The Springfield herald., 1912-05-17

the folly OF suspicion. there came to
me as distinct and clear warming as
though some human voice had given
| speech to it The very silence of the
others-for they said no word, and a
] curious hesitation seemed to come
upon them-impressed the conviction
of the monition. Once in the hall, my
uneasiness became stronger. for there
| at table was the footman ] had
| recognized. and as he glanced at me
| when passed him his face was knit
| up as the face of a man thinking; and
| he let glass fall at the very moment
| we reached the stairs. What he wished
| to convey do not knoy; but although
felt there was danger in leaving the
ground floor, another force dragged
| me on behind the colonel, and kept me
advancing unhesitatingly until i had
| reached the end of the long picture
| gallery with him, and he had knocked
upon door In the eastern wing of the
rambling mansion. What this force
| was / do not pretend to explain. 1t
may have been merely the influence
of the woman; 1t may have been my
inherent obstinacy and belief In my
self; or simple lack of conviction
which forbade any public expression
of the fears / had fomented. l know
only that we waited for some seconds
In the passage until a hospital nurse
opened the door, and that I found
myself at last in very pretty bou-
doir, where a pale and sickly-looking
man was lying upon a couch, but
propped up to greet us.
That you would understand what
happened in the next few minutes 1t
Is necessary for me to say word
upon the construction of the boudoir
1t was room hung in pink silk and
white, and 1t had two doors in it,
giving off to other rooms, whose size
could not see since they were in
darkness. For light, we had a lamp
with white shade upon the invalids
table, and two others upon the man.
tel-shelf; while we were seated in
fashion that allayed any fears might
have had of personal and sudden at
tack The colonel lounged in an
American rocking-chair, he being near
est to the head of the couch; his
daughter leaned back against a buhl-
work cabinet, she being n little way
from the sick mans feet; I had a H.
brary-chair, and was alone in an atti-
tude which would allow me to spring
to my defence-if that were necessary
without delay. looked, too, at Her
mann Rudisic, the coloners partner.
and / confess that contempt for his
physical powers was my first thought
! was convinced that If it were a ques-
tion of fight. l could hold the two
men till Abel, who was in the SER
wants hall. came to my assistance;
and while the others were present I
had no fear of any of those machini-
tions which are chiefly the property
of imaginative fiction-makers. This
knowledge gave to me my nerve again,
and without more ado took the case
from my pocket and showed the stone.
The vision of the glorious gem, rip
ping on its surface with myriad
lights, white, and golden, and many
colored. in the play of radiating fire.
was one that compelled the silence of
amazed admiration for many minutes.
Margaret Klein spoke, her face bent
to the diamond SO that its waves of
color seemed to float up to her raw
ished eyes: and with a little cry
wrung from her satisfaction she
said,-
"Oh. Mr.. Sutton, it's too beautiful
to look att"
81 am glad that it does not disap-
point" said 1.
1T would disappoint no one,' the
invalid said, stretching out a hand
which trembled to draw the treasure
closer to his eyes.
Its the whitest stone I've seen for
three years." the colonel remarked
coolly. and then, as with a new
thought, he added
Il believe it's winter than the Bra
lillian stone in my old ring. I should
like to compare them, if you'll let me?
The other stuff is in my dressing
room there; Margaret, will you get
it?"
He gave her his keys, and taking
lamp from the shelf, she passed into
the chamber which was behind me.
In the same moment Rudisic asked
his host to prop him up higher upon
the couch, and the colonel had just
begun to place the pillows when I
heard Margarets voice crying
Father, l can't open the drawer
it's stuck; do come and help"
1t was an act of consummate folly
that 1 concede you; but 1 was so
completely unaware of any signs of
trickery here, and had so forgotten
my fears, that / found it the most
natural thing in the world to step
into the room, and to enjoy helping
the girl in her difficulty. l discovered
her before an open door-the door
of wardrobe I thought it was for
moment, but ! saw at the second
look that it gave access to a tiny
chamber, whereof the walls were all
drawers. Margaret Klein herself stood
within this curiously fashioned safe,
built as part of the house, and was
still struggling with the refractory
drawer; so that l had no hesitation
nor, indeed, thought suspiciously-in
going to her side. She laughed slyly
as we stood In the semi-dark together
and my hand falling by chance on
hers, she pressed it, and put her face
very close to mine-so close, that to
have resisted kissing her would have
| been a crime for which man would
| have repented until his last day. l