Evening star., 1923-05-06
TODAY'S ISSTALLMENT.
Darkness OF Night.

Darkness or Night.
NLAN after plan rushed rapidly
- through his brain. Jil-Beti
should never go down into the
oceans depths for pearls again
Never again, Her little hand shouIC
never more he strained and rough
ened by homely toll. He would make
a lady of her, as fine as any in the
land. Il owe it TO her dead father
and mother" How glad and thank
ful they would be to him if they bul
knew Of his resolve and could speak
from the star-gemmed heavens ur yc
which he cast his eyes wistfulIy.
He realized that in keeping SO love
ly maiden shut away from the
world in this far-off place he had
done her an injustice. But he would
to do the right thing by his loving
little granddaughter.
This conclusion to which he had
come made his heart feel very light
He planned still further: n-Ali
should not know OF his intentions
when he returned. therefore he could
put forth no effort to Illustrate them.
AS soon as the money he was work :
ing so hard for was in his hands Jill
Bett and himself should take the
next outgoing steamer, boarding il
in the night: when daylight broke
they would be moving away from the
shores OF Arabia forever.
Not d thing should they take with
them save the clothes on their backs.
He would warn Jil-Bett that she
must not make a conhdant Of Mrs.
Nudge regarding the arrangement:
indeed. she must not know of il until
the very last moment.
She would be sorry to part with
Jil-Bett. the news would SO hard
with her He would not have minded
Mrs. Nudge knowing about it pre-
viOusly if il had not been for her
husband; he had never thought over
much of him. There had always been
something about Nudge that made
him distrustful of him.
He knew that few good wives were
capable OF keeping an important Sc
cret from their husbands; least of all
Mrs. Nudge. What she did not know
about she could not disclose.
AS he turned to go into the room
he beheld the coveted powder scat
tered about the floor. Suppressing
the cry of delight that rose To his
lips by great effort. he gathered
the whole of it up with alacrity and
succeeded in draining full half of
tue grass ere Ii-bttt uiScoNeItu the
situation.
He would not heed the girls plead
ing to rest a little while
Il was never more fine and fit for
work, l tell you'll he retorted angri-
ly. GO TO bed again, or sit up, just
as you like: I'm going. TO finish my
work on the ruby tonight and win
the fortune that will be the reward
for it."
He walked quickly to his bench:
his shaking hand passed lightly over
it TO the spot he had laid down the
jewel.
God in heaven, il is not here"
he shrieked. He opened the drawer
of the bench. And the gold-that's
gone. too"
His cries brought JilBett quickly
to his side.
"Oh. grandfather. have you ruined
the ruby" she gasped, vainiy en-
deavoring to still his piercing, pite-
Gus cries.
They're gone-the ruby and the
gold. Some one has taken them but
moment since." he sobbed, clinging
to her in his weakness. and agonized
cries "Oh. Jil-Bett. 1 had them both
to frighten your poor old grand
father"
She shook her head. declaring:
They must surely be here. The
ruby has rolled to the floor, and you
have put away the gold, as you
promised me you would do, and you
have forgotten where"
He shook his old. white. grief
bowed head. still sobbing violently.
Jil-Bett lost no time in searching
every nook and Granny of the place.
Her grandfather was quite right:
they had disappeared as though the
earth had suddenly opened and swal-
lowed them.
What am 1 to do. Jil-Bett:" he
cried, clinging to her In mortal ter
for the ruby. If l can not produce it.
L will be placed under arrest. and
later thrown into prison. Do you
hear, Jil-Bett? l will end my days
in a prison! That will drive me
mad; Save me: Oh save me- jill
She was almost overcome with
horror and grief at the turn affairs
had taken. She firmly believed that
during the time she had Deen so un-
fortunate as to sleep, under the in
1uence of the deplorable powders
her grandfather had crept out of the
house and hidden the treasures. and.
ah, heaven, so securely they would
never be likely to be found. lie
would never be able to recall any
thing about them.
"Oh, try hard and think, grand
father" she sobbed. Did you go
After a moments pause he nodded
assent. II sat out on the doorstep
and smoked and planned for you
and met he cried. wringing his
hands in the most abject misery.
With alacrity Jil-Bett fastened out
to the doorstep. her grandfather ac-
her.
Fetch a light. girl" he cried. ir-
"how could you expect to
find anything in the dark? That
shows how little sense you have an
your head"
"A light would attract attention;
that would never do; in no time at
all Katar would be aroused and every
one would be helping us look for the
ruby. which would mean we would
never find 1t then"
1--WE must wait till daylight, then"
he groaned, .
my eyes are very keen, you know, and
the moon is SO bright 1t will catch its
rays, revealing itself"
Breathlessly he watched as she
searched, her strong young hands even
tearing UP the boards of the step, lest
it should have slipped down the wide
crack.
useless. Useless. You see it is not
there. don't you? No doubt you are
crushing it down into the earth under
your heel, foolish girl"
She made him no answer. realizing
the intense excitement and grief he was
under.
1--WE will look inside again." she said