THE RAIAH'S RUBY

Te Aroha News, Volume XI, Issue 1714, 13 February 1895, Page 4

THE RAIAH'S RUBY

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v (Continued.) ; :i Directly behind tho stranger ana en-y a few paces distant loomed the figure of Martha, walking at the same pace, so as not to fall farther to the rear. It was evident that, though he was unknown to her, she was making use of his presence aa a shield against that shadowy peril of farhich she had received warning. j “If that-man turns into the yard, what will she think? She will fancy that he isi the thug himself, hut she sees now that' he is not.” f The individual who just then was an object of so much interest passed the gate, speedily vanishing in the darkness beyond, while Martha, after a moment’s hesitation, turned into the yard and came forward between the trees along the walk to the front door. The lamo threw enough of its rays in

The lamp . .uougi. - *„a rays i*. the direction of the house for a spectator to be able dimly to trace a person’s outlines up to the moment when he stepped upon the front porch. I Simpson carefully concealed himself and did hot remove his eyes from the dim figure, which advanced with a hurried but regular step. Her heart must have been beating’ fast, but nothing in her gait showed her timidity. Half way to the porch she started to one side and uttered an exclamation of affright. “How you startled met I thought it wasthat man,” she called inasuppressed voice, resuming her walk, : It was indeed “that man.” Evidently she had seen some one in the darkness near her, but was relieved by the instant belief that it was her chivalrous friend watching over her. So she advanced serenely and r doubtless would have shrieked with terror had the genuine friend approached-from the darkness to address her. _ 1

“Ah!” thought Simpson, “if she knew that the one at her elbow was the thug she would have swooned dead away, but .she was . really in no danger, and it is .better as it is.” ! : The woman consumed precious little time in letting herself in the front door. 'Any'bne seeking admission at such an hour into his own home, when he fancies some awful horror is stealing upon him through the night, can imagine her feelings during the few seconds sh§ was engaged in unlocking the entrance. She whisked inside, however, without molestation, and the key was turned and the bolt slid in place again. “And now what next?” Simpson asked himself, working back to his former position, from which he had seen the sepoy peering from the tree into the upper room.

At the moment the detective glanced upward Miss Gilder came forward to the window. The watcher saw her elevate her hand and draw the string which raised the curtain to tho top of the sash. Then she stood a minute looking out; on the night, her'fine figure revealed by the light behind her. The doctor remained in the background, as if occupied with some other matter. The face of the young lady being in shadow, he could not see the exgression of her features* though he beeved she yr&s silently gazing* into the gloom and meditating over the strange occurrences of the last few days, ,>.

-j ' ‘*sllo musHia've heard the opening and closing of the front door, and Martha will lose no time in telling her story”-—* Miss Gilder suddenly turned her head. !Thoii shehastilydrew down the curtain, bo that the interior of the room was shut out from any prying eyes, no matter where located. . -

It was easy to read the meaning of what he saw. The returning servant had knocked on the door and-was bidden to enter, jmliss Guaer looinng around as she did so. The moment she gained the., chance she uttered something which; gave warning of what was coming. Thei young lady whipped, .downthe curtain, and she ahd Dr. Maidhoifwore at that moment listening to the startling Btory. > v ■ . x sj | : The situation was) most peculiar. Simpson had set out to learn ' something iahout the rajah’s ruby, whose secret ho Was confident was fully known to the (couple, but he found himself unexpectedly checked when on the very thresh-. bid by the presence of -Wichman, engaged on similar - business, though hardly with the purpose he himself had in mind. i

| The question he asked himself was what the couple within the house were likely to do on learning* of Hheir..danger. It was to be supposed was armed, f and he would hardly leave 3M3ss| Gilder and, the servant t .alpne after the revelationof the latter.- - i Martha’s description of the individual that had warned her might throw-jgomet discredit on his words, for her listeners would not Jifaii to 'identify him; as the pretended patient whom Miss Gilder declared to he the detective that he really was. .. Simpson was inclined at the moment of leaving the servant to ask her to conceal his identity, hut such a ; request she would have been quite sure to forget in her excitement, and it would cause distrust of his good faith. | But for the presence of .that dusky teepoy Simpson might have ventured Jupon. a stealthy entrance into the dwelling in the hope of picking up some information. y A risky thing to do at any time—for it was a penitentiary; offense—it was, doubly so now with that thug prowling among the shadows. 1 ' ; Simpson had maneuvered, and moved about a, good deal among the trees, and jwhile doing so was fortunate enough to > discover his : rival : and enemy. [True, this was due to what might he ■termed a piece of good fortune on- his part, but . knowing the exceeding subtlety of those people he began to ask himself whether it was not probable that this man had become aware of his presence on the grounds. “I have used all'the care I could, but have shifted about' so often that I may jWya nassed. 'near enough for him to see

me. Tfie Qeuce'of It is T have'no of knowing where he is at this Jh oDa and am liable to stumble over him at anytime.” " : . • . i The detective was gradually awaking to the fact that his personal peril wa° greater than he had fancied hitherto, ■Ab long as ho could.stand at the §>tree with a loaded revolver in his ban and with his man perched above hnn among the limbs it may be said that he commanded the situation. ;' Clil . jfc i But since that moment the other. feb low had descended to earth, anil he knew not where to look for him. ; f ....... r -'-Vi Sh! A soft rustling betrayed the ser poy’s proximity.;''; Simpson • stooped dowifsp as to gain a glimpse of spot of the faint moonlit sky beyond. As hedid so he once more discerned the head and shoulders of the miscreant.; He was standing motionless, as if listening or awaiting the occurrence of some expected event. - • v ; ‘ I “He can’t suspect my presence,’ *©* fleeted the detective, “but it s’-—j 5 ’-— j It was at this moment that, like a thunderbolt,' 1 Folsom Simpson i recalled his astounding forgetfulness. From the; instant he discovered the presence of the sepoy on the grounds he had never once remembered that this man had A c ° m l panion, and that bo far as known the tyro were inseparable. , ; ' "5 ' The ’ sudden awakening of the officer to the fearful truth fairly took his breath for the moment. j “How is it.l have escaped? It is nnac-, countable” . I : Asound like the falling ofrft leaf caused Mm to rise from his crouching posture, for he knew that that dreaded seebnd personality was at’his elbow. *■ At the same moment he reached back to draw; his revolver. He was a second too late. S,Tb 9 sep°y shot out of the gloom as if driven from a catapult, and alighting on his shotuders bore him resistlessly to the ground. Before he could make use of bis weapon the fierce Asiatic had: called into play his daggerlike knife, and the power to help himself no longer remained with the officer. ' ’ CHAPTER m |

Chief Yarick, in his -position at the head of a large detective; agency, with branches in the leading "cities of the country, had many important'Matters to engage his attention. Immense interests wore involved, and the numerous tasks which he supervised and undertook were often of a difficult and trying character. But he had grown to feel a deep interest in the affair of the .rajah’s ruby, for it possessed many featured unique of themselves. MaxManspiv Simpson"' valued employees, and the fact of jtheir being intrusted with the unraveling of the mystery was a compliment to their acumen and sagacity. whick”would have been bestowed upon few besides them. When the day succeeding the inter-: view between Varick anfiManson passed without bringing the chief any word from Simpson, he became; somewhat uneasy. That rotund ■ detective, though genial and good ~ was full of pluck and never hesitated to face any peril" But nothing short pf the certainty on Tus part that he was about entering upon a more dangerously than usual could have induced him to request the chief to send Manson to his aid in the event of three days passing without a word from him. ; •

“It’s now three whole days, and not a syllable - has reached me,” reflected the chief in his private office, more uneasy than he would haverbeeiji willing to confess. :“I will not longer.” It was on the following morning that' Manson at his home, la the interior of the state received the following dispatch in cipher from his chief!

„ “Have heard nothing from S. Something is wrong with .him,' Go to Ellenville without delay, and if you need more help telegraph me. Don’t fail to keepme apprised of the progress of .events.” That Bame afterhooif Varick received a dispatch from Manson notifying of his arrival at Ellenville.

The 'detective \vas so convinced that some ill had befalleri&a friend that he prepared himself in the fullest possible manner for duty, convinced that only by doing so could he to unravel the jßystery, which Sowing deeper every “Whatever has befallen Fol,” was his conclusion “Dr. Ma&h 0 ff.is at the bot . toin of it.- He Snowf thkt l am: a detective and will_recpgnM-.<Q 1 0 an clbe placed on his guard theinst&t I sbowmyself to 'Therefore he m UBt not see Detectivd Max Manson again ” * v • '■-• This was what might bo called an explanation of his course> in appearance to that extent that his own wife would not have recced him had she not helped in- the transformation.' With the dwguise it neefl not be said that he donned another tho landlord of the inn at EllenviU e scrutinizing him carefully and certaf that he never seen him before. : fn^h 6 rfvpS d Iliries wbich 110 P ut fanning fact at the wTthp WoV 8 ’ ?olsom Simpson had nights before, telling the landlord t&t he was not likely to retnm until a Ink u * * _“-7 hour, and possibly Since then nothing had been seen ot ( J a^ofhin i. Conse . could not give that the except to say S^nSnn? ISO bis small M Bgag^ ag s tiil in his room. . f a disturb- - last,he knew of tho lottowm-aNwf h 7 7T- p ;? ce r ins

him not to connect the two facts. This connection was rendered the more alarming when he learned from the landlord that on the evening of Simpson’s disappearance, when on the outskirts of the town, he caught sight of the two sepoys,;. who appealed so anxibus to: avoid identification-;that he pretended not to know \ , %

This discovery so impressed Manson that he was on the point of telegraphing Chief Yarick to send him help or to come himself, but he decided to wait until he picked: up another clew or two. “It looks darker, and darker for poor Fol; there must have been a collision between him and those scoundrels, and they have proved too much for him. Having made way with him, they will make all haste out of the country unless they meditate another effort to get at the rajah’s ruby.” He wired the chief to keep a lookout for the couple, and he was Assured in reply that they would be arrested on tlieir arrival to the metropolis. - " . Nothing could bo gained by hesitation, and Manson decided to beard the lion in his den; he would go straight to Dr. Maidhoff and without revealing his owh. identity subject him to a cross exwhich Manson was confident Ihust result in something. It- did not add to tho detective’s peace of mind, on calling- at - the physician’s office, .to be; "told that ‘he had, been gone for some; time, and there was no saying when he. would be back. Manson did not wait,? but started on Ms return to the hotel to decide what his next step should be. The night could not have been more dismal. The sky had been overcast, all; dayi and a fine* drizzlingdrain soon began falling.. The weather was cold and* nbjone would: he rabroad at; such a time unless there was urgent need for his exposure. ■■ . After reaohing the hotel and smoking a cigar Manson. incased himself in a mackintosh, lit another cigar and sauntered out in the chilling drizzle and wet darkness, determined that he would not comb back to the hotel until he struck upon something. Inquiries made earlier in the evening were answered by the statement that Miss. Gilder nnd her servant had left the' homestead two days before. The place was locked up and would not be occupied until it passed into the hands of a new owner. '-Nevertheless a strange impulse caused Max Manson to turn his footsteps , toward the lonely building standing among tho grove of trees on the outskirts of the town. . . :•; ;> The lamp Ix£ front of the gate cast a weak, light for a short distance', being maintained by the town of Ellenville, ■ which was obliged to keep it going every night unless the moon was kind enough ; to render it unnecessary. ' ’. ! ’ The same impulse whioh caused Max Manson to saunter through the disagreeable. night to this lonely spot led him si4 lently to enter the-gate and abroach the building,; which was invisible in the gloom. He walked lightly, as though he feared to be detected, but surely he had nothing to arrorehend of that .nature. " ‘ (To be Continued.)