Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1907-12-20

| to accept social attentions and so in all
probability would be brought In con-
tact with Mrs. Fairbrother, he sent her
by his devoted servant peremptory
message in which he demanded back
his diamond and upon her refusing to
heed this, followed it UP by another in
which he expressly stated that If she
took 1t out Of the safe deposit in which
he had been told she was wise enough
to keep 1t or wore it so much rs once
| during the next three months, she
would pay for her presumption with
her life
This was no idle threat, though she
chose to regard it as such, laughing in
the old servants face and declaring
that she would run the risk IL the no.
tion seized her. But the notion did not
| seem to seize her at once, and her hus-
band was beginning to take heart
when he heard of the great ball about
| to be given by the Ramsdells and re-
allied that If she were going to be
| tempted to wear the diamond at all it
would be at this brilliant function CIV
en- in honor of the one man he had
most cause to fear in the whole world.
| Sears, seeing the emotion he was I'M
der, watched him closely. They had
both been on the point of starting for
| New Mexico to visit mine in which
Mr.. Falrbrother was interested, and he
waited with inconcelvable anxiety to
see if his master would change his
plans. 1t was while he was in this
80 t,xI tlnk 4.
shake his fist at Mrs. Fairbrother's
passing figure, menace naturally in
terpreted as directed against her, but
which, If we know the man, was rath-
er the expression of his anger against
the husband who could rebuke and
threaten so beautiful creature. Mean
while Mr. Fairbrother's preparations
went on, and three weeks before the
ball they started. Mr.. Fairbrother had
business in Chicago and business in
Denver. 1t was two weeks and more
before he reached La Junta. Sears
counted the days At La .Junta they
had a long conversation, or. rather Mr..
Fairbrother talked and Sears listened.
The sum of what he said was this:
He had made up his mind to have back
his diamond He was going to New
York to get it. He was going alone,
and as he wished no one to know that
he had gone or that his plans had been
in any way interrupted, the other was
to continue on to FL Moro and, passing
himself off as Fairbrother, hire room
at the hotel and shut himself up in it
for ten days on any plea his ingenuity
might suggest. If at the end of that
time Fairbrother should rejoin him,
well and good. They would go on to-
gether to Santa Fe, but if for any
reason the former should delay his re-
turn. then Sears was to exercise his
own judgment as to the length of time
he should retain his borrowed personal
ity; also as to the ACCESSIBILITY of push
ing on to the mine and entering on
the work there as had been planned
between them.
Sears knew what all this meant He
understood what was in his masters
mind as well as if he had been taken
into his full confidence. and openly
accepted his part of the business with
seeming alacrity. even to the point Of
supplying Fairbrother with suitable
references as to the ability of one
James Wellgood to fill walters place
at fashionable functions. 1t was not
the first he had given him. Seventeen
years before he had written the same
minus the last phrase. That was when
he was the master and Fairbrother the
man. But he did not mean to play
oil
apparent acquiescence. He began by
following the others Instructions He
exchanged clothes with him and other
necessaries, and took the train for La
Junta at or near the time that Fair
brother started east. But once at FL
Moro-Once registered there as Abner
Fairbrother from New York-he took
different course from the one laid out
for him. course which finally brought
him into his masters wake and land
ed him ut the same hour in New York.
This Is what he did. Instead of shut
ting himself UP in his room, he ex-
pressed an immediate desire to visit
some neighboring mines, and, procur-
ing good horse. started off Mt the first
available moment He rode north lost
himself in the mountains, and wan
dered till he found n guide intelligent
enough to lend himself to his plans.
To this guide he confided his horse for
the few days he intended to be gone.
paying him well and promising him
additional money If. during his alb
sence, he succeeded in circulating the
report that he. Abner Fairbrother had
gone deep into the mountains. bound
for such and such camp.
Having thus provided an alibi. not
only for himself but for his master,
too. in case lie should need it. he took
the direct road to the nearest railway
station and started on his long ride
east. He did not expect to overtake
the man he had been personating. but