The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1940-04-04

would that be?"
The Maharajah bleated like an old
sheep. A lawyer in black alpaca
frock coat droned interminable ar
guments. Documents were pro-
duced. Expert witnesses commit
ted artfully evasive perjury. Nor
wood sat at the foot of the long ta-
BILE, looked, listened, and made end
less notes.
They weren't half through by
lunch-time. They gave him tiffin in
| the palace, all by himself. in a ST.
| lent room, where clock licked as
loud as fork against plate and he
caught himself eating in time to the
| hypnotic beat, thinking of diamonds.
Curried mutton and rice. Whiskey
and soda. Sweet cakes. Fruit. Cof-
fee. A cigar. And then back to the
| Council room to listen to more argu-
nents that were interrupted by the
arrival of Rundhia's Bengali ply
sician, shepherding a servant who
carried a big blue goblet on a plate.
The Maharajah swallowed his tom
ic and Immediately became less
nervous. Then he asked, in Eng
lsh, presumably for Norwood's ben
eft:
''How is Mrs. Harding?"
Norwood cared less than nothing
about Mrs. Harding's feelings at the
moment, but he couldn't help hear
ing the doctors answer:
"She is not well. But l cannot
| persuade her to take medicine. She
is petulant-very."
The Maharajah tried to seem in
credulous of any lady's petulance:
Convey my solicitude."
Norwood managed to escape from
the conference soon after that. He
was away on the horse before the
sais woke up. He cantered to the
Residency, where he had to wait in
the office an exasperating fifteen
| minutes, until the Resident could be
| awakened from his afternoon snooze
and could get tubbed and come
downstairs.
MAY / see you alone, sir?"
The Resident nodded. He didn't
appear to enjoy the prospect. They
went into the darkened library, and
] Norwood sat in the same chair that
Rundhia had occupied. He laid the
black paper package of diamonds on
| the table:
"Take a look at those, sir. I
want to turn them over to you. I
would like to get receipt, and to
make a statement in writing"
The Resident opened the envelope
and poured the diamonds into his
hand. He made a wry face and
poured them back again:
Miner"
ST haven't counted them"
'They look valuable. Where did
you get them?"
''I am not absolutely certain.
think they must have been slipped
into my pocket, early this morning,
by one of the unofficial representa-
tives of the temple authorities, who
met me by appointment, near the
waterfall"
What were you doing?"
Inviting myself for visit of in
spection of the mine. They met me
{ to discuss it."
"And you say they dropped these
in your poe ket?"
"I believe so. It's a pretty OBJ
vious attempt to bribe me to write
a report in their favor"
''But they said nothing? Not even
a hint?"
lone of them, I remember, did
say he hoped my judgment wouldn't
be affected by worthless arguments.
He rather dwelt on the word worth
less, but it made no special impress
sion on me at the time"
Every well, Captain Norwood,
will take your statement" The Resi-
dent glanced at his watch. You're
rather late with it. There seems to
| me to be needed some explanation
! when you called this morning."
''I didn't know, at that time, that
had them in my pocket"
The Residents face was express
sionless: "You had better be sure
to include that in your statement.
It's credible, of course, in view of
your record. But people might draw
inferences. Don't you think SOP"
"You suggest, sir?"
Nothing. / am offering advice.
1t might be inferred that you ac-
cepted these diamonds and said
nothing about them until you
learned, let us say at the palace,
that someone knew about it; and
that then you hurried to me in a
rather belated attempt to establish
innocence. l am simply pointing out
to you what might be inferred if
you are not particularly careful"
Norwood stared at the package Of
diamonds. He thought a minute.
| Then he looked straight in the Resi-
dents eyes and spoke quite calmly.
! "You appear to me to be limiting.
Had you heard about these before
brought them to your"
"Yes."
''Who was your Informant"
'It was confidential"
"You suspect me Of having ac-
| cepted a bribe?"
ST reserve my opinion"
Every well, sir, you admit that
someone accused me. / want the
| name of the informant. Otherwise
/ demand my arrest and a court
martial"
Keep your temper. You have al
ready been reported to me for punch
ing someone's nose"
"Whose?"