The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1911-03-30
HE BRONZEbp
DELI ~ \
ByLOUIS JOSEPH VANCE
AUTHOR or 1.-THE BRASS BOWL ETC. M
QlWSU[DN]OONS WNW WAlDEDS

ole / never TO make muoh
Of. Aside from that he was wonder
full: a %linguist, speaking a dozen
European languages and more east.
ern tongues and dialects, I believe,
than any other living man. We met
by accident In Berlin and were drawn
together by u common interest in
orientalism. Later, hearing I was in
Paris, he hunted me up and insisted
that l stay with him there while fin
ishing my big book-the one whose
title you know. His assistance to
me then was invaluable. After that
] lost track OF him"
AND the valet?"
ooh, I'd forgotten Doggott. He was
Q cockney, as silent and self-contained
as Rutton. To get back to
Nokomis: l net Doggott at the sta.
ton, called him by name, and he re-
fused to admit knowing me-said I
must have mistaken him for his twin
brother. I could tell by his eyes that
he lied. and 1t made me wonder. It's
quite impossible that Rutton should
be in this neck of the woods; he was
a man who preferred to live a hermit
IN centers Of civilization. Gu.
rious!"
81 don't wonder you think so. Per.
haps the man had been up to sorne
mischief. But" said the girl
with a note of regret, we're almost
home!'
They had come to the seward
verge of the woodland, where the
trees and scrub rose like a wild hedge-
row on one side of a broad, we'll
metalled highway.
To the right. on the other side Of
the road, a rustic fence enclosed the
trim, well groomed plantations of
Tanglewood Lodge; through the dead
limbs a window of the house winked
in the sunset glow like an eye of gar
net. And as the two appeared a man
came running up the road, shouting.
That's Quaint cried Amber; and
sent a long cry Of greeting toward
him.
Watt" said the girl impulsively,
putting out a OBTAINING hand. Let's
keep our secret" she begged, her eyes
dancing-"just for the fun of it,"
Our seoret!"
about the babu and the Token; It's
a bit of mystery and romance to me
and we don't often find that In our
lives, do we? Let us keep 1t personal
for a while-between ourselves; and
you will promise to let me know II
anything unusual ave- comes of 1t.
after I've gone. We can say that /
was riding carelessly, which is quite
true, and that the horse SHE'D and
threw me, which again is true; but
the rest for ourselves only. :.
Please. What do you say?"
He was infected by her spirit of ir-
responsible mischief. why, yes
! say yes" he replied; and then, more
gravely: Il think it'll be very pleas
ant to share a secret with you, Miss
Farrell. ! shan't say a word to any
one, until | have to-"
AS events turned he had no need
to mention the incident until the
morning of the seventh day following
the girls departure. In the interim
nothing happened and he was able to
enjoy some excellent shooting with
Quain, his thoughts undisturbed by
any further appearance of the babu.
But on the seventh morning It be-
came evident that a burglary had
been visited upon the home of his
hosts. A window had been forced in
the rear Of the house and a trail Of
burnt matches and candle-grease be-
tween that entrance and the door Of
Amber's room, together with the
somewhat curious circumstance that
nothing whatever was missing from
the personal effects or the Quains,
forced him to make an explanation.
Fol- his own belongings had been
riled and the bronze box alone abb
stracted-still preserving Its secret.
In its place Amber found a soiled
slip of note paper inscribed with the
round, uniformed handwriting of the
babu: Pardon, sahib. A mistake has
been made. / seek but to regain that
which IS not yours to possess. There
will be naught else taken. A thou
sand excuses from your hmbl. obi.
svt., Behari Lal Chatterji."