The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1928-12-07


uncertain glances. OILY the Swami
seemed unmoved.
Think again. my son." he said at
length.
"No," said Waterman promptly. I'm
| through %
No one spoke. There came tap
| ping at the door. When Wilson opened
it. Mrs. Burkett entered. in state Of
obvious agitation.
Excuse my comm In on you again
| like this" she stammered, "but the
| fact is came across somethin' just
now that | thought I'd ought to tell
| you about right off,"
"What is IT'D" asked the secretary.
"Why, sir, couldn't sleep no more
than nothin', was that excited.
Seemed like there must be burglars
| around the house So | got goin'
| around inspectin' things. The door of
| Mr.. WATERWAYS room was open and
| the light was turned on and saw
Somethin' fash on the floor as / stood
in the doorway. went In and picked
it up, and here II is"
| She plunged her hand into the little
| yellow bag she carried and drew forth
the Colby necklace. Dead silence fol-
| lowed.
81 hope I've done right" said Mrs.
| Burkett.
"Quite." said Wilson. 81 think you
may go now"
The moment the door was closed
three pairs of eyes converged again
on Waterman, composing an inquiry
that had to be answered.
Waterman answered it: "He had
that necklacel Jim had 1t, this very
night in this room. He showed Ii to
me, but he had it-carried 1t In his
pocket He took it out and showed 1t
to me. l didn't bring it here. l don't
know anything about it."
"HOw came it in your bedroom?" in
| CURED the Swami.
81 don't know, tell you"
''Let us see," continued the Hindu.
81 read In a New York newspaper in
the city of Bengal an account of the
theft of the Colby diamonds, months
and months ago. Mr.. Stanley called
my attention to it, saying that he knew
the owner of these jewels. The theft,
| believe, has never been explained"
He looked at Doris.
"No." she said, never"
81 suppose, Mr.. Waterman" went on
| the Swami, you do not ask us to be-
lieve that these jewels were stolen in
| hr ATr nj ,bn 70
twelve thousand miles away in the in
terror of Asia at the time the theft
occurred?"
81 tell you l don't know anything
about it," moaned Waterman, again re-
duced to a state of Mysteries.
''In that case / suppose you have no
plausible theory to account for the
wanderings of these jewels between
| the time, some months ago, when Mrs.
| Waterman left them on her dressing
table, to this very evening when they
are discovered In your bedchamber?
Waterman was silent.
| "And all you have to say is that
| you don't know how they came there
but that you saw them this very eve
ming in this room, in Mr.. Stanley's
hand? And how, think you, did Mr..
Stanley come by them?"
81 don't know-I don't know"
groaned Waterman.
Doris asked q question. what did
Jim say about them?' she asked.
Waterman hesitated, but presently
he said: "He accused me of stealing
them"
"Ah-" said the Swami, land then
came the fght?"
"Yes."
"And why, may ask, did you say
nothing to us of all this?"
Waterman was miserably silent.
at seems to me, my son, that your
case is not at all improved And now
do you still feel as you did? You see,
we must decide, and at once. Will you
accept the offer so mercifully made to
you by these friends of our vanished
friend, or-shall we call the police?
Waterman gaZed at the floor long
| time in silence. AT length he spoke.
"fll CO." he said. "I'm licked"
| The Swami looked at Wilson and
made gesture. The secretary went
to the door and opened it Without a
look, without word, Waterman
walked out Wilson followed him and
| closed the door.
Doris sank into chair, limp, ex.
hausted. Her sole sensation was one
of utter WEAKNESS. She had lived a
| lifetime in an hour. Shock had fol-
lowed upon shock. For the moment
she could feel no more, despite the
fact that through her brain there
cOursed the one reiterated question
| where was jim? Where was Jim?
| Suddenly she reused herself Some
things got to be done-I can't sit here
all night and do nothing Something's
simply got to be done! must think
what it is! Please leave me-"
IF you will, my daughter, but do
not grieve too much Oh, know,
| that Is easy to say. But he was my
friend as well as yours. and even If
he has passed beyond our ken, we
must remember that this life, with all
Its heartbreaks, all its loves, all its
loyalties, all its treacheries, Is but a
little thing-Just tiny island In the
| illimitable c0smic sea. will go to my
| chamber, but |, too. shall not sleep
| If you want me, send and will come. %
| The voice ceased.
She did not answer. When she
looked up again the Swami was gone.
| She struggled to her feet and looked
about the room wildly. Here it had
happened. whatever 1t was. Swiftly,
her imagination working with the
| speed of fever, she tried to reconstruct