THE RAIAH'S RUBY

Te Aroha News, Volume XI, Issue 1718, 27 February 1895, Page 4

THE RAIAH'S RUBY

BY J.G. BETHUNE

«-> ■ • ■ c *nt CHAPTER XIX. ’ HIS SUSPICION OF HIS IDENTITY "WAS CONFIRMED.

The mail who is in a furious hurry is •*--re to find , the most exasperating ob.Btacies in his path. Tt has been said that'when the East Indian seated in the New York-Acad-■«iny of Music turned his head so that Detective Simpson for the first time gained a fair view of his face the officer nearly fell from bis seat in his excitement

That view of the sepoy’s countenance "was a revelation to him. The man was one of the couple that liad come aronnd the world from Calcutta to recover the rajah’s ruby, and that had made snch a deadly assault on the detective in the grounds of the Livermore homestead. But he was not the one that had accompanied Simpson and Arthur Pairchild from Warhampton that day. He "was Wichman—this was Lugro. While the two resembled each other in ..appearance, no one coma have a fair view of the respective countenances and mistake their identity. This resemblance and the fact that they were both dressed in the same fashionable costume led Detective Simpson to make a natural error when heob,served one of them seated a short way in front of him; but, as we have shown, when this same subtle miscreant turned liis face into full view he committed a fatal blunder himself, for he instantly ■apprised the officer of the truth, whereas had he but refrained from this facial exposure Simpson would never have •dreamed who he was until the dismissal of the audience from the building, and then all hope would have been gone. Thus it was that the whole astounding plot flashed upon the officer. Despite his certainty that his own identity was unsuspected. Wichman knew him and his business, and had played a mortally clever trick upon him. He had substituted Lngro for himself, doing it with •such skill that Simpson’s suspicion was lulled until the moment named. . Where was Wichman? Where else but at the Astor House, engaged in carrying out his astounding scheme to gain possession of the rajah’s ruby? Aye, by means of the'device named he had thrown the detective off the track ®nd gained two, three or more hours in Which to work out his plot without fear of interference from detectives or police officers. While Simpson was sitting in, the place of amusement, looking at the scenes on the stage and “between the acts” bostowing some attention to two of the personage®- in the assembly, the arch mover in the villainy was getting in the finest kind of work. The precise nature of that work remained to be learned, but Detective Simpson was convinced that he knew What it was. At any rate he could not reach the Astor House a moment too soon. He believed that if he could be shot thither from a columbiad he would not arrive in time. In other words, the irreparable mischief had already been done. But there remained the possibility that it had not. Hence the furious haste of the officer may be understood. It was rare that he became wild with excitement, but this was one of those rare occasions. He was fairly dancing when he shot •out of the front of the building and frantically called for a cab. A number were within hearing, and. instantly a furious strife took place between a couple. as to which should reach him first. ’ ’ In their haste their wheels became interlocked at the moment Simpson yanked open the door and plunged inside. Finding that the veliicle did not start, the single passenger jerked open the door again and demanded,, in vigorous laniguage the reason why. The cabmen paid no attention to him, but shook their whips ajt each other, called out ba’d names, seemed on the point of coming to blows and tried to proceed in opposite directions without "unlocking; the wheels of their hacks. Seeing the state of things, Folsom ■Simpson, despite the fact that he was a strictly moral and conscientious man, "uttered a swear word, but let us hope •.that the recording angel dropped a tear •on it and blotted it out forever. The officer came within a hair of breaking his neck, owing to the abruptness vvitli which he tool: a header out of the cab. His derby rolled off. Hemade several desperate efforts to catch.it, during which it bounded back and forth, 4ind up and down bjtweon his hands ns a. ball does when a juggler is giving an exhibition, and then rolled under the heels of-one of the horses. He was in the act of stooping over to recover it wiien an urchin standing near called out:

"Look ont, mister! That boss is an orfui kicker and will knock the top of jour head vL. Give mo a quarter and i ll git your init ial 1 you.” •‘Got it quick, then! 1 don’t underStand why he won’t Inch you as feadily JK*> LiC. out i (100 4. 0.>... j if Jits dues if you

will only get the internal thing for mb. Why don’t you get it?” roared Simpson, purple with rage. “Yes, sir, I’m gettin of it,” meekly replied the lad, stooping down by the heels of the animal, who would not have stirred had a pack of firecrackers been exploded under him. But no created being ever equaled a New York boy for pure, unadulterated mischief. While wearing the appearance of a lamb being led to the slaughter, he is only awaiting a chance to show his innate deviltry. It is inconceivable how it was done, but it cannot be doubted that this youngster had the art of' manipulating things in a way so that at the right moment the horse lifted one foot and placed it down on the top of Mr. Simpson’s excellent hat. The hoof would have gone through had not the headgear mashed out flat.

Some minutes were required before the hat could be freed of ; the horseshoe, and during the stepping about the animal trampled it again with both hoofs. When at last the urchin handed the battered wreck to the fierce owner, he said: “Please, mister, can’t you give me an extra quarter for that?” Simpson deliberately handed him a half dollar.

“It’s because you did it on purpose. You deserve it. You’re bound to succeed in life if you have half a chance.” By this time, it may be said, Detective Simpson was in a state of resigned desperation.. During the little side performance, which really occupied but a few moments, other hackmen had become acquainted with his need and were on hand, while the original couple were auarreline more vigorously than ever. “How soon can- you get me to the Astor House?” he inquired of an intelligent lboking Irishman. . “And how soon, sor, do yees wish to arroive at the same?”

“If it is possible, I would like to make it some time within a week.”

“I kin do that with half a day to spare. In wid ye!” But the detective paused with his foot on the step. ... ...

“It’s a pretty good drive, but I’ll give you $lO if you do it inside of 15 minutes “Whoop! Your money is as good as aimed!” said the jubilant driver, slamming the door and instantly rattling off at the highest speed in which he dared indulge.

ype repeat the remark we made a few minutes ago—the man who is in a furious hurry is sure to find the most exasperating obstacles in his path. The cab was bowling along at a lively rate when the driver was obliged to turn into a side street because of a fire, which, breaking out a short time before, had blocked all traffic on apportion of Broadway. This so gorged the bystreets that despite the Irishman’s eagerness to earn the big fee he was obliged to bring his horse down to a- walk and -pick lxis way with extreme care. Once he was brought to a standstill. He resorted to the usual remedy af such times—vociferous profanity, and abuse of everybody within sound of his voice, but it did not operate with its usual success. Meanwhile Detective Simpson was sitting back in a cab and grimly gnawing his lips. Like the peppery man in somewhat similar ciroumstances, he felt he could not do justice to the occasion and therefore did not make the attempt. He had done the best to straighten out his ruined derby , but it cannot be said that the effort was much of a success. Within the bosom of the officer, however, a tempest was raging which was held in subjection only by the most determined effort of his will.

“What is the use of'my going to the Astor House?” he asked himself repeatedly. “There is no possibility of reaching there In time, to., prevent the success of this plot. Why didn’t I have enough sense when I learned that these two barbarians were pitted against me to withdraw from the case and tell Varick that it was only left for us to throw up the sponge and retire? I imagined I was playing it'fine on them, while they were grinning in their sleeves all the time.”

As the cab, however, rapidly neared the hotel Simpson’s impatient anxiety Increased. - He began to think that possibly he might arrive in time. The East Indian, confident that he had an hour or two at command, would proceed with the/utmost caution for the purpose of disarming all possible suspicion. The driver had not earned his $lO, for he was more than 20 minutes on the route, but the officer could not afford to dispute with him when seconds might be worth a fortune. He drew % a hill of the right denomination from his wallet and handed it to the ..driver while the cab was drawing np at the curb. The door was shoved open. Simpson leaped out and went through and among the interposing crowd as fast as he could without overturning people or being overturned himself. As he entered the office he saw hut a single man ahead of him. He was talking with the clerk, who held a paper in his hand, the hack of the other being toward the detective. But his suspicion of liis identity was confirmed when he caught sight of his face, It was the East Indian that had ridden in the smoking car that afternoon from Warhampton to New York. With a prayer of thankfulness that, as it looked, he had arrived in time after all to prevent the consummation of the atrocious plot,' Detective Simpson decided to hold back long enough to learn whether it was too late to interfere;' “At any rate/’ he muttered, “there will be a row before he gets out of here with that package in the safe.” (To be Continued;)