, yet as tender and | quiet and gentle as a woman could be. ] She is my right hand. I do not know ! what l would do without her. In only one | matter has she ever gone against my l wishes. Twice my boy has asked her ! to marry him, for he loves her devotedly l but each time she has refused him. think
 that if any one could have drawn him into the right path 1t would have been 1 she, and that his marriage might have l changed his whole life; but now. alasl il
 is too late--for ever too latei
 Now, MT. Holmes, you know the peo- | pie who live under my roof, and | shall continue with my miserable story | When we were taking coffee in the
 drawing room that night after dinner ]
 told Arthur and Mary my experience an6 l of the precious treasure which we had | under our roof suppressing only the | name of my client. Lucy Parr, who had i brought in the coffee, had, I am sure, Jeff