The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1912-08-13
zee Seven E1neralds
BY MAX PEMBERTON
Copyright. by ". q. Chapman.]

lney were lett TO me by my father.
and l have never had the heart to
offer them to any one. I'll tell you
what. though; If youn give me thou
sand pounds for the pair, you shall
keep them
That's long price" said 1: land
II you don't mind the suggestion, my
dinners getting cold
/ had spoken thus with the design
OF putting him OF; but he was undis.
guisedly an ill-bred man, and saw
that | could have bought the emeralds
from him for Ave hundred pounds
Come, now" he cried. you don't
want " be hard upon me; give me a
check Tor five hundred and send the
balance TO Brighton in week If you
find them as good as you think. That's
a fair offer, isn't it?"
THE offer Is fair enough" said L;
but you forget that l did not come
here to buy emeralds. / am in Pang-
bourne to catch club. as you saw this
afternoon"
I'm afraid I can't agree to that"
he replied with laugh; 81 did not see
you catch club this afternoon-I saw
you miss three"
The bait is poor" 1 said meaning
ly; ash are as canny as men, and
don't take pretty things If they think
there's hook in them"
This gave him with such stare
that he rose up suddenly from his
chair. and having made bungling
parcel Of his jewels, went off by him.
self He had 10 pass my window as
he left the inn. and as he crossed the
road l called after him. saying
You'll be losing your train to Lon
don"
BE ID to that" said he; and
with such salute he turned the angle
OF the road, and ! lost sight OF him.
But thought much of his emeralds
through the night, both in my walk
across the old wooden bridge to Whit
church, when the river lay dark and
gloomy with the sough of the breeze
in the reeds and sedge-grass; and
again as / lay in the old wooden best
bed" of the inn.
On the next day, quite early in the
morning, / set out in a dogcart for
Reading, having rendezvous with
Barisbroke at the Kennels mouth.
whence we were to start for a days
sport upon that fish-breeding river.
My drive took me by the old Bath
road, turning to the left midway up
the village street; but had not gone
very far upon the Reading road be-
fore / saw the handsome woman
the wife, as l assumed, of the velvet
Z cd
ceeding poorness, and carrying a
heavy bag towards the biscuit town.
1t occurred to me- as | drove
on, that the man, who had been with
her on the previous day, had really
left by the last train for London; but
when / came into Reading, and was
about to cross the High street, to
reach Earleigh, l saw the name Ben
jamin Vain superseded above a lit
tie chemists shop, and l stopped at
once. / know that country trades
man will gossip like a fishwife; and
l asked the man for some prepare.
ton which he could not possibly find
in the pharmacopoela, and so began
to feel my ground.
You're we'll ahead OF the times
here" said l, looking at his show.
case. which was woefully destitute OF
drugs. 81 shouldn't have thought that
you'd be asked for tabloids in place
like Reading"
"Oh, but we are" said he, readily;
its a wonderfully advanced town is
Reading-you won't get much in Re
gent street which is not here I've
lived in Reading all my life--and seen
changes, sir, indeed / havei'
You know most of the people
them" said l, with a purpose.
"Ay," said he, I've born and buried
a many, SO to speak; seen children
grow to men and women, and men and
women grow to children-you wouldn't
think it perhaps!"
mo-" said I, you don't show It:
bat your reputation, If ! may say so
goes beyond this place. WAS in
, Pansbourne yesterday, where tall
yellow-halred man was speaking OF
you; who Is he, / wonder?"
"A tall, yellow-haired mani" he ex
claimed, putting his finger in the cen
ter of his forehead as If In aid OF
memory; 81 didn't know there were
such in Reading. A tall, yellow-let
me see, now"
you sold him some tabloid oil
nitro-glycerlne; perhaps that will hell
TO his Identification ?" said i.
"Ah, now ] know you're wrong. >
/, said he; there's only one man within
FIVE miles of here who uses that stun
and he hasn't got yellow hair-ha, ha
, he hasn't got any at all"
, who Is he?" 1 asked with growing
curiosity
Why, old Jabez Laid, the miser
, out at Yoro Park, he takes that stun
for his heart. sir Wonderful veal
! heart he has. too; but he hasn't got
. yellow bair-Do. J may say with con
, victiOn that ne has no hair At all"
I had learnt all / needed. for tho
I mere mention OF the name Jaboz Ladt
1 was sufficient for me- At the mans
words a whole freshet OF ideas seemed
to rush 90 my mind The yellow haired
man had got his emeralds in q boz
which must hsyo come from Ladd's
house. since he alone In the neighbOr
hood took tabloids Of nltro-glycerlne,
another the mans very shabinoss am,
obvious Shutting pointed very strongly
to tho conclusion that he should b,