Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1916-11-19
Continued from Last Sunday
CHAPTER vi

away and Susan, finding herself in un-
disputed possession, took him off to
remote recesses of the kitchen gar
den, far from casual intruders. Mean
while went on reading, very much
puzzled. Naturally the style was not
that of The Diamond Gate" which
was the style of Tom Castleton and not
of Adrian Boldero. But was what I
read the style of Adrian Boldero? This
vivid, virile opening? The scene of
the two derelicts who hated one an
other. fortuitously meeting on the old
tramp steamer? This cunning evoca-
ton of smells. jute, bilge water, the
warm oils of the engine room?
After q long spell, l took out my
watch. 1t was twenty past one. We
lunched at half-past. l rose, went to-
ward the house and came upon Jaf-
fiery and Susan. The latter I dis
patched peremptorily to her additions.
Alone with Jaffery ! challenged him.
You hulking baby" said I. Whats
the good of pretending with me? Why
didn't you tell me at once that you had
written 1t yourself?"
He looked at me anxiously. what
makes you think 500"
1.-The simple intelligence possessed by
the average adult. First" I continued,
as he made no reply, but stood star
ing at me in ingenious discomfort.
you couldn't have got this out of poor
Adrian's mush; secondly Adrian
hadn't the experience Of life to have
written 1t; thirdly. l have read many
brilliant descriptive articles in the
Daily Gazette and have little difficulty
in recognizing the hand of Jaffery
Chayne."
Good Lord!" said he. 1T isn't as
obvious as all that? ?"
] laughed. Then you did write it?
"Of course" he growled. But |
didn't want you to know. | tried to get
as near Tom Castleton as I could Look
here"-he gripped my shoulder-'if it's
such a transparent fraud what the
blazes is going to happen?"
My enthusiastic answer expressed the
sincerity of my appreciation. He posi-
lively blushed and looked at me rather
guiltily. like a schoolboy detected in
the act of helping an old woman across
the road.
To Barbara and myself awaiting our
guests in the drawing room before din
ner, the first to come was Doria, whom
we hadn't seen since lunch; an inter-
esting figure in her low evening dress
you can imagine a. Tanagra figure in
black and white ivory. Her face, how
ever, was passion of excitement
It's wonderful" she cried. More
than wonderful. Even I didn't know
till today what great genius Adrian
was. All these things he describes
he never saw them. He imagined, ere
ated. Oh, my God! If only he had
lived to finish it," She put her two
hands before her eyes and dashed them
swiftly away-"Jaffery has done his
best, poor fellow. But OH the bridges
he speaks of-they're so crude. SO
crude! l can see every one. The muir
der-you remember"
But apart from my amateur joining
Of the flats, You think the book S
worthy of Adrian?''
ooh, I do" she cried passonately.
Il do. It's the work of a genius. It's
Adrian in all his maturity, in all his
greatness!"
CHAPTER VII.
Doria, seeing Jaffery unresentful of
kicking, continued to kick lwhen Bar
bara wasn't looking-for Barbara had
read her a lecture on the polite treat
ment of trustees and executors) and
made him more her slave than ever.
+, He fetched and carried. He read
poetry. He was custodian of the
Sacred Rubbers when the grass was
damp. He shielded her from the over
rough lncursions on the part of Litany
of Saint Odrian. He sacrificed his golf
so thai he could SIT near ner and hold
figuratiVe wool for her to unwind. 1t
was very pretty to watch them. The
contrast between them made its I'M
ceasing appeal Besides. Doria did not
kick all the time; there were long
spells during which. touched by the
giants devotion, she repaid it in tokens
of tender regard.
These idyllic relations continued I'M
runled for some days, until a letter ar
rived from the eminent novelist to
whom. with Doria's approval Jaffery
had sent the proofs.
"A marvellous story" was the great
mans verdict; "singularly different
from The Diamond Gate only resem-
bling it in its largeness of conception
and the perfection of its kind The al
teration of single word would spoil
it. If an alien hand is there, it is i'm
perceptible.'
At this splendid tribute Jaffery
beamed with happiness. He tossed the
letter to Barbara across the breakfast
table.
Il should like to compare the proofs
with Adrian's original manuscript.
Where is it?' asked Doria.
, Here was the question we had all
dreaded. Jaffery lied convincingly
TT went to the printers. my dear,
and, of course, they've destroyed it,"
Il thought everything was typed
nowadays"
tipping takes time" replied Jaffery
serenely. And I'm not an advocate of
featherbeds and rose water baths for
printers. AS I wanted to rush the
book out as quickly as possible. didn't
see why I should pamper them with
type. Have you the original manu-
script of The Diamond Gate?"