Charlevoix county herald., 1914-03-07

would have happened Van Hoeck
nd have declared it was all lie, and
wild horses wouldn'ter dragged the
secret outer the Kid. The only hope
of gettin' back the Hesper was ter LET
her play her game and watch her
close"
A copy of this statement j sent to
Sir Edmund, and | added
Either Van Hoeck is possessed of
supernatural clairvoyance, or he must
have been in completely with the
man who took the diamond from me.
"Can that man have been the
'Furnival' who obtained the address
of Brace and myself from you ?"
For my own part, doubted Van
HOeck's innocence. Perhaps / may
have been biased in forming an i'll
opinion of him by my jealous dis
like of the relation he had formed
with Edith. She was the only living
creature Van Hoeck had spoken well
of in my hearing; and / fancied that
he was playing hypocntical part to
obtain the pleasure of her society
and friendship.
By the return mail, Sir Edmund
wrote
Il felt it right TO read that part
of your letter referring to the rob-
berry to Van Hoeck, who for the last
few weeks has been an accepted Wis
itor here, and | may add the object of
Edith's sympathetic commiseration.
He declared upon his oath that there
had been no struggle between him
self and Brace, and that no state
ment had been eXtorted from him by
the violent means Indicated; that
when you left he felt his way TO the
road, and waited there. Brace came
and undertook to lead him home.
He remembers stopping on the way
while Brace asked him if he thought
YOU had really been robbed of the
diamond. He knew nothing of the
leather case, which Brace might well
have concealed in the manner you
describe without his perception.
After this explanation, he said that
he must once more relinquish our
friendship until all doubt is cleared
up. But he added emphatically, as
he was about to leave us, If only
a part Of this story is true-if the
girl got possession of the diamond,
hid it, and should restore it to Brace
and Thorne, they will make away
with it, and you will never see any
one Of them again"
"If Van Hoeck is not the very old
un hisself," said the Judge, when
] showed him this letter, "he's hand
in hand with him"
We asked Lola if she had recog-
nized the man who dropped from the
oriel window.
NO" she replied, "the night was
too thick; but he was about the size
of the man ] saw the night before
going from one window TO the other
in the left-hand side of the house"
One morning Brace said to me-
"lve had my suspicious on il for
some time; but now Pm sure on it
We're being watched"
asked him what reason he had for
this belief.
my reason is this he replied
"The One-legged niger as comes here
for scraps give one of the households
hart a-dollar this morning. 1t looked
like he'd been buying up silver
spoons, so ! jest. had the rascal
searched; hut there warn't NARY
thing on him but varmin. Lay your
life, sir, that niger didn't have hart
a-dollar for nOthin' We've got to
keep our eyes openw
"YOu think he is a spy, paying the
helps for information with respect to
our movements ?" ] said
al do-jest that"
"Why 20
why ?"' echoed Brace, drawing z
long breath, because it's jest three
weeks since Van Hoeck learnt that
we are goin' to get back the Great
Hesper, and he found an excuse foi
quittin' the locality Of Monken Alb
hey