The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1905-10-12
THE DIAMOND RIVER

BY DAVID MURRAY

safest not to display any interest in
him."
"Yes, yes, exactly-quite-quite so"
said the doctor. who lived in a nervous
hurry to propitiate mankind at large.
But ! observed him-I, sir, 1 observed
him. He knows your uncle, sir; he pierces
the disguise. The whole game is played
out. sir; the plot is ousted."
what Is to be done?' asked Harvey.
IF this man knows my uncle, the whole
plot is spoiled--"
II have an idea," said Monboddo.
don't talk. Leave me to think it out.
Yes, sir, 1 have an idea"
Within a hundred yards of the hotel
Jethroe's four wheeler drove past the
mourning coach, and when Harvey and
Monboddo reached the porch Jethroe was
waiting there.
Come with me-" he said, and led the
way swiftly TO Harvey's sitting room.
THAT fellow suspects" he whispered,
when he had closed the door.
HE knows" said Monboddo.
NO" said Jethroe, laughing at the
doctors face, which was notified anil
SliiutlS WIN suNiSlI, he uOcSn = c@dCl-
~ know, but he suspects. Now, it's your
business, Monboddo, to knock him off his
perch. You'll get into converse with
him; he stays in this hotel. You'll play
the fool. you understandable loose
tongued fool who can't hide anything.
You'll hint at a mystery. Harvey here
is to be horribly detected because he
can't find something wkich the deceased
is supposed to have possessed. Work UP
&c the problems. Do ii cleverly, Mon
boddo. You may drink mp to a point,
and you may make him fancy that you're
tipsy; but. Monboddo"-he paused and
shook his heavy forefneer in the doctors
face-'if you let him be right in that
guess
"Oh, I assure you." cried Monboddo.
II shall lay you out, Monboddo," said
Jethroe; II will fill that coffin"
"No, no." cried the doctor, as If the
threa. had been a real one 'There shall
be 10 need for you to trouble about any
thing of that sort. i do assure you, sir
/ really and truly do assure you sir"
"You can trap that fellow as easily as
you can kiss ysur hand" said Jethroe.
"See you 10 It. And now go. / have
something else to talk about"
Monboddo had a holy dread of this
big and clustering patron, and was glad
to shuttle from his presence. The hotel
smoking room was cozy. with its snug
FIRE and its deep armchairs, and the
sound Of the ceaseless rain that beat
against the window made the place ten
fold more comfortable and attractive.
The stranger of the cemetery was there,
with a big tumbler before him.
"a dreadful. dreadful day, sir" said
Monboddo.
YES" said the stranger. "it's a dirty
day"
Monboddo drew up his G. .ir to the
c:her's table.
do you know" said Jethroe to his
nephew, striding up to him and Selling
him by the arm at the instant at which
they were left alone, do you guess who
that fellow was who was at the cemetery
to-day?"
NO" Harvey answered. "How should
IL
That" Jethroe whispered, crouching
his tall figure till his eyes were on a
level with his nephew's, and gripping
him unconsciously until he WINGED, "thai
is the man of whom that fellow Taylor
/ spoke as Little William"
The murderer" Harvey asked.
The murderer" said Jethroe, with q
dozen slow mods Of the head and q pout
ing under lip that seemed to threaten
something. "the mar who meant to have
my life the very night you and 1 first me
in Chicago; the man who killed my de
faulting partner in mistake for me-"
"And he suspects your identity now
in spite Of all your plotting and con
irving"
He suspects; but il Monboddo man
ages his business we'll he will not sus
pect long,"
den anguish of rage, why skulk ant
hide from a murderer? Why not appea
to the police:"
81 have answered already" said Jeth
roe, as cool upon a sudden as if the tall
had been about the weather. "All tn,
police in the world could not guard m,
secret. If l had evidence to hang thi
s~coundrel, 1 would hang him; but tina
would avail me nothing, for there is
whole syndicate in pursuit of me and o
what l carry about with me. Monobdd'
should have something to report thi
evening. In the meantime shall we 81
down to a game of chessY"
Chess cried Harvey impatiently
al couldn't play chess at a time lik
this to save my soul"
"Ah, WELL" said Jethroe, with one o
his queer laughs, Il suppose it's a ques
zion of famporamanfv