The Ekalaka eagle., 1915-08-06

late Sir John Verinder.]
AM indebted to my dear parents.
both now in heaven, for having
had habits Of order and regular
ity instilled into me at very
early age. l am fortunate enough to
be useful, in the worldly sense of the
word, to Mr.. Franklin Blake.
have been cut off from all news Of
the prosperous branch of the family for
some time past. When we are isolated
and poor we are not infrequently for
gotten. am now living, for economy's
sake, in little town in Brittany. in
habited by select circle of serious
English friends and possessed of the
advantages of Protestant clergyman
and cheap market
My wealthy relative-would that I
could add my spiritually wealthy rela-
tive-writes without even an attempt
at Disgusting that he wants something
of me. The whim has seized him to
stir up the deplorable scandal of the
moonstone, and l am to help him by
writing the account of what l myself
"ltlSSSCu AulIlS LILY SOJoulA IL dC iAuuL
Verinders house in London.
My diary informs me that was acci-
dentally passing Aunt Verinder's house
in Montagu square, on Monday, July 3,
1S4S.
Seeing the shutters opened and the
blinds drawn up, felt that it would
be an act of polite attention to knock
and make inquiries The person who
answered the door Informed me that
my aunt and her daughter had arrived
from the country a week since and
meditated making some stay in Lon
don. / sent up message at once de-
clining to disturb them. and only beg
ging to know whether l could be of
any use.
"My lady is much obliged and begs
you will come and lunch tomorrow
at2."
On the previous Friday two gentle
men occupying widely different posi-
tions in society had been the victims
of an outrage which had startled all
London. One of the gentlemen was
Mr.. Septimus Luker Of Lambeth. The
other was Mr.. Godfrey Ablewhite.
The date-thanks to my dear par
ents, no dictionary that ever was writ
ten can be more particular than I am
about dates-was Friday, June 30,
1S4e.
Early on that memorable day our
gifted Mr.. Godfrey happened to be
cashing check at banking house
in Lombard street. The name of the
firm is accidentally blotted in my di-
ary. and my sacred regard for truth
forbids me to hazard guess in mat
ter of this kind. Fortunately, the
name of the firm doesn't matter.
What does matter is circumstance
that occurred when Mr.. Godfrey had
transacted his business On gaining
the door he encountered a gentleman
a perfect stranger to him-who was
accidentally leaving the office exactly
at the same time as himself. A mo-
mentary contest of politeness ensued
between them as to who should be the
first to pass through the door of the
bank The stranger insisted on maxi
ing Mr.. Godfrey precede him. Mr..
Godfrey said few civil words. They
bowed and parted in the street.
Merely promising that the polite
stranger was Mr.. Luker of Lambeth,
we will now follow Mr.. Godfrey home
to his residence at Kilburn.
He found waiting for him in the hall
poorly clad but delicate and inter-
esting looking little boy. The boy
handed him letter, merely mention
ing that he had been intrusted with it
by an old lady whom he did not know
and who had given him no instruc-
tons to wait for an answer.
The handwriting was entirely un-
familiar to him. 1t requested his at
tendance, within an hours time. ut
house in northumberland street,
Strand, which he had never had occa-
sion to enter before. The object
sought was to obtain from the worthy
manager certain details on the subject
of the Mothers Small Clothes Conver-
sion society. and the information was
wanted by an elderly lady who pro.
posed adding largely to the resources
Of the charity. Mr.. Godfrey instantly
turned back and proceeded to the
house in Northumberland street. 4
most respectable though somewhat
corpulent man answered the door and,
on hearing Mr.. Godfrey's name, imme-
diately conducted him into an empty
apartment at the back on the drawin:
room floor. He noticed two unusual
things on entering the room. One of
them was faint olOr of musk and
camphor. The other was an ancient
oriental manuscript. richly illuminated
with Indian figures end devices, that
| lay open to inspection on Il table.
- Ito be eontinued.l