The Ekalaka eagle. [volume] (Ekalaka, Mont.) 1909-1920, 1915-09-03
said. 81 had hoped, Mr.. Franklin, to

-"A @OISSS /
hear that things We're all smooth and
pleasant again between you and Miss
Rachel. If you must have your w
way, SIR he continued after a mo
ments reflection. there is no need TO
go to F~rizinshall tonight for a bed. It's
to be had nearer than that. There's
Hothcrstone's farm, barely w miles
from here. You can hardly object to
that On Miss Rachel's account" the old
man added slyly. "Hotherstone lives,
Mr.. Franklin, on his w freehold"
"1f it's no secret, SIR" said Better
edge suddenly, I'm burning to know
what brought you down here, if you
please, in this sudden way"
"What brought mi here before?" I
asked.
"The moonstone, Mr.. Franklin. But
what brings you now, sir!
"The moonstone again, Betteredge."
"1f I am doing wrong to help you, Mr..
franklin" said Betteredge, FALL l can
say is am as innocent Of seeing it as
the babe unborn. / can put you on the
road to discovery If you can only go
on by yourself. You remember that
poor girl of ours, Rosanna Spearman?
Ilosanna Spearman left a sealed letter
behind her-a letter addressed to you"
"Where is it,"
"In the possession Of a friend Of hers
at Cobb's Hole. You must have heard
tell when you were here last, sir, of
Limping Lucy, a lame girl with a
crutch."
"Why wasn't the letter forwarded to
me-"
"Limping Lucy has a will of her own,
sir. She wouldn't give it into any hands
but yours. And you had left England
before l could write to YOU"
Lets go back, Betteredge and get it
at once"
"Too late, sir, tonight. They're great
savers Of candles along our coast, and
, they go to bed early at Cobb's Hole"
- you will go with me to the fisher
mans cottages"
Yes, sir"
EARLY"
LAS early, Mr.. Franklin, as you like
We descended the path that led tc
the farm.
!, l have only the most indistinct recol
lection of what happened at Hother
stones farm.
1t had Deer arranged overnight will
Betteredge that 1 was to call for hin
on our way to Cobb's Hole as early as
1 liked, which, interpreted by my i'm
patience to get possession Of the letter
meant as early as l could. l foun(
J him ready and waiting for me, will
his stick in his hand.
Early as it was, we found the fisher
mans wife astir in her kitchen. o.
my presentation by Betteredge a wan
wild. haggard girl with remarkabl.
beautiful hair and with a fierce keen
A ness in her eyes came limping up on
4 crutch to the table at which l was sit
ting and looked at me as if l We're a
object Of mingled interest and horror
which it quite fascinated her to see.
I Thump, thump up the wooden stair:
thump, thump across the room aboy
u heads; thump, thump down til
stairs again, and there stood the al
d partition at the open door, with a lettt
in its hand, reckoning me out.
: She led me down the beach benin
some boats, out of sight and hearin
Of the few people in the fishing villae
and then stopped and faced me for IL
first time.
Il think you have got a letter
give me-" l began. '1s it the lett
there in your hand?'
. She abruptly thrust the letter, as I'll
phrase is, into my face.
Take it," she exclaimed furiousl
Il lever set eye On you before. G.
y forbid I shall ever set eyes on y(
again."
With those parting words she linn
ed away from me at the top Of Ii
speed. The address was written
follows: For Franklin Blake, Esq.
n. be given into his W hands, and II
IT. to be trusted to any one else, by Lu
Yolland."
or I broke the seal. The envelope &C
ox- tanned a letter, and this, in its tut
nv contained a slip of paper. I read t
ith letter first:
Sir-If you are curious to know t
tho meaning of my behavior to you while y
=. were staying in the house OF my mlstre
ue- Lady verinder, do what you are told
lSt do In the memorandum inclosed with tn
and do it without any person being pr
lie ent to overlook you. Your humble SCI
" ant. ROSANNA SPEARMAN
- I turned to the slip Of paper. HI
to is the literal copy of it, word for wol
Memorandum-To go to the shive
Sane at the turn Of the tide. To w;
out on the South spit until I get
to South spit beacon and the flagstaff at
Mr. coast guard station above Cobb's hole
i. a line together. To lay down on the ROT
4 a stick or any straight thing to guide
hand, exactly in the line Of the beat
and the flagstaff. To take care in do
this that one end of the stick shall be
the edge of the rocks, on the side of tn
which overlooks the quicksand. To +
;" along the stick among the sea weed,
tho ginning from the end Of the stick VIII
nOiDtS toward the beacon. for the chs