The Cook County news-herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Cook County, Minn.) 1909-current, 1915-06-24
THE STORY.
FIRST PERIOD.
Loss Of the Diamond QS4S).
The Events Related by Gabriel Better
edge. House Steward In the Service
Of Julia, Lady Verinder.
FIRST PERIOD.
CHAPTER !.

CHAPTER
| - My this morning May p, 1850
came my lady's nephew, Mr..
Franklin Blake, and held a
short conversation with me as
follows:
"Betteredge,' says Mr.. Franklin, II
have been to the lawyers about some
family matters, and, among other
things, we have been talking of the
loss Of the Indian diamond, in my
aunt's house in Yorkshire, two years
since. The lawyer thinks, as think,
that the whole story ought, in the in
terests of truth, to be placed on record
in writing-and the sooner the better
We must begin by showing how the
diamond first fell into the hands Of my
uncle Herncastle, when he was serv-
ing in India fifty years since. This
predatory narrative have already got
by me in the form Of an old family pa
per, which relates the necessary par
ticulars on the authority Of an eyewit-
ness. The next thing to do is to tell
how the diamond found its way into
my aunt's house in Yorkshire two years
since and how it came to be lost in lit
tie more than twelve hours afterward.
Nobody knows as much as you do, Bet
teredge, about what went on in the
house at that time. So you must take
the pen in hand and start the story"
Now, the diamond could never have
been in our house, where it was lost,
If it had not been made a present of
to my lady's daughter.
If you know anything Of the fash
ionable world you have heard tell Of
the three beautiful Miss Herncastles-
Miss Adelaide, Miss Caroline and Miss
Julia-this last being the youngest and
the best Of the three sisters, in my
opinion, and l had opportunities of
Judging, as you shall presently see. I
went into the service of the old lord,
their father thank God we have got
nothing to do with him in this business
Of the diamond: he had the longest
tongue and the shortest temper of any
man, high or low, ever met with)-1
say I went into the service Of the old
lord as page boy in waiting on the
three honorable young ladies at the age
Of fifteen years. There I lived till Miss
Julia married the late Sir John Verin-
der. l went with the bride to the
brides husbands house and lands down
here. "Sir john" she said, II can't do
without Gabriel Betteredge." "My
lady, says Sir John, II can't do with
out him either" That was his way
with her, and that was how I went
into his service.
After five years of misunderstanding
on the stairs it pleased an all wise
Providence to relieve us Of each other
by taking my wife. was left with
my little girl Penelope and with no
other. child. Shortly afterward Sir
John died, and my lady was left with
her little girl Miss Rachel and no other
child. have written to very poor
purpose Of my lady If you require to
be told that my little Penelope was
taken care Of under my good mistress
own eye and was sent to school and
taught and made sharp girl and pro-
noted, when old enough, to be Miss
Rachels own maid.
was specially called one Wednes-
day morning into my lady's own sitting
room, the date being the Oath Of May,
1848.
Gabriel" says my lady, there is
news that will surprise you. Franklin
Blake has come back from abroad. He
has been staying with his father in
London, and he Is coming to us tomor
row to stop till next month and keep
Rachel's birthday"
If had had hat in my hand moth
In but respect would have prevented
me from throwing that hat up to the
ceiling. had not seen Mr.. Franklin
since he was a boy, living alors with
us in this house. He was, out of all
sight, as remembered him, tho incest
boy that ever spun top Or broke a
window. Miss Rachel, who was pres
ent and to whom I made that remark,
observed, in return, that she remem-
bered him as the most atrocious tyrant
that ever tortured doll, and the hard
est driver Of an exhausted little girl
IN string harness that England could
produce. II burn with indf enat3on and
I ache with fatigue was tho way way Mis-
Rachel Re summed it up, when I think 81
Franklin Blake ~. M
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