The Eureka sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1902-current, 1915-09-25

before we nave uOne. Bring your cndiF
to the table. and we shall be able to
consult them together"
l drew up to the table.
you have already told me-" he said,
that you have never to your knowl-
edge tasted opium In your life"
ITO my k~nowledge?" l repeated.
"You will understand directly why 1
speak with that reservation. Let us
go on. You are not aware Of eve hav-
Ing taken opium. At this time last
year you were suffering from nervous
irritation. and you slept wretchedly ut
night. On the night of the birthday,
however, there was an exception to the
rule-you slept soundly. Am I right so
far?'' s.
"Quite right" "a
"Can you assign any cause for your
nervous suffering and your want Of
sleep?"
II can assign no cause. Old Better
edge made a guess at the cause, l re-
member. But that is hardly worth
mentioning"
Pardon me. Anything is worth men,
tioning in such a case as this. Better
edge attributed your sleeplessness to
something. To what?"
ITO my leaving OF smoking"
Had you been a habitual smoker?"
yes"
did you leave of the habit sud-
denly?"
"Yes."
"Betteredge was perfectly right, Mr..
Blake. When smoking is a habit a man
must have no common constitution who
can leave 1t off suddenly without some
temporary damage to his nervous sys-
tenn. Your sleepless nights are account
ed for to my mind. My next question
refers to Mr.. Candy. Do you remem-
Der having entered into anything like
a dispute with him, at the birthday
dinner or afterward, on the subject Of
his profession?"
The question instantly awakened one
of my dormant remembrances in con-
nection with the birthday festival. The
foolish wrangle which took place OF
that occasion between Mr.. Candy and
myself will be found, described at
much greater length than it deserves,
in the tenth chapter Of B~etteredge's
narrative. The details there presented
Of the dispute-so little had l thought
of it afterward-entirely failed to re-
cur to my memory. All that I could
now recall and all that / could tell
Ezra Jennings was that / had attack
ed the art of medicine at the dinner
table with sufficient rashness and suf-
ficient pertinacity to put ven Mr.. Can
dy out of temper for the moment. I
also remembered that Lady Verinder
had ipterfered to stop the dispute, and
that the little doctor and l had 'made
it up again." as the children say, and
had become as good friends as ever
before we shook hands that night.
There is one thing more,' said Ez-
ra Jennings, (which it is very impor-
tant that / should know. Had you
any reason for feeling any special anx-
iety about the diamond at this time last
year,"
II had the strongest reasons for feel
Ing duAiCty 0DOut thC uiuAAoliu. 1
knew it to be the object Of a conspir-
acy, and l was warned to take meas
ures for Miss Verinder's protection as
the possessor of the stone"
"Was the safety Of the diamond the
subject of conversation between you
and any other person Immediately be-
fore you retired to rest ON the birthday
night?'
1T was the subject Of a CONVERSE
ton between Lady Verinder and her
daughter
(which took place in your hearing?'
"Yes."
"Mr. Blake" he said, 'if you read
those notes now, by the light which
my questions and your answers have
thrown on them, you will make two
astounding discoveries concerning your
self. You will find-first, that you en-
tered Miss Verinder's sitting room and
took the diamond, in a.state Of trance
produced by opium; secondly, that the
opium was given to you by Mr.. Candy
without your own k~nowledge-as a
practical refutation of the opinions
which you had expressed to him at the
birthday dinner"
/ sat with the papers in my hand,
completely stupefied.
'Try to forgive poor Mr.. Candy"
said the assistant gently. HE has
done dreadful mischief, 1 own, but he
has done it innocently. If you will
look at the notes you will see that but
for his illness he would have returned
to Lady Verinder's the morning after
the party and would have acknowl-
edged the trick that he had played you.
Miss Verinder would have heard Of it,
and Miss Verinder would have ques-
toned him, and the truth which has
laid hidden for a year would have been
discovered in a day."
l began to regain my self possession.
How was it done?' / asked. "Who
gave me the laudanum without my