The Eureka sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1902-current, 1915-06-05

getting him into a difficulty with the
military authorities; others, very igno-
rant indeed of the real nature OF the
man. said he was afraid II he showed
it Of its costing him his life.
There was perhaps a grain of truth
mixed up with this last report. 1t was
false to say that he was afraid, but 1t
was a fact that his life had peer twice
threatened In India, and 1t was firmly
believed that the diamond was at the
bottom Of ii. The men wouldn't let
him into their clubs: the women-more
than one-whom he wanted to marry
refused him: friends and relations got
too ne~arsighted to see him in the street.
Some men in this mess would have
tried to set themselves right with the
world. But to give In. even when he
was wrong and had all society against
him was not the way of the Honorable
John. He had kept the diamond. in fat
defiance of assassination. in India. He
kept the diamond. in fat defiance Of
public opinion. in England. There you
have the portrait of the man before
you, as a picture. A character that
braved everything and a face. hand
some as 1t was. that looked possessed
by the devil.
About two years before the time of
which | am now writing and about a
year and a half before the time of his
death the colonel came Unexpectedly
20 my loJ,.a haxaa L. o,l1, 80.
the night Of Miss Rachels birth
day. the Dist of June. and there was
n party in honor OF IL, as usual. | re-
ceive6 a message from the footman 10
say that a gentleman wanted to see
me. Going up into the hall, there /
found the colonel. wasted and worn
and old and shabby and as wild and as
wicked as ever.
go up to my sister" say he, "and
say that | have called to wish my niece
many happy returns Of the day"
He had made attempts by letter. more
than ono already. to be r~econciled with
my lady for no other purpose. / am firm
ly persuaded. than to annoy her. But
this was the first time he had actually
come to the house. l had II on the tip
Of my tongue to say that my mistress
had a party that night. But the devil
ish look Of him daunted me. l went
upstairs with his message and left him,
by his own desire. waiting in the hall.
My lady has a dash-no more-of the
family temper. Tell Colonel Hern-
CASTLE" she said, when l CAV her her
brothers message. ''that Miss Verinder
is engaged and that / decline TO see
him." / went downstairs with the mes
sage, of which / took the liberty OF
presenting a new and amended edition
Of my WI contriving, as follows: my
lady and Miss Rachel regret that they
are engaged. colonel, and beg to be ex-
cused having the honor of seeing you"
expected him to break out. even at
that polite way Of putting ii. To my
surprise he did nothing Of the sort.
He alarmed me by taking the thing
with an unnatural quiet. His eyes, of
a glittering bright gray. just settled on
me for a moment. and he laughed, not
out of himself, like other people, but
into himself. in a soft, %chuckling, hor-
ridly mischievous way. THANK you.
Betteredge." he said. II shall remem-
Der my niece's birthday" With that
he turned on his heel and walked out
of the house.
The next birthday came round, and
we heard he vas ill in bed. Six
months afterward-that is to say. six
months before the time ! am now
writing of-there came a letter from a
highly respectable clergyman TO my
lady. 1t communicated two wonderful
things in the way of family news
first, that the colonel had forgiven his
sister on his deathbed: second, that he
had forgiven everybody else and had
made a most edifying end. have
myself, in spite of the bishops and the
clergy. an u%nfeigned respect for he
church, but l am firmly persuaded at
the same time that the devil remained
I'm undisturbed possession of the Honor
able John and that the last abominable
act in the life of that abominable man
was Saving your %presence) to take the
clergyman In. III
This was the sum total of what l
had to tell Mr.. Franklin. l remarked
that he listened more and more eager
ly the longer l went on; also that the
story of the colonel being sent away
from his sisters door on the occasion
of his niece's birthday seemed to strike
Mr.. Franklin like a shot thai had hit
the mark. Though he didn't acknowl-
edge it, | saw that l had made him