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

II called on Mrs. Harding To take
her bottle of fresh iodine. Miss
Harding saw the diamonds when
they fell from my pocket"
rs it true that you have been
paying her a lot of attention."
mo"
"You have not had words with
Rundhia about her?"
"Yes. I did tell Rundhia, last
night after midnight, that if anything
should happen to Lynn Harding, |
would hold him answerable."
''Why should you have said that?"
Because | like her. l suspected
Rundhia's intentions"
Are you sure she is nice? Why
should she have told Rundhia?"
81 don't believe she did. Rundhia
lied, if you ask me. Perhaps a serv-
ant told him."
"Just moment, sir. This oc-
ours to me. Is Rundhia exactly in
good standing?"
No. Confidentially, speaking off
the record, | took recent occasion
to warn him that one more indiscre-
tion might endanger his succession
to the throne"
81 suppose" said Norwood, lit
would be a great deal easier. and
would cause a lot less trouble, TO
veto him now than TO have to de-
pose him later on, after he had
come to the throne?"
"Why, yes, certainly. Even the
right of veto isn't anything we like
to exercise. To depose a ruling
prince, after once having recognized
his right to the throne-well, it has
been done. But it isn't good policy,
if it can be avoided You see, the
alternative to Rundhia is Jodha, who
is an invalid and likely to be child
less. We might be accused of de-
posing Rundhia in order to grab
Kadur. No. If Rundhia should sue
ceed to the throne, his position
would be fairly secure"
Norwood thought a minute. IF
Rundhia should be planning a coup
of some kind, don't you think he'd
be cunning enough to kick up a
smoke screen?"
"Rundhia is more impetuous than
cunning" the Resident answered.
Norwood thought again, scowling,
for half minute. Then:
"D'vou think he's sufficiently i'm
petuous to try to kill several birds
with one stone?"
"He might be. He's an impatient
fellow-not at all good at waiting for
what he makes up his mind that
he wants"
"If he could prejudice the case
against the priests, by accusing
them of having bribed me. And if
he could break me for taking a
bribe. And break you for knowing
about it but doing nothing-there
would be scandal that might dis
tract attention from whatever else
he might be doing at the moment"
'T concede that" said the Resi-
dent. "But if / report you as
charged with having accepted
bribe, can you disprove it? If you
could identify the Brahmin who, you
say, put those diamonds into your
pocket without your knowledge, he
would say on the witness stand that
you had demanded bribe, and that
he saw some unknown person hand
it to you. How can you prove you
didn't know those diamonds were in
your pocket? Can your"
| mo" said Norwood.
"Stay away from the palace. Bet
ter wait until Rundhia makes the
first move"
"You don't believe in taking bulls
| by the horns?"
Norwood, had a premonition
the moment you arrived, that that
red hair of yours would set fire to
things. We're in a fine mess. It's
either you or Rundhia. 1t breaks
you, if he can make his accusations
good. Witnesses come cheap in Ka-
dur. Hes could hire them by the
dozen. But if he fails to make it
good, | think ] can guarantee you
it shall break him."
Hardly fair to me, is it, to COM
pei me to sit still and be shot at?"
''What do you suggest?"
First. IN write that statement.
Then I'd like to have a talk with
Miss Lynn Harding.
Ito be continued)