The Eureka sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1902-current, 1915-06-12

vi, was
Mr.. Godfrey at the bottom of the
board, keeping the temper of the com-
mittee and leading the dear creatures
along the thorny ways of business.
hat In hand. l do suppose this was
the most. accomplished philanthropist
on a small independence that England
ever produced. As a speaker at chart
table meetings the like of him for
drawing your tears and your money
was not easy to find. He vas quite n
public character. He loved everybody.
And everybody loved him. What chance
had Mr.. F'ranklin-what chance had
anybody of average reputation and
capacities-against such a man as this?
On the 18th came Mr.. Godfrey's an
swer.
He accepted. my mistress invitation,
from the Wednesday of the birthday
to the evening of Friday-when his
duties to the ladies' charities would
oblige him TO return to town. He also
inclosed a copy of verses on what he
elegantly called his cousins natal
day,
Though N of the most inveterate
smokers ! ever met with. he gave up
his cigar because she said one day she
hated the stale smell of il in his
clothes. He slept so badly after this
effort of self denial. for want of the
composing effect of the tobacco to
which he was used and came down
mnrpfnO after panrnsnar IaaI.;,. GO too
gard and worn that Miss Rachel her.
self begged him to take to his cigars
again. No. he would take to nothing
again that would cause her n moments
annoyance. He would fight il out reso-
lutely. and get back his sleep. sooner
or later, by main force of patience in
waiting for ii.
June 16 brought an event which made
Mr.. Franklin's chance look, to my
mind, a worse chance than ever.
A strange gentleman, speaking Eng
fish with a foreign accent. came that
morning to the house and asked to sec
Mr.. Franklin Blake on business. The
business could not possibly have been
connected with the diamond, for these
two reasons-first, that Mr.. Franklin
told me nothing about it: secondly. that
he communicated it after the strange
gentleman had gone away again to my
lady. She probably limited something
about 1t next to her daughter. At any
rate. Miss Rachel was reported to have
said some severe things to Mr.. Frank
lin at the piano that evening about the
people he had lived among and the
principles he had adopted in foreign
parts. The next day, for the first time.
nothing was done toward the decora-
ton of the door. l suspect some i'm
prudence of Mr.. Franklin's on the con-
tinent-with a woman or a debt at the
bottom of it-had followed him to Eng
land. But that is all guess work. In
this case not only Mr.. Franklin, but
my lady. too, for a wonder, left me in
the dark.
On the 18th, to all appearance. the
cloud passed away again. They re-
turned to their decorating work on
the door and seemed to be as good
friends as ever.
On the Goth there came a note from
Mr.. Godfrey. He had arranged to stop
at F%rizinghall that night. having oc-
casion to consult his father on bust
ness. On the afternoon of the next
day he and his two eldest sisters
would ride oyer to us on horseback, in
good time before dinner.
June 81. the day of the birthday, was
cloudy and unsettled at sunrise. but
toward moor it cleared up bravely.
After breakfast Mr.. Franklin and I
had a private conference on the sub
ject of the moonstone. the time having
now come for removing it from the
bank at Frizinghall and placing it in
Miss Rachel's own hands.
Nothing had happened TO Justify rs
in alarming my lady on the subject IF
the jewel: nothing could alter the legal
obligation that now lay on Mr.. Frank
That was my view of the matter. ana.
twist and turn il as he might, he was
forced in the end to make it his view
too. We arranged that he was to ride
over after lunch to ~FriZinghall and
bring the diamond back. with Mr..
Godfrey and the two young ladies. in
all probability. to keep him company
the way home again.
This settled. our young gentleman
back to Miss Rachel.
They consumed the whole morning
and part of the afternoon in the ever
business of decorating the door.
But they had done what they wanted
had finished the door on the
birthday. and proud enough they were