The Ekalaka eagle., 1915-09-17
quietly, "Rachel, will you answer my

about the future, in which l am con-
cerned? They say your fathers death
has made you a rich man. Have you
come here to compensate me for the
loss of my diamond!'
/ stopped her there. l could control
myself no longer.
"You have done me an infamous
wrong.' l broke out hotly. You sus-
pect me of stealing your diamond.
have right to know, and l will know
the reason why"
Suspect you.' she exclaimed, her
anger rising with mine. "You villain,
I saw you take the diamond with my
own eyes,"
The revelation which burst upon me
in those words, the overthrow which
they instantly accomplished Of the
whole view Of the case on which Mr..
Bruff had relied, struck me helpless.
Innocent as l was, stood before her
in silence. To her eyes, to any eyes,
l must have looked like a man over
whelmcd by the discovery of his own
guilt.
From the moment when l knew that
the evidence on which stood condemn
ed in Rachels mind, was the evidence
of her own eyes, nothing-not even my
conviction. of my own innocence-was
clear in my mind. l took her by the
hand. / tried to speak firmly and to
the purpose. All 1 could say was,
"Rachel, you once loved me'' She
shuddered and looked away from me.
Her hand lay powerless and trembling
in mine. "Let 60 of it," she said faint.
ly.
Rachel" said, II can't explain the
contradiction in what I am going to
tell you. | can only speak the truth
as you have spoken it. You saw me.
With your own eyes you saw me take
the diamond Before God, who hears
us, l declare that l now know l took
it for the first time! Do you doubt me
still?"
| She had neither needed nor heard me.
'Let go Of my hand" she repeated
| family. That was her only answer.
Her head sank on my shoulder, and
her hand unconsciously closed on mine
| release it.
II want to ask you something" l
said. II want you to tell me every
thing that happened from the time
when we wished each other good night
to the time when you saw me take the
diamond"
She lifted her head from my shoulder
and made an effort to release her hand.
"Oh, why go back to it," she said.
| "Why go back to it,"
II will tell you why, Rachel You
are the victim and l am the victim of
some monstrous delusion which has
worn the mask of truth. If we look at
what happened on the night of your
birthday together we may end in un-
derstanding each other yet.
LET us begin," l said, with what
happened after we had wished each
other good night. Did you go to bed or
did you sit up?"
II went to bed"
"Did you notice the time? Was it
late?"
"Not very-about - O'Clock, l think"
''Did you fall aseep?'
mo; couldn't sleep that night"
'You We're restless?"
Il was thinking of you.'
The answer almost unnamed ME.
Something in the tone, even more than
in the words, went straight to my
heart 1t was only after pausing a lit
tie first that l was able to so on.
Had you any light in your room?''
1 asked.
"None-until l got up again and lit
my candle"
"How long was that after you had
gone to bed?"
"About an hour after, l think-about
o'clock"
did you leave your bedroom?"
II was going to leave it. l had put
on my dressing gown, and l was going
into my sitting room to get a book
Had you opened your bedroom
door,
II just opened it,"
But you had not gone into the sit
ting room:'
mo. l was stopped from going
into it,
"What stopped you?'
Il saw light under the door, and
heard footsteps approaching it,
"Were you frightened?"
"Not then. knew my poor mother
was bad sleeper, and l remembered
that she had tried hard that evening
to persuade me to let her take charge
of my diamond. She was unreasonable
anxious about it, as l thought, and |
fancied she was coming to me to see
if l was in bed and to speak to me
about the diamond again if she found
that l was up
"What did you do?"
81 blew out my candle, so that she
might think l was in bed. l was un-
reasonable on my side. was deter
mined to keep my diamond in the place
/, of nv own chOOSiny'