THE RAIAH'S RUBY

Te Aroha News, Volume XI, Issue 1715, 16 February 1895, Page 4

THE RAIAH'S RUBY

BY J.G. BETHUNE

(Continued.)

He made a circuit of the'structure, glancing up at the windows and picking his way with care, for he was liable to collide with the limbs and trunks of trees at any moment. “I suppose those old walls could tell many strange tales'if they had tongues, but so could every dwelling of .man. They are now deserted and may remain eo for weeks or months.” He was standing on almost the precise spot where Folsom Simpson stood while watching the East Indian in the tree as he strove to catch a glimpse of the interior of the room near him. This window, as will be remembered, bad a curtain, but it was like all of the windows 'o£ the second floor in that it was unprovided with shutters. He was looking upward; With no expectation of discovering anything, when he became aware that thp window was dimly visible through the darkness. % .;, “By the horned, spoon!” he muttered, “there’s a light in that room.” i It . may be said that this was self evident, inasmuch as the window must have been ntterly invisible without the aid of Borne illumination behind it. '“Yes, there’sa light there, andif a light there most be persons, which being the case I propose to find out something about the business.” The same means which Wichman used suggested itself to Manson, and within the five minutes succeeding his discovery of the light he was stealthily climbing the wet hark, continuing the effort until ho-reached the perch that had been used by his predecessor. It happened in this case, as with; the sepoy, that the curtain was raised to that extent that he could see‘the interior of the room. The lamp which gave the fight was set so far hack that the dim reflection against the curtain was; explained. Seated at a table in the rear of the apartment were two men in earnest converse. One , was Dr. Maidhoff and the other a person whom Max Manson had never before seen. But that which fairly took the breath of the detective was the sight of an object which the two men were handling, passing hack and forth and discussing with intense earnestness. “That is no counterfeit,” he muttered. “That is the genuine rajah’s ruby!” OTAPTERXIH. WHAT MOKE REMAINS TO BE DONE? The companion of Dr. Maidh’off was e young man of prepossessing appearance, whom, as we have stated, Defective Manson had never before seen. The two were seated at a small round table to the rear of the room and conversing in low tones, while they passed the marvelous rajah’s ruby back and forth between them. ...

The officer listened closely, but. was unable to catch a syllable of what was said. The utmost he could do was to detect the murmur of the younger person’s voice when he spoke, for it possessed a deep, sonorous .quality that was more musical than that of the other.

Had the listener been able to overhear the conversation doubtless the whole ex* asperating: mystery would have been cleared up; cut, as Has been snown, tnat was an impossibility. . Was not the work of Max Manson, however, so far as the rajah’s ruby was concerned, finished? He had been sent to Ellenville at the request of Dr. Maidhoff to discover what had become of the wonderful gem that had been stolep from the late Mrs. Livermore. Here it was, within a few feet of him, in the hands of the very man that had made the application. What more remained to be done?

“Nothing,” he muttered, answering his own question—“that is, as affects this jewel. I have discovered that the thief is the trusted family physician. That’s, enough. The next thing is to learn what they have done with Folsom Simpson.” As'noiselessly as he had, climbed the tree he descended to the wet gifund and stood for some minutes debating what should be his next step. Before he could form any conclusion an increased flood of light caused him to look up again at the window.

Dr. Majdhoff had raised the curtain to the top and was standing in full view with the lamp in his hand, as if striving to peer into the impenetrable drizzle on the outside. Standing there, he held the lamp above his head-, thus bringing it near the top of the window, and then, pansing for d minute, he extended his arm so as to shove the light to one side and out of sight of any one on the outside. It was kept thus for a brief space, when it was elevated once more over his head. This maneuver was repeated three times, when he lowered the curtain, disappeared, and evidently withdrawing to his former seat left the same dull illumination in the apartment. “He signaled to somebody,” was the,., thought of the watcher below, “and who can it be?” vsajj BIJTI ijeep shining: a person

ip 'ThG Sector standing. Tn- the position o££ ■ at could readily see liis office, 6nclu g ion no great distance. The ■ ! therefore was that he was com^nicat ing with some one there. Manson But, turning his gaze thither, discovered nothing in kled the answer. Here and there v..* lights in the houses of the Anone went through the P ecn^ .tions he had just witnessed. ... “It may have been seeing it, or, what is as like|y> 11 P / was expected by the doctor.” ■ . ~N q he JJ the missing friend, and .lost , of s more concern to Max thousand rajah’s rubies. -O. - . • . Standing thus in gloom, depressed, perplexed wits’ end, Max Manson graau y .]» came aware of some faint but increasing odor that was in the itself manifest to his sen##®!®; . .' Memory is impressed the m° s through the sense of smell,- and that which stole upon the detective was pleasant and familiar. jI- „ , , “At any other time,” he reflected, I would have sworn that that was caused by one of Fol’s delicious Perfected. Peering about in the darkness, he saw a tiny point of fire, on his r right- Manifestly it was the glowing wP of ® .® a • Somebody was near him and smomng. The aroma became more distinct, for some air current persisted in bringing it straight to Mafeson. . “It must be ho, for few smoke such fine cigars.” ' . .•• •; 1 While he hesitated to spealr ana was puzzled beyond .expression a suppressed voice called to him through the gloom: “Hello, Max, is that your Tho red point dropped downward, as though the smoker had removed it from his lips, and Folsom Simpson advanced, the darkness being too intense for him to be seen, but the soft rustic of bis feet on the wet grass wasM&rd... . m “Well, this is a welcome surprise! exclaimed the delighted Manson, finding the hand of his friend and heartily shaking it. “I didn’t know what had become of you.” ‘ “I’m all right,” was the cheery response. “Have a cigar?” • _ “Thanks, but what has happened to you, Fol?’ v “Nothing special, though I pave had a somewhat lively experience since 16aw you; but confound this wet and cold. Lot’s go to the hotel where we can warm up and be comfortable.” “But what of thoso people up there? I suppose you know about them?” “Yes, I had a peep into the room ahead of yon and saw what they were at. . They will keep; we needn’t bother with them.” “Then you observed that signal a few minutes ago by the doctor?” “Of course. I couldn’t very well help seeing it.” “Have: you any idea what it meant?’ “Not a very clear one, but I fancy it was intended to apprise some person that everything was right. In fact, lam quite sure of it.” '■ “For whom was it intended?” “Miss. Evelyn Gilder, who is or was standing at one; of windows in the office of Dr. Maidhoff awaiting the notification.” J’. “But what the mischief is the meaning of all this tomfoolery?” asked Manson. #•-

“It is a curious all the way through, but this isn’t the place to discuot it,. vVaic toil we get pack to the hotel.” ‘.‘But hold on a minute or two,” persisted Manson, who could not feel that this was precisely the right thing to do, “Sinco you have seen the two men up there you saw, too, what they were examining and talking about?’ “I did.” ■*.. £ . ... “What is it?.! t : - “The real rajah’s ruby and no mistake. Tins isn’t glass, but the gem itself, worth five times what a diamond of the same size would be.” “Since tho gem has been traced I don’t see that anything moro is left for ns to do but to go henho and report." “I shall have instructions tonight. No doubt the chief will-Bend something for you also. They may be at the hotel now.. He told me hohad sent yon here, but would probably recall you after he had received the last word from me.” “Do you think it advisable to leave those fellows up theye?” "“Whim’s to be.trained by dogging them? They have the rajah’s ruby and will soon leave the dwelling—they are going now.” ■ c |f' The light in the room was suddenly extinguished, or , more probably the couple had takonjifc to guide their Way down the hall, where it was doubtless blown out. Then: the door opened and closed, and the footfalls of the. two were heard as they walked across the porch, down upon the wot gravel and out into the street, whereffheir figures loomed to view under the glow 0 f the lamp. The officers waited until they were at a safe distance, when they followed and shortly after were seated in Max Manson’s room at the; village inn, whither food and drink were sent so that they might converse without fear of interruption. I ■

Folsom Simpson related his interesting .experience. j 4,1 “ ade lmore stupid or -unaccountable blunder," he added after relating what basS airway been told the reader, than in forgetting that instead of one sepoy ,tl^r e were a couple of that warned me m y danger, but as it K * hair Of being too That second fellow wftSdh me before I could f or and he made £££*&** MaWom knife, his mo to the ground.” yourself?” S^ C^^- 4j^esa in a month *” I had just bought a lot of new cigars. Tkere was a bun 4 of them in my left Sfd^?ns-®ho knife went through But instead of making a fight, when I h a d no ear thly chance, L g th«Wh T W i ful er °an and stretched out Tbo r- lad received my last sickness. The East Indian must have atnexHnsfeuM a B udden frenzy, and the he and his companion were temfied at the consequences of what ~ lieV could not

knowing that, 'despite their matchless' cunning, they were sure to he called to account if within reach when the discovery of my body took place. So the two hurried away and must have traveled all night to get as far as possible from the spot. ’ • “I was hoping to accomplish something of that nature, for those confounded fellows were continually obtruding and overturning all the calculations I could make concerning the ruby. Now they are gone and are sure not to interfere again.” “Do you think nothing is to be-feared from them?’ “Nothing at all. They have given up all hope of getting the rajah’s ruby and are only aiming to save their own necks." “But, Fol, how was it you did net let the chief hear* from you before? You gave him a great scare, and he sent me out here in a hurry." The. rotund detective laughed as he replied: :.i “That dispatch of ipino was sent by an amateur, I judge, from the way it was mangled on its passage, I wrote out plainly that he would probably not hear from me for several days and told him to be ready to send you to my help whenever I asked him. I had np idea of anything of the kind that took place. I wired, him directly after you started, and then had to spend a considerable time in explaining things to him.” ’ CbQIPTOR'XTV. “YOU WILL HEAR FKO3I ME LATEK ON.” Max Manson recounted his • own experience, doing so with some chagrin, for he thereby confessed that he had been outwitted by the two men from India. Simpson; however, showed true delicacy for Ills friend by remarking that bis mistake was one Which the shrewdest person would have made under similar circumstances, and therefore there was no cause .for’reproaching himself. “The landlord told ipe that you had not been tere for several days,” remarked Manson. “Of course not. I didn’t know but those fellows, or at least one of them, would venture to return to learn about me, so I quietly withdrew into the country to escape the possibility of being seen by either of them.” “Yon will not deny how, Fol, that the proof is clear against Dr. Maidhoff?* “It looks clearer than ever, but I am not ready to give up another theory—the one which I formed at first.” TVfn.tr Manson was silent a minute, expecting that his friend would explain himself, but as he did not he was too proud to ask him What Ms novel conception might be. “It seems to me,” continued Manson, “that there .ought to be some way of punIsMng this physician,” • •' “For what?’ '■

“For stealing the rajah’s ruby and causing the death of Miss Livermore.” • “How do you.know he did so?” “Idcn’t understand vptl<Fol. Haven’t [Continued in Supplement.