The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1908-05-08
The Empires Dream
4+s "
Amazing Adventures of a Gang of Thieves
Who Stole a World-Famous Dia-
mond of Fabulous Wealth.
CHAPTER xvHi.-(Continued.)
(Which, of course, he accepted

| made my Oner he simply laughed.
and said that he had just been offered
thirty pounds by a lady to get a rela.
tive away, and he was waiting for her
to turn up with the money"
We'll, what has this got to do with
Miss D~auncey?"
Simply that Miss Dauncey was the
lady. and you, my dear fellow. were
the relative"
ooh! 1t is impossible; I tell you
that l know nothing about it."
We'll, let 1t rest at that for a min.
ute. I saw her meet this man, and I
saw the money paid over. When they
parted followed her, and you can i'm
agine her surprise when she saw me.
Whether her agitation was guilt or
pleasure | cannot say. but she ex-
pressed great satisfaction at the meet
ing. She then told me that you were
in imminent danger of arrest, and she
was ~endeavoring to get you out of tho
country"
II give you my word, Twist, that I
know nothing OF all this. lie is news
to me-"
lhCH, IL tIdI Is Lllc C6Sc. dll / cali
say is that you ought to be jolly we'll
ashamed of yourself for the way you
have treated that stanch little woman.
Why, with an ally like that to back
n up a man could do anything: but
we'll let that pass. I asked her where
you We're, and she told me you had
gone to Nottingham, and I knew at
once where to find you"
AYE; and she told Hammond, and
I suppose he has given this place
away"
Perhaps he has; anyway. I thought
l had better come to you Immediately,
and she was very grateful when l Of
fered to take you a message. l at
once hired a motor car and started
OFF; l arrived here three hours ago"
And where Is the carr"
I'm the shed at the back. I am glad
you turned up when you did, as l am
impatient to be of; this place is far
from healthy now that Hammond has
given up away"
where do you propose to go?"
Back to town with all speed; there
Is no hiding place like London"
"Then let us get away as soon as
possible; this place is getting on my
nerves."
ut is not very cheerful, certainly, so
I will be off"
"But-you are going to take me
with you; you are not going to leave
me in this dismal hole %alone?"
"My dear Winton, do you take me
for a fool? Do you think l came all
the way down here from London for
the purpose of giving you a ride in my
motor car? You are making a great
mistake, and while we are about it
we may as we'll have a little plain
speaking, and what l want to say is
this. I am sick and tired OF you and
your company; we have been In many
things together, and you have always
brought a reasonable amount OF intel
ligence to bear upon them, but in this
last affair you have been a colossal
failure. and l am done with you"
But the Empires Dream"
AT M time l regarded it as the
Joint property of three. Hammond
has forfeited his share by giving us
away, and you have sacrificed what
would have been your half by this con-
spiracy with Miss Dauncey."
st Is not true"
at makes no difference; I believe
that it is. 1t will take a lot Of argu-
ment to convince me that you and
Miss Dauncey have not c%onspired to
get out OF the country with the dia-
mond and leave me in the lurch. 1t is
part of your plan for both to profess
innocence, but l am not a child to be
fed with such pap. No, my dear Win
toni beg your pardon, Lord Lore
muir-I am now in this matter alone.
and you must make shift to do what
you can for yourself; you are far too
dangerous company for me-"
1T is not like you, Twist, to leave a
man in a tight Don't desert
me, there's a good fellow. II / can
only get away for a time l shall be
able to arrange things. and you won't
be the loser. Help me out-you will,
won't you?"
If we were differently situated you
would help me out, I know, with the
toe OF your boot. In all our schemes
you have kept yourself well in the
background, and endeavored to make
yourself secure by some kind OF a
counterpart, but in this case you have
overreached yourself. I have not the
slightest doubt that II you had sue
ceeded in marrying Mary Brent you
would have given me and Hammond
away in order to keep the Empires
Dream in your precious family"
But am in danger. Twist. and
and I've lost my nerve. I start at
shadows and almost shrek at a noise.
I cannot be left alone. I cannot
Wont-I-'
Quiet. man. quiet! Have you lost
your senses altogether? You are raw
ing like a timid child afraid OF being
left in the dark. cannot have you
with me, and won't"
"And-and l have nc money, Twist"
"That's a lie. The Dauncey woman
told me that she gave you enough to