The Eureka sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1902-current, 1915-10-23

villa who was not taken In his own
name either.
My Investigations I'm this villa have
I shown me several fine pictures and
statues. furniture tastefully selected
and admirably made and a conserva-
tory Of the rarest flowers, the match
of which 1t would not be easy to find
In all London. My investigation of the
lady has resulted in the discovery of
jewels which are worthy to take rank
with the flowers and of carriages and
horses which have deservedly produced
n sensation in the park among persons
well qualified to judge of the build of
the one and the breed Of the others.
All this Is SO far common enough.
The villa and the lady are such IA
miliar objects In London life that I
ought to apologize for introducing
them to notice. But what is not CON-
mon and not familiar in my expert
ence is that all these fine things were
not only ordered, but paid for. The
pictures, the statues, the flowers, the
jewels, the carriages and the horses
inquiry proved, to my in~describable as
constituent, that not a sixpence of debt
was owing on any Of them. AS to the
villa, 1t had been bought out and out
and settled on the lady.
l might have tried to find the right
reading of this riddle, and tried in
vain, but for Mr.. Godfrey Ablewhite's
death, which caused an inquiry to be
made into the state of his affairs.
The inquiry elected these facts:
That Mr.. Godfrey Ablewhlte was in
trusted with the care Of a sum of f20,-
000-as one of two trustees for a young
gentleman who was still a minor In
the year 1S4S. That the trust was to
lapse and that the young gentleman
was to receive the 100000 on the day
when he came Of age, in the month of
February, 1850. That, pending the ar
rival of this period. an income of 5000
was to be paid to him by his two trus
tees, half yearly-at Christmas and at
midsummer day. That this income was
regularly paid by the active trustee. Mr..
Godfrey Ablewhite. That the 10000.
from which the income was supposed
to be derived, had, every farthing of 1t,
been sold out Of the funds, at different
periods, ending with the end of the
authorizing the bankers to sell out the
stock and the various written orders
telling them what amounts to sell out,
were formally signed by both the trus-
tees. That the signature of the second
trustee, a retired army officer. living
in the country, was a signature forged,
in every case, by the active trustee
otherwise Mr.. Godfrey Ablewhite.
In these facts lies the explanation of
Mr.. Godfrey's honorable conduct in pay
ing the debts incurred for the lady and
the villa-and, as you will presently
see, of more besides.
We may now advance to the date of
Miss Verinder's birthday, in the year
1S4S-the 21st Of June.
On the day before, Mr.. Godfrey Able
white arrived at his fathers house and
asked, as l know from Mr.. Ablewhite,
senior, himself, for a loan of f3OO.
Mark the sum, and remember at the
same time that the half yearly pay
ment to the young gentleman was due
on the 24th of the month. Also, that
the whole OF the young gentleman's
fortune had been spent by his trustee
by the end of the year 1S47.
At the birthday dinner you exasper-
ate Mr.. Candy, the doctor, on the sore
Suhiant nf hic nrafocc;o. a,I h. .lo..u
you a practical joke in return with a
dose of laudanum. He trusts the ad-
ministration of the dose, prepared in a
little vial, to Godfrey Ablewhite, who
has himself confessed the share he had
in the matter, under circumstances
which shall presently be related to you.
Mr.. Godfrey is all the reader to enter
into the conspiracy, having himself suf-
fered from your sharp tongue In the
course of the evening. He joins Bet
teredge in persuading you to drink a
little brandy and water before you go
to bed. He privately drops the dose of
laudanum into your cold grog. and you
drink the mixture.
Let us now shift the scene, If you
please, TO Mr.. Luker's house at Lam
beth.
Late on the evening of Friday, the
23d of June, 1S4S, Mr.. Luker was sur
prised by a visit from Godfrey Able |
white. He was more than surprised
when Mr.. Godfrey produced the moon
stone. No such diamond, according to
Mr.. Luker's experience, was in the pos
session of any private person in Eu-
rope.
Mr.. Godfrey Ablewhite had two mod
est proposals to make in relation to
this magnificent gem-first, would Mr..