The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1913-02-06
CHAPTER xx-(continued.)

You allude to the fortunate acct
dent that enabled me to re-
turn the lost necklace to her majesty
/ presume?" Prue replied. seating her
self and negligently pointing with her
fan to a sufficiently distant chair Il
assure you / deem myself most happy
in rendering a service, which a been
only too highly appreciated, but / can
not lay claim to brilliancy, for i was
but a passive instrument"
THE briIliancy 4 refer to, dear Wis
countess, was not so much the for
which you turned so compromising an
adventure TO such good account. said
SIR Geoffrey Significantly E@@E-
The challenge Of his ton and words
was unmistakable and Prue responded
with more spirit than wisdom.
You must speak more plainly If you
wish to be understood" she answered.
Compromising adventures, you know
very well, are, not rare In my expe-
Erience-or yours"--she laughed rather
maliciously--.'but ] seldom turn them
to good account. Now, the accident
that gave the queens necklace into
my hands-" III. t.4 .
"was the happy result of a little visit
to Newgate." interposed Sir Godfrey,
with yelled insoIence. why beat about
the bush with me, dearest girl? !
know who gave you the necklace
when he was warned, by you, of the
danger of keeping It'll and how 1t came
about that he was lucky enough to
escape before he soldiers arrived to
arrest him." % e. '
What in, the world are you talking
about, Sir Geoffrey?s she cried, with
rather over-acted ~bewilderment.
What is every one talking about to-
day, but the madcap viscountess, who
coaxed the highwayman out Of the
stolen necklace, and being caught in
/ the trap that was timed for Robin
Freemantle, icircumyented the soldiers,
cozened the Duchess of Marlborough
and beguiled the Queen Majesty. Am
/ not right in congratulating you on
such g. brilliant series OF achieve
ments2".> - 81 uIh@ .. Esu
My dear Sir Geotrrey. You have
mistaken your vocation" she, laughed.
with such an imagination you ought
TO have been, not a member of Parlia-
ment, but o poet! J. am quite inter
ested in this romance; surely there 10
more of it," ~'r -' 81"
Considerably more" he went on.
lowering his voice and drawing his
chair closer to her. There are those
close conversation with q masker in
red, at the balls and who nov know
that he was no other than Robin Free
mantle In the borrowed plumeg of
Beachcombe. You have enemies, fair
Prudence-men you have Tilted and
women you have excelled in wit and
beauty-and by some of these you were
seen, in company with the Red DOM
inc, very near the queens tiring-room,
from which the necklace was stolen.
Can you wonder that when a story is
bruited about that Lady Prudence
Brooke, in dead of night, was discoy-
cred with the necklace in her posses
sion, In the place where Robin Free
mantle was looked. for, these good peo-
pie should compare notes about her
ladyshipss latest exploit, and place
their own construction upon it,"
And o Sir Geoffrey?" she asked,
her thoughtful eyes upon his, what
construction do you place upon this
curious, rodomontade ?' . ~.
Obi" he laughed softly; II hold all
the clews, SO 1t seems less of a ro-
domontade to me than. perhaps, to
others. / alone know Of the little cere-
mony In Newgate, which explains ALL
oh! 1t explains all, does it?' she re-
to hear the explanation, now You have
propounded the conundrum." "
"'Tis simple enough. When Barbara
Sweeting told the story of the necklace,
-eu instantly jumped at the same con
ciusion as the rest OF us---namely, that
Robin Freemantle, secure In his dis
guise, had made the use OF his oppor-
tunity that a robber naturally would,
and had stolen the most valuable thing
he could lay his hands on
oh! then you don't give me the
credit OF the robbery" she excl 7irned
with a pout. 1T would have added
so much to the interest OF the romano
V l."
"You9 OH -E-@,derca can voi,