The Eureka sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1902-current, 1913-05-24

asked NE to marry aim anu that 4 en-
couraged him. I did. But, oh. so I'M
consciously"
you encouraged him unconsciously'
Impossible.'
1T Is true, Dick she insisted tear
fully. II wished to show him how inn
possible II was that I could ever care
for him-that nothing but a miracle
could make me love him. II happened
that the steel chest he gave me from
the Palazzo stood on the drawing room
table. Quite impulsively l said. when
you bring me the casket that fitted
into that steel box I will listen to you
| said it lightly. Dick, as a bitter Jest.
/ thought ! was asking him to do some
thing quite impossible. To my sur
prise, to my dismay. instead of being
Indignant or angry he took my words
quite seriously. He refused to see that
| had asked him to accomplish an i'm
possibility. In that intense foreign
way of his he kissed my hand, bidding
me goodby for the present, but he
promised me that sooner or later he
would return with the casket. I was
so astonished ] could say nothing. Be-
fore 1 could recover myself he had
gone. And IL he should find it. oh,
Dick. II he shouldr'
l laughed joyously-happily. HE
shall not because I am going to find it
myself" l said as l leapt aboard at the
last moment.
/ reached Venice by the midnight ex-
press. st. Hilary was waiting for me-.
l recounted to him the story of my
fruitless journey. He listened to me
in silence. When ! had finished, he
drew aside the curtains of the gondola
and looked out.
Il might have known that you would
have just such i'll luck" he said bitter
ly, and did not again speak until we
had reached the Giudecca.
Our gondolier, wlnded with his long
pull against wind and tide, steered for
some steps a hundred feet this side
the Casa Frollo. where | lived. | call
ed to him to row farther up the quay
but st. Hilary irritably declared it
easier for us to walk the distance than
for him to row.
But why walk in the rain?" I ex-
PCShohotNd. anu hOW w tOu sOLlE
TO return to your hotel on the Riva IL
you dismiss your g%ondolier? Condo
liers hereabouts at 2 o'clock in the
morning are as rare as horses on. the
piazza"
1T happens that l don't intend to re-
turn tonight to my hotel. As a matter
of fact, there will be no bed for you,
my dear Hume"
mo bed? 1t is not possible that you
have already brought back our clock?'
ut is not only possible; it is true. I
returned this evening in time to get
your telegram and to meet you"
And have you found out that it is
not, after all, an automaton clock?"
MY lear fellow, be reasonable. In
the first place, this clock had to be set
going. 1t was too intricate a piece of
mechanism to intrust to any blunder-,
ing workman. Every wheel of its
works had to be taken apart"
And the object Of that?"
1T was absolutely necessary that we
should be certain that the secret of the
clock, provided it has a secret, is told
by the automatic and that this secret
was not hidden in its works. Now, at
least, we know what not to look for"
THE automatic themselves, then, hold
the secrct?'
80 far as we can tell at present.
The fact is, | have heard only two of
the hours strike"
And were the automata Of the hours
that you saw in working sfder?"
"One of them at least was, though, l
confess, the result was slightly disap-
pointing. However, / certainly did
not expect the secret of the clock to be.
ON the surface"
We walked up the quay in silence.
Suddenly, as we were crossing a
bridge, st. Hilary seized my arm, his,
familiar gesture always for silence and
caution. He looked over the parapet.
Half a dozen black gondolas swaying
in the wind, were tied to rings in the
wall. In one of them sat a man. A
piece of tarpaulin protected him from
the rain. AS we looked at him he
struck Il match to light his pipe, and I
saw his face.
did you ever happen to see that
gondolier before?" demanded st. Hill
airy as we walked on.
"Never, so far as | know" an
swered idly, peering through the rain
for the landmark of Palazzo Frollo,
two ridiculously small marble lions on
the rail of the balcony of the second
story.
Hum; then perhaps l was mistaken.
BY the way. l met the duke on the
Riva as | vas going to the station to
meet you"
"Indeed:' | said indifferently. I was
fumbling for my night key. / glanced
up carelessly at the windows of my
sitting room after the manner of one
who has been away from home for a