Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1908-10-08
WGGANATH'S RING
By WA. FRASER
Copyright, by shor,story Pub. Coz

us. I recognized with thrill OF recol'
lection the long, lank hair. the sinister
droop OF the left eyelid, the STOPPING
shoulders-in short. the man who had
given me the chloroform. could have
sworn to him among a thousand.
In O few emphatic words he utter
ly denied all knowledge Of the tran
saction, and the artisan corroborated
his statement so far as to ratify his
assertion that he had not been alb
sent from the room for the past hodr
There could be. Of course. but one
result to all this. A detective was put
upon the case; there was an inquiry;
two or three consultations were held
at police headquarters, and a search
| Ing examination made OF all hands
about the place. As the mystery deep
ened I saw that Il was rejecting any.
thing but credit upon myself. The loss
Of the ring dwindled TO small impor-
lance, compared to the other features
of the case, for It had come 20 this
either valoyd was guilty or ! had
deeply wronged an innocent man on
account of an hallucination which
might hint at an unbalanced reason.
But from all the investigation NOT a
single clue was discovered. The ms
terry of the ring grew deeper and more
inexplicable as time passed on.
About this time. In an extremity OF
feeling. I wrote to my friend DR.. Han.
son, at vizianagram, asking him II he
could gain any information concerning
the ring Of Jugganath Raj. and relat-
ing the circumstances Of its disap-
pearance. l knew the doctor had q
certain hold over the Dewan-it was
some crooked business that had hap.
pened long ago, in which the crafty
old fellow had been involved.
One morning three months later
letter was laid beside my bun and cor
fee, with the four anna six pie stamp
in the corner. l tore It open and
read:
Dear Philip: I have seen ''Old jug"
think ! can put you In the line or
Strengthening the whole thing out. 1t took
considerable pressure to bring him to
time. At first he sputtered evasively. and
said he had given you mice ring. very
nice ring, because you were such good
SahIb, a bahut achcha lat Sahib."
knew this was q Hindu truth. and
gave him until p. m. to remember ex-
actly what kind of ring he had given
you. The old sheitan! HIS memory was
better at four o'clock. and with many
salaams he told me all about 1t.
or course can't remember all he said,
but the whole thing seems to be that he
had II In for you, and gave you ring
that he got from the temple at Poree.
and which. under certain conditions. has
the power OF kicking UP no end OF bob
berry (trouble). Some Of their cursed
Brahminical deviltry.
"Old Jug wanted to stop at that, but
told him that as he had gotten you Into
a scrape. he would have to get you out OF
It, Finally he gave me q curiousiy
carved small green stone, which l for
ward to you per registered parcel jug
says that II you take this in your hand
and 60 to the place where you lost the
ring. and allow yourself. as II were. to
come under its influence. the thing will be
cleared up or you will see again what &C.
CURED at that time.
Now. old man. after the mystery Is
solved think the best thing you can do
is TO chuck the ring into the sea or give II
to the British museum.
This was al! the letter contained re
lating to the ring.
The next day I received the regis
tered parcel. It contained a small
green stone, about the size Of. and
shaped like, the index finger Of a
child's hand. At a glance l saw II
was q beautiful piece Of jade. On II