Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-09-19

fused to allow him 70 read the papers.
Luckily Paul, for his own sake, had
somewhat Gained down when Hurd ar
rived, so the detective was permitted
to see him. He sat by the bedside and
told the patient who he was. Beecot
| looked at him sharply and then recog-
niZed him.
You are the workman" he said, as
| tonshed 4
yes. Mr.. Beccot, I am. | hear that
you have not taken my warming re-
garding your friend. GrexOn Hay
"Ah then you knew his name all the
time"
"Of course 1 did. l merely spoke TO
you TO set you on your guard against
| him. He'll do you no good
But he was ut school with me-" said
| Beecot angrily.
That doesn't make him any the bet
ter companion" replied IIurd. see
| here. Mr.. BeccOt, we can talk of this
| matter another time. At present. rs |
| am allowed to converse with you Oalp
for a short time, wish you TO tell ms
about the opal serpent
| Paul sat up. although uurd tried TO
| keep him down.
q will if you will tell me about Miss
| Norman. I'm engaged to marry her,
and | hear she is ILL.,
"Oh, she is much better" said Hurd,
pauSing. pencil in hand. Don't distress
! yourself. That young lady is all right.
and when You marry her you'll marry
an heiresS. as | learn from the lawyer
who does the business Of the deceased"
Il don't care about her being the
heireSs. VIII you take a message to
her from me?'
Certainly. What is it:" Hurd
spoke quite sympathetically. for even
though he was detective he was a
human being with kindly heart
Tell her how sorry l am and that
I'll come and sec her as soon as | can
leave this confoundcd hospital. Thanks
for your Kindness Mr.. IIurd. Now,
what do you wish to know? oh. yes
about the opal serpent, which. as you
say. and rs think. seems TO he ut the
bottom of all the trouble. LISTEN And
Paul detailed all he knew, taking the
story up to the time of his accident.
Hurd listened attentively. oh
said he. with Il world Of meaning, so
Mr.. Grexon Hay was with you? Hum.
Do you suppose he pushed you into
The road on purpose|
NO" said Paul. staring I'm sure
he didn't. What had he ts gain by
acting i'll such Il way:'
Money, you may be sure" said
; Hurd. THAT gentleman never does
anything without the hope of sub
stantial reward. Hush. Wen talk OF
this when you're better. Mr.. Beecot
You say the brooch was lost
Yes. 1t must have slipped out OF
my pocket when | fell under tbs
wheels of that machine. l believe there
were a number of loafers and ragged
, ! creatures about, so it is just possible
may hear it has been picked up. TvC
isent an advertisement to the papers"
T Hurd shook his head. You won''
. hear" he said. How can You expect
to when you know the brooch was USED
I to seal the dead mans lips?'
Il forgot that" said Paul family
"My memory
rs not as good as it was" Hurd
\
, hausted. Goodby."
Wait! You'l keep me advised Of
3 how the case goes"
! Certainly. if the doctors will ALLOW
: me to. Goodby." And IIurd went away
| very we'll satisfied with the informa
: ton he had obtained.
The clew. as he thought ii was. Ice
7 him to WargrovC. where he obtaine,
/, useful information from Mr.. Beecot
who gave it with Il very bad grace
. and offered remarks about his som
. being mixed up in the case. which
made Hurd, who had taken Il fancy f
!, the young fellow, protest. From War
grove lIuId went to Stowley, il
BuckinghamShire, and interviewed tn
= pawnbrOicr whose assistant had wrong
;, fully sold the brooch to Bcecot man,
years before. There he learned fac
T which sent him back to Mr.. Jabe
Fash, in London.
=, Il say. sir" said IIurd when agai
= in the lawyers private room, "tha
. nautical gentleman of yours pawne
more or less"
Never, Salu the monkey, ScreWln
up his face and chewing.
Eyes, indeed. The pawnbroker
an old man, but he remembers til
3 customer quite well, and his descrii
ton, allowing for the time that ha
elapsed, answers to the man who trie
II to get the jewels from you.'
= Mr. Pash chewed mcditatively an
"a then inflated his cheeks. POOH" b
II