The Ekalaka eagle. [volume] (Ekalaka, Mont.) 1909-1920, 1915-06-18

tity as the MOonstOne-and there is an
end Of the conspiracy"
Mr.. Franklin turned to me.
There is no help for it," he said.
eve must speak to Lady Verinder to-
morrow"
"What about tonight?" I asked. "Sup-
pose the Indians come back?"
Mr.. Murthwaite answered me before
Mr.. Franklin could speak.
"The Indians won't risk coming back
tonight" he said. 'Thc direct way is
hardly V G the way they take to any
thing, let alone a matter like this, in
which the slightest mistake might be
fatal to their reaching their end"
"But suppose the rogues are holder
than you think. sir:" I persisted.
"1n that case" says Mr.. M%urthwaite,
'let the dogs loose. Have you got any
big dog in the yard:"
1.-TWO, sir. 4 mastiff and a blood
hound"
/ noticed that the sky was clouding
over fast as I followed them to the
house. Mr.. Murthwaite noticed it too.
He looked round at me in his dry, droll-
ing way and said:
"The Indians will want their umbrel-
las. Mr.. Betteredge, tonight"
The arrival of the carriages was the
signal for the arrival of the rain. 1t
poured as if it meant to pour all night.
With the exception Of the doctor, whose
gig was waiting for him, the rest Of the
company went home snugly under COW
er in close carriages. l told Mr.. Candy
that / was afraid he would get wet
through. He told me. in return. that he
wondered l had arrived at my time of
life without knowing that a doctors
skin was waterproof. So he drove away
in the rain, laughing over his own little
joke; and so VIC got rid Of our dinner
company.
When the last of the guests had
driven away 1 went back into the in
ner hall and found Samuel ut the side
table. presiding W. the brandy and
soda water. My lady and Miss Rachel
came out Of the drawing room, fol
lowed by the two gentlemen. Mr.. God
frey had some brandy and soda water.
Mr.. Franklin took nothing. He sat
down. looking dead tired, the talking
Oh this birthday occasion had, | sup
pose, been too much for him.
My lady. turning round to wish them
good night, looked hard at the wicked
c%olonel's legacy shining in her daugh-
ter's dress.
"Rache!,' she asked, "whcre are YOU
going to put your diamond to~night:"
Miss Rachel was in high good spirits,
just in that humor for talking non
sense. and %perversely persisting in it
as if it was sense. which you may
sometimes have observed in Young
girls when they arc highly wrought up
at the end Of an exciting day. She be-
thought herself Of an Indian cabinet
which stood in her sitting room and in
stantly made up her mind to put the
Indian diamond in the Indian cabinet
for the purpose of permitting two beau
tiful native productions to admire each
other. Having let her little flow of
nonsense run on as far as that point
her mother iAterposed and stopped her.
My dear. your Indian cabinet has
no lock to it," says my lady.
Good heavens, mammal cries Miss
Rachel. "is this a hotel: Are there
thieves in the house?'
Without taking notice OF this fan
tastic way of talking. my lady wished
the gentlemen good night. She next
turned to Miss Rachel and kissed her.
"Why not let me keep the diamond for
you tonight" she asked.
Miss Rachel received that proposal
as she might. ten years since. have re-
ccived Il proposal to part her from a
new doll. My lady saw there was no
reasoning With her that night. Come
into my room, Rachel. the first thing
tomorrow morning." she said. II shall
have something to say to yon.' With
those last words she left us slowly.
thinking her w thoughts. and. to all
appearance. not best pleased with the
way by which they We're leading her.
Miss Rachel was the next to say
good night. She shook hands first
with Mr.. Godfrey. who was standing
at tho other end of the hall LOOKING ut
a picture. Then she turned back to
Mr.. Franklin. still sitting weary and
silent in a cOrne
AS soon as Miss Rachel left him Y @
to see with. Mr.. Franklin noticed me.
His variable humor. shifting about ev-
erything. had shifted about the In
dams already.
"Rettered"c." he said. 81 am half in
clined to think l took Mr.. MNrthwaitc
too seriously when We had that talk