Show till LS it cos a plan tint no plot life hath nono frada anno bardulph was not very youthful nor mas alio particularly handsome and he was housekeeper for alio ailing mrs dorian this invalid lady resided in 1 fine wooden lionso of many rooms through which ran i niile hall with walls of red and a gilt edged ceding that was painted ill some curious and uncertain lint of pal pinkish brown ajic bloor was tessellated in brown aud red and tho dark carved doors opened upon a columnar portico with broad brown steps leading down upon a great lawn flanked with thick trees of beech and pine across alie greening lawn in tho sweet vellow april dunshire Dun shine walked annc a iliin straight woman with regular and severe features and wonderfully large eyes of darkest gray alio had an abundance of neail arranged dark hair and sho was in n serviceable suit of somo clinging dull bauo fabric ali cellar and coffis aim immaculate two oung men coming upon alio portico saw her an interesting nud not unlovely moving under the grim whispering pines tho new of jn adamo pleases you her you admire perhaps one remarked rather would you suggest that miss ilir may not leont admiration returned he other evasively and some ablo InU aon inow ilo gast gc st wai abo protesting chirp foreign accents 1 I cicro am como to seo much to lucli think but I 1 nol liing say until tho jiow fay you it till tho ono exposure tony donnian smoked thoughtfully for several silent finally lie tos bcd aay ids ci garand tinned toward his company DHa zelly lie began pleasantly you arc hero ostensibly only as roy guest and intimate friend on tho aliat do ou call the ostensible I 1 impose not interrupted louis Ulla zelly quickly and proudly 1 I but lie detec alie servitor of madame to her diamonds of value land and alio thief to discover yes I 1 know interposed tho young gentleman but I 1 leavo become of your worth ns a man aud I 1 really regard you as a friend no friend will ever be moro warmly welcomed to home alian you if 1 did not feel like this I 1 should not bo likely to confess to you aliat I 1 leavo been refused by miss for whom cd gently and with hesitation 1 I fancy you too have a tender even though you would appear to disparage her tho young frenchman winced and in his bright black eyes was an expression of trouble and distrust as ho gazed steadily toward alio llio stately pines that loomed in sharp against tho sweet blue april sky it is EO he acknowledged presently a hot color reddening nis swarthy face for her I 1 have tho ono liking aliat is very tender but also have I 1 alio doubt that it is much and not good this do you think who had become a defective onla because be had an odd and inborn fondness for aliat ho considered on exciting an d most vocation what one would presume to be from its exterior appearance a quaintly bound book aud nothing more it was however a detective camera by ho had shortly before obtained and without her knowledge several photographs of aliu woman of whom jio had been so dubiously what of this do ou think ho iterated exhibiting a picture of miss air as she was standing in a curioli attitude of eager and fearful interest beneath ono of alie great beech trees beyond the lawn at lier feet beside a pile of inos and stones opened a small cavity over which alic was bending a loosening grasp what w aa quite surely a number of i jeweled ornaments 1 I do not know what to think enunciated mr dornan in tones of dismay it would seem eliat my mothers jewels have been secreted in eliat place and I 1 should say clial anno has accidentally alie depository if thai baso you or to tho madame honorid honor cd she comes not all so glad ro anicato and tell alio ono dia so halpy and so not to bo understood demanded with but good heavens louis do you mean eliat you suspect miss bardulph nar of any wrongdoing wrong doing was tho ux cla mation 1 I must absolutely to that that ingenuous and le rious girl with her pure eyes and innocent brow is a although there may bo something indefinable and mysterious about her I 1 could with the mystery of crime anything aho might do she was but liis mothers housekeeper ho had refused his love and the namo and station he would leavo given her yot was lio a right loal friend and would not listen unmoved 0 o any mado against her t aar i whilo who professed for her a tender liking although misdoubted Mis doubted her much shrugged his spruce shoulders sighed and looked vastly consequential and melancholy albeit lie was not a sentimentalist ti and had determined to bo practical us befits a professional of liis kind 1 I nothing know of alio mystery not evil that you do men hos iid irn and to mo it does seem that tho diamonds of much value must now to tho so disconsolate bo restored and tho ways eliat so puzzling are must to the custody go but h liono vcr is house until days after alic missed remonstrated tony borman shuddering 1 I explanation of it all alio alio accomplice of one oilier is I 1 do think announced tho detective with grandiloquence of manner she no longer hero will stay alic will an illness feign as it may bo and then to alio other sho will so away tho diamonds her taking it her wo not could prevent that is nil very plausible returned her defender unconvinced hut we will at once secure my mothers precious ornaments and then I 1 really must have positive and irrefutable evidence against mija bardulph before I 1 shall to denounce her alio early dusk had already the lawn wilh a purple haze tho cool air was delicious with alic fresh adors of violets and hyacinths aud sweet young grasses tho now rosy moon and a great golden atar glittered in the bauo western sky and out among tho gloomy complaining nines alio night birds wore tunefully calling the two young men crossed alie lawn and entered alio dim grove full of resinous scents strange dreamy noises and uneasy and fantastic shadows mutely and with soundless alicy followed the grassy winding walk eliat led to the umbrageous beach of singular suddenly both started and simultaneously retreated around a curve of alio path they stood as motionless ti as in they acio hidden in tho pearly cirul ganco of starlight and moonlight they saw the suspected young woman bonding oscr tant odd repository from she removed alio moss and pebbles until her intent beheld the cold in fire of the precious acini gleaming within the amk blick mold what think you now whispered DRa zelly excitedly diamonds she will take sec is it not so and before alio oilier could silence or restrain leini ho leaped forward and confronted anne alio quite still and only lifted glicr comely head fearlessly smiling with calm defiance and some amusement hush sho murmured imperiously as lie began to in another moment thu you ciaio presumed to be a will bo elucidated and precisely as I 1 believed it would be cokl down the path with an unsteady and unnatural gait came a surprising apparition the siguro of a jady bare were her feet and her gray drooping head was uncovered and her thin robes glistened with the damp night dews mother gasped tony borman amazed and glad for alic accused annc w lio was so curiously exonerated straight on came the somnambulist at length buforo the alio had secreted in her abnormal and gazing with unseeing eyes upon hie priceless sparkling bilings that she touched lovingly with her withered hands and carefully again tho thick silky moss then sho smiled faintly sighed with satisfaction turned and slowly moved away hat I 1 should sav I 1 know not ho stammered what t did think what I 1 did do so very stupid was ah if tho kind would mo but pardon he continued with gallant entreaty very demurely alic assured him eliat his suspicions quite pardonable and perhaps creditable to his zeal as a detector and of tho unrighteous some time later coming through tho handsome brilliantly lighted biall anno met alio llio young master of alie house the reward offered for the recovery of mrs doi mans diamonds induced mo to come hero as her housekeeper slie explained 1 I had an inexplicable I 1 might lind the missing jewels I 1 consulted no one no one advised mo I 1 was really ashamed of my project eliat I 1 knew was quixotic it not impracticable and a failure would have made mo ridiculous shortly after coming to airs borman I 1 learned that she had latterly been haunted by an excessive and increasing fear of bein robbed I 1 loo eliat she had only recently manifested symptoms alie truth camo to me as an inspiration but only by merest accident and only this morning while I 1 was exploring for gentian that 1 did not land did I 1 espy alio tiny suggestive mound of loose dying moss through which I 1 saw a singly spark of something sli ining like a biow worm so I 1 wailed and alio would visit her buried suro just as alio did tho discovery was very si caplo and is now clear to you all ami now you hao won alio reward yon will leave us I 1 suppose ho observed soberly yes she gravely assented 0 aboc if I 1 could only persuade you to stay lie responded quickly and imploringly do you fear I 1 cannot make you a happy wife it is not eliat sho said with a frank serious manner that biad always s him it h that I 1 could not you a happy husband be reasonable mr dorman for you must be well award clial I 1 am not at all alio llio sort of person to marry and beside she added with a lagh 1 I have a profession now and I 1 mut not wed one alio knows nothing of thu instincts and requirements tho young ft lov was somewhat agitated by her speech lie considered daring and significant surely my dear annc ho faltered you would not elsh to become a professional fess ional detective nor would you in limato that you havo an action for louis who so unjustly accused you and who would willingly have placed you in custody my friend she replied sweetly a tear sparkling in each largo eye and a lovely new color on each sot check we have just now had an understanding mr and I 1 lie regrets his mistake and lie certainly is not ablo when be would only have acted conscientiously yours is the logic of love annio alio young man dryly and who may understand the of a woman you will bo louis difo one of these days his prediction was verified and eo it happened that a very happy and satisfactory marriage was effected by alio incident of mra bormans dormans Dor mans missing jewel |