The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1922-01-19

Ing her point and the dismissal of the
detective, who left the Verinder home
convinced that Miss Rachel had dis
posed Of the diamond through the con-
nivance of Rosanna Spearman in order
to pay some pressing debt.
Rachel and Lady Verinder spent
some little time in London, where Ra-
chel was ordered by her physician to
have as much gayety as possible to
counterfeit the depression of recent
events. Franklin Blake left for the
continent and Godfrey Ablewhite again
resumed his attentions to Rachel.
Shortly afer leaving Lady Vernders
country home for London, Godfrey
Ablewhite was summoned to q strange
house by an unknown person, bound,
gagged and searched by n tawny-
skinned individual. On the same day
notorious money-lender met with
like experience in the exact spot where
Mr.. Ablewhite was maltreated, only
that in his case receipt for valua-
bic left at a bankers was removed
from his loose papers. The news of
the disappearance of the Moonstone
having reached London an ugly suspi-
clon began to attach itself to Godfrey
Ablewhite, only to be dlssipated by the
emphatic assertion of Rachel Verin-
der: II know that Godfrey Ablewhite
is innocent !" Soon after this Rachel
became engaged TO Mr.. Alleviate. al
though she told him her heart was
oil IN
be quite satisfied with this condition
until after Lady Verinder's death when
he had an opportunity to examine her
will. When Rachel's lawyer found this
out and communicated It TO Rachel she
dismissed Godfrey Alleviate on sus-
pecting him Of wishing to marry her
for pecuniary reasons. He accepted
his dismissal more gracefully than his
father, in whose house Rachel was re-
siding after the death Of her mother
Mr.. Bruff, her lawyer, then made ar
rangements for her to live with one of
her aunts.
At this time Franklin Blake was
quickly summoned to England by the
death of his father. In his unhappi-
ness he visited Lady Verinder's old
home, where he found things sadly
changed, with no one in charge except
"A faithful old steward. This servant
told him that there was a letter wait
ing for him from Rosanna Spearman,
which her confidant would deliver into
no other hands than his. The short
letter contained directions to search
on the seashOre for hidden box. This
box held a garment stained with
smear of paint from Miss Racheps
bOudolr and had on 1t the name Of
Franklin Blake. A long letter eX-
planned that the garment had been hid
den there by Rosanna Spearman on ac-
count of her love for Franklin Blake
and her hopes of shielding him from
discovery. Immediately, knowing that
there must be some mistake, Mr.. Blake
tried in vain to see Rachel in London
by all fair means. His resort to trick
TO accomplish this ends unfortunately
and they part in great bitterness. RAJ
chefs words: you villain, i saw you
take the diamond with my own eyeSi"
spurred him to do all in his power to
prove his innocence.
He returned to the country house
and soon met the assistant of the fam
lily physician with whom he had dis
puted at the birthday dinner. Doctor
Candy had caught severe cold that
night, which with complications still
affected him mentally and bodily. His
assistant had taken in shorthand the
doctors delirious rawlings, and after
studying them had found out what was
preying upon the doctors mind. In
the tumbler of water measured for
Franklin Blake the night of the birth
day q small quantity of laudanum had
been placed. Sleep-wal1ing results
were Immediately suspected and even
Rachel was persuaded to have the ex-
pertinent repeated under conditions as
nearly as possible like those of the
year before. Her aunt came with her
to chaperon this strange house party,
and all eagerly awaited the expert
ment. Franklin Blake walked in his
sleep as far as the cabinet which held
a mock diamond. Although he let this
stone drop to the floor as the effects OF
the medicine wore off his innocence
was established and the two lovers
were reconciled.
The time had nearly come when the
money-lender was to take from the
bankers vault the valuable which he
had deposited there. Detectives watch
ed the bank and several people near
the money-lender were followed on
wrong suspicion. A shrewd office boy
took upon himself to follow a large
man with a dark beard. This man had
taken refuge In low-class boarding
house awaiting the sailing of his
steamer for Rotterdam. Franklin
Blake and Sergeant Cuff fastened to
this house and found the man had been
murdered, presumably by an Indian.
The detective on removing the black
beard and pasty complexion revealed
to onlookers the fair hair and rudy