The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-05-12

Ing up Tn force 10 Durn the house, mur- der the Ridds and get back their queen.
 In preparation for some such attack, Jeremy Stickles had ordered up four troopers under his command from Dull wich and John had gathered some of his more valiant neighbors and armed such of his farm hands as were not afraid. So the Doones drew off from the assault with the worst of 1t, and two dead men they left, whom John Ridd had killed with his own hands and stout cudgel.
 Now, among the things which Lorna had brought with her from Glen Doone was a necklace which old Sir Ensor had handed her just as he was dying, telling her to hide 1t from the other Doones. She thought 1t to be a string of glass beads, but Johns cousin, Tom Faggus. upon seeing 1t, declared it to be composed of the rarest diamonds and worth 910O,OO0.
 Tom Faggus was likely to know, seeing that he had been a most prosperous and admired highwayman, until he had sued out kings pardon and retired to private life on most comfortable competence. Being well to do now and highly respect ed, he had become engaged to Jonn's sister Annie, for even honest, straight minded John could not maintain the same forbidding attitude toward Squire Fag- gus of the gentry that he had held toward Tom Faggus of the night road.
 The Ridds laughed at his estimate of the value of the necklace at first. but finally thought there might be some truth in what he said, and Lorna hid the neck lace in a little pocket at the head of her bed.
 The excitement caused by the attack of the Doones and the discovery of the value of the necklace had scarcely subsided when Plover's Barrows was agitated again by the appearance of the counselor. That white bearded old sinner came with his smooth talk and his glib tongue to see, as he said, if there could not be some plan hit upon of peace between the Doones and the Ridds, Much he and all his tribe longed to have their little queen back again, but, after all, who should control the course of true love?
 The result was that he made himself so very agreeable that the whole family thought they had mlsjudged him, and he took so kindly to the yeoman Hospitality that, though only a baronet, he was as drunk as a lord by 10 o'clock, and John put him to bed in the best bed room.
 Sir Counselor was up betimes next morning, looking fresh and rosy in spite of his previous nights potations, and he went to see how Annie managed the dairy Have you ever heard" said he to Annie, 'that if you pass across the top of a milk pan three times a string of bright glass beads the cream will be three times as thick and solid?"
 "No, sir" replied the maiden, staring with all her simple eyes. But I would like to try 1t, if perchance, it would not be wrong
 "No wrong in the least" laughed Sir Counselor. But have you such string of bright glass beads?"
 "Oh, yes sir" replied Annie. Lorna has such one. Our cousin, Tom Faggus, calls the beads by another name, which I forget. I know where Lorna keeps it. Let us try the charm And off the fool ish girl went and fetched back the dia- mond necklace.
 Sir Counselor's eyes twinkled and he laughed with suppressed glee as he took the glittering string, and, passing 1t three times over a milk pan, said: "Crinkleum, cranklelum, grass and clover" Then he added in deep, stern whisper, Not a word of this to living soul; neither must you enter this room again for three hours. We will place the glass beads under panikin-so!'
 Annie, much frightened, left the dairy and Sir Counselor took his departure from Plover's Barrows. Needless to say that with the Counselor went also the diamond necklace; and there was a great to-do at the farm when the loss was discovered and Annie confessed her foolish share in it. But Lorna was indignant that any one should grieve for such a loss, and asked John if 1t was for her diamond necklace that he loved her.
 When Jeremy Stickles came home that night he laughed heartily first and then looked grave over the affair of the neck tlace. Taking John aside he told him something of great importance which he had that day learned Jeremy's story was long, but the gist of 1t was that, in his prowlings, he had discovered that Lorna Doone was no Doone at all, but the daughter of a widowed lady of rank, whom the Doones had killed.
 She was, in fact, the Lady Lorna Dugal and a great heiress. The Doones had stolen her from her mothers arms before they brought the unhappy lady to her death and with Lorna had carried away the diamond necklace. They had bred her up to marry one of their tribe, so that they might get her property and use it to purchase pardon for their many crimes.
 To find out that Lorna was not of the race which had killed his father, and that his father had not, as Sir Counselor had falsely stated, killed the father of Lorna, was a great relief to John, though 1t did not add to his love.
 Mistress Ridd now made point that Lorna, having been brought up Cath ollie, in fact, having been born in that faith, should forthwith be converted to Professionalism. But nothing was further from Lornas thoughts than to convert John to her own way of thinking or to be converted to his, and as the lovers were perfectly agreed to go their separ- ate ways to heaven, so long as they could live together side by side on this earth, Mistress Ridd was fain to be con- tented.
 But before John and Lorna could be married there came to Plovers Barrows two officers of the high court of chancery and carried the little heiress up to Lon don to the care of her legal guardian, the Earl Brandr, Jeremy Stickles hay ing informed his employers. of course, of his discoveries regarding the "queen of the Doones.
 There was a great fear in Johns heart that now that Lorna had become a great lady and rich withal, he would lose her, and his mother. who was of rather des- pairing turn, and his sister Eliza, who was of a bitter wit, aroused him to a fury by their manner of taking 1t for granted that they would hear no more of ..her ladyship." But Annie, who was now happily married to Tom Faggus-aft- CT John had given Tom solemn warn ing. "Tom ye should not mix your felony and your farming; ye cannot main-