Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1912-02-21

me along when me money ran short
as it always did, and will, I'm
thinking. After while 1 got to Won
dering how much I owed the man
and figured it up; the sum total
frightened the life out of me, and 1
made him take the ruby by way Of Sc
curity-and never was able to redeem
it, for twas only little after that
that came into me enormous patri-
mony and squandered it riotously get
ting married to the most beautiful
woman living.
"He warned me to hold the stone,
the O'Mahoney did, saying that the
time would come when some native
prince would offer to redeem the Luck
of the State as an act of piety and pa
triotism. He prophesied a reward OF
at least fifty thousand pounds. And
now it's come-twice over!"
"And now what can you do?"
"Do?" cried O'Rourke. Faith,
what would be doing? Dye realize
what this means to me, dear heart?
1t means you.-independence, little
fortune, the right to claim my wife!"
He drew her to him. do? Sure, and
by the first train and boat I'll go to
Algeria, find Chambret, get him to
give me the stone, take it to Rangoon,
claim the reward, repay Chambret
and"
"And what, my paladin?"
"Dare ye ask me that, madame?
Say, will ye wait for me?"
She laughed softly. "Have 1 not
waited, Ulysses?"
"Tell me-" he demanded, "have ye
talked with anyone about this letter"
"Only to Clara Plinlimmon!"
Good Lord!' groaned the Irishman.
"only to her! Could ye not have
printed broadsides, the better to make
the matter puhlic?"
"Did 1 do wrong?" r.,
"'Twas indiscreet-and that's put
ting it mildly, me dear. Dye know
the woman's a walking newspaper?
How much did ye tell her? Did ye
show her the letter."
mo" She answered his last ques-
ton first "And I told her very little
only about this reward for a ruby
I didn't know you owned. We were
wondering where to find you"
"And she told no oneV1or who do
you think?" g n
The woman looked, a. little fright
ened. "She told-she must have told
that man-Monsieur des Trebes."
"That blackguard!" -
"He was with US on the yacht one
of Clara's guests"
"she has pretty taste for COM
pany-my word! How dye know she
told him? He asked you about it?"
"The letter? Yes. He wanted to
know the name of the solicitors and
their address. I wouldn't tell him. /
-disliked him"
"Had ye told Lady piinlimmon?"
mo
praises be for that!"
"Why?"
Because :" O'Rourke paaused,
vague suspicious taking shape in his
mind. "Why did he ask about Cham
bret?" he demanded. "How could he
have learned that the jewel was with
him?"
He jumped up and began to pace
the floor.
His wife rose, grave with conster-
nation. What" she faltered-"what
makes you think, suspect"
Because the fellow lied to me about
you this very night. Ye were with
Lady Plinlimmon in the Casino, were
ye not? Faith, and didn't see ye? l
was in chase of ye when the man
stopped me with his rigparole about
representing the French government
and having a secret commission for
me. Ye heard him just now. :.
And when l asked him was he Of your
party, he denied knowing Lady Plin-
limmon. . He made later ap-
pointment with me here, to talk
things over. I'm thinking he only
wanted time to think up a scheme for
getting me out Of the way. Also, he
wanted to find out where Chambret
was. Dye not see through his little
game? To get me away from Monte
Carlo by the first morning train. that
we might not meet; to get me on the
first Atlantic liner, that might not
interfere with his plot against Cham
bret. For what other reason would he
give me sealed orders? Sealed or
dersl" O'Rourke laughed curtly, TAX