THE JADE EYE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 12415, 26 July 1902, Page 5

THE JADE EYE.

B| .FERGUS, HUME

[All Rights Reserved.]

'Author ofThe Mystery ot a Hansom Cab/' " The Bishop's Secret," icc.)

SYNOPSIS OF INSTALMENT 1.-Jack Tyson, a young artist, reads an advertisement offering.a reward for the recovery of "the Jade Eye." His model," Rebekah Salt, thinks *ho knows something about it. Tyson calls on Count Ivan, who has offered the reward, and iays he does not know of the eye itself, but ie aware of the whereabouts of an image to which it .belongs. This is tu Indian idol in a museum at Chesleigh, in Essex. The collection in this museum was left to the town by Priseus Glynn, Tyson's uncle.

SYNOPSIS 01? INSTALMENT ll.—lt transpires that Ivan and a Persian named Hafiz are in a dead heat for thl image, whilst the Jew, Marthas (whose adopted daughter, Lil Brach, is engaged to Jack), is mixed up in the affair. The pupil of the "Eye".is really a valuable diamond. Jack and Rebekah go down to Chesleigh and meet Mrs Jury, the late Priscua Glynn's housekeeper and legatee, in the museum.

SYNOPSIS OP INSTALMENT lII.— ■Whilst the lady and Jack talk Rebekah disappearsi but she starts for London :in the same carriago which takes Mrs Jury there. Jack is -surprised to find Lil Brach at Mrs Jury's cottage, and he sees Hafiz at the Museum! The next, morning news comes 1 to his hotel irpm Lil that her' adopted father lias been strangled. ■ SYNOPSIS OF INSTALMENT IV.-Jack and Lil .go up to town and attend the inquest. Mnrthas's will Tcveals that he liad a daughter, Rachel, who left him;* also a sister, who turns out to be Mrs Jury, and produces a certificate of the daughter's death, and takes possession of the property. SYNOPSIS OP INSTALMENT V.-Sh# tells Jack that her husband, a- man called Solomen, lias returned from the United States, r.nd that they are going abroad.-. She gives the oottage at Chesleigh to Jack, who visits Count Ivan. The Count informs him that he lias become engaged to Miss Salt. SYNOPSIS OF INSTALMENTS VI, YII, and VIII.—A conversation between Nash and Rebekah' reveila that they are husband end wife, but the matter is kept secret that Nash may not lose the fortune of his millionaire father. Jack receives iv visit irom Mrs " Jury " and her husband, after which lie surmises that they know much more respecting the .Tado Eye-than they »re willing to divulge. He removes Janshee from the Museum to his own house, and learns that it has been visited by Count Ivan and Hafiz, and also Rebeksh, who,'-by feigned illness. liajl procured 10 minutes alone witli it. In* the evening he receives a call from Count Ivan, .who offers to buy the idol. In conversation Jack mentions Solomon, whose christian name much perturbs the Count. In the morning Nash calls respecting Rebekah, and makes a curious reference to the Count. On going into the town Jack hears that (he Count has been murdered near the sandhills. He interviews Hafiz, but concludes that he is not the assassin. After the inauest, Count Ivan's servant wishes to enter Jack's employ, desiring to guard the idol to whose presence lie attributes'llia master's murder. Nicholas captures Hafiz. who has broken into: the cottage, and, vjlh-tUe aid of Jack, forces the Persian to produce the Jade Eye. I

CHAPTER XIV.—A STRANGE STORY.

Hafiz thrust in tlie key—as it might lie called—hard, and as far in as it would go. Then he gajje a peculiar turn of the •wrist. A click was heard, the sound of some machinery ruining down, and slowly the great fanliko hands of'the idol expanded outwards away from the protuberant stomach. There was a pause and another click as Hafiz turned the key again. This time tile belly split down the middle in an irregular fashion, for the joining followed the lines of tin loose drapery. For the third time Hafiz turned iho key, muttering that the priest had told him three turns were required. At once the-stomach flew open and a dark cavity was revealed. Jack held the lamp, and Hafiz thrust his hand intgpthe opening. Nicholas wtfs looking over Tyson's shoulder. In his curiosity all thought of discipline had disappeared. "By the glory of Siva!" shouted the Hindoo, his voice shrill with wrath, "nothing—nothing!" He brought out a blue paper envelope that certainly had not been placed there by the priests, for it was inscribed with English writing. "The diamonds," ho groped again.: Jack held the lamp close, and the whole cavity was revealed. There was not a sign of a box or of any scattered jewels. Only the blue paper envelope and nothing more! . ' "The priests took the diamonds before the idol was stolen!"

" No. No!" gasped Hafiz, "my priest said the jewels were in the belly. I cannot iind them, Your uncle?. No. He could do nothing without the Eye. The Count? He never got to place the Eye in its place. Ah, who? Who?" He beat his head. Suddenly he started up with a cry. "The Museum!" he sliouted shrill and fiercely, " I know!" And before he could be stopped he wiis out of the window running down the road for dear life.

Nicholas would have followed the man; but Jack stopped him, as he made towards the window, for he had an idea of what Hafiz ' intended to do, having been, enlightened by his last exclamation. Should it be necessary to see the Hindoo again, Jack felt certain that he knew where to look for him. It was'just as well to give the scamp sufficient rope with which to hang himself. " Leave him alone. for the present, Nicholas," said Jack quietly; "his escape has been very cleverely managed, but he cannot get away altogether unless I choose that he should."

"But if ho has killed my master, sir?" "If he has done that he will be hanged. Let me manage the business, Nicholas, I know exactly what to do. And now my friend I think you had tatter remain here for the rest of the night. You can make yourself comfortable on that sofa. And to-morrow you can enter my servjee." The Russian pondered. He was slow in thinking, and he wanted to get his thoughts into shape before answering. "Sir," he said at length, " you are a good and kind gentleman. I do not know that I have behaved as I should have done. That, is, sir, I have not told you my real reason for wishing to be your sen-ant." "I thought as much. However, if you choose, you can tell me now." "I will do so at once," said the Russiau. "Sir, my master has in, Russia a sister to whom he was firmly attached. Sheis poor—poor as was my master when the Czar exiled him to Siberia. I was with her until Count Ivan's friends sera me to wait him at Benares. It was my master's intention to get these diamonds, and return to Moscow to make his sister happy and rich." ! "Then you knew of the diamonds, Nicholas?" "No, sir; I did not know. My master said that Hafiz had told him something likely to make him rich, and that the information was connected with the possession of Janshcc and the Jade Eye. I believe that Marthas had the Jade Eye, for I overheard him talking to the Count about it. But I do not know if my master murdered him to get possession of it." "Tl\e Jade Eye was certainly in Count Ivan's possession, Nicholas. And I know that Marthas held it originally." " In that case, sir, Hafiz must have killed the Count to get it."

" I am not sure, He might liiivo done so, and ho might have induced Mrs Parsons to swear that lie never left the house. On ' lie other lining Nash might liavo hilled the Count in it fit oi jealous rage, and he.might have been the man Haliz saw running away when lie came to the corpse. But witltout doubt Hafiz robbed the dead. He lied to me, and came here-by stealth to take the diamonds from the idol. You prevented him. And it seems that the diamonds are gone. It might be that the priests took them from the hiding-place before the idol was looted bv the pirates. On the other hand some one in England might have taken them. —I have an idea."

" Do you know who took them, sir?" " I have an idea," repeated Jack; " but as I may be -wrong, I shall say no more until I am absolutely certain. I wish I had asked Hafiz about Mrs Jury. I once saw him following her in Town, so it is probable that lie suspects her in some way. However. I go to. London to-mbii'Ow, and there I shall see what is to be done. Mrs Jury is no doubt still at the hotel in Pirnlico. If not, I can get her address frotn Jonas, the solicitor. All these things, Nicholas, von can leave to me. But now you must tell mc your real reason for wishing to become my servant." " It was on account of the Countess Olga, my master's sister," said the Russian frankly. "I lo"c her;—l "wish to see lmr rich. The Count said that I was to watch the image, and see that no one came near it. I did so, for I believed from what my master said, that my watching would lead to my getting some money for the Countess Olga. But I see now what my master really meant. If the diamonds had been there I should have claimed his share. That is why I wished to come here, sir,—to see what would happen with regard to Janshee, and to take advantage of anything that might happen to get money for the Countess."

"Well." said Jack, admiring the man's fidelity, although ho did not agree with his sentiments. "You see, Nicholas, the Count had no right to any portion of the diamonds. Having regard to the' facts—that the priests of the image are dead, and that the worshippers have changed their religion —the diamonds belong to the person who owns the idol. It is the property of a cousin of mine, who i? not to be found just now. I have charge of the idol until she is discovered, lint the diamonds are gone. If they had been found I should not. have parted with any of them until I had my cousin's consent. I daresay I could have then arranged- for a portion of the money to be given to her, seeing that the Count was the means of bringing the secret to light. But first. Nicholas, my cousin has to 1)0 found, and second, the diamonds must be searched for. When this is managed we will see, Meantime as I know all your reasons, you had better come here to-morrow, and enter my service at onpe." "Thank you, sir," said the man gratefully; "I am.willing to leave all in your hands. J am -live /f the diamonds are found, that- you will not. let the Couhtcss Olga go without the share that should come to her through her brother. I will sleep here, and to-morrow I will bring my box. No one shall touch Janshee while I am in this place."

"I do not think that anyone will try and touch the idol now. The ■_ secret has been discovered, and the treasure is gone. The idol ir. now but so much waste metal. What we have to do now is to find the diamonds and my lost cousin. Marion; also to discover who killed Marthas, and who murdered the Count, Hafiz says tile Count himself murdered Malthas, What sav vou?"

"I do not know," replied the man stolidly; "if the Count did so, what matter! Marthas was only a Jew." Jack'laughed. "I know what you think of the race in Russia," he raid. "Homer, it is late, and we can talk of these things to-morrow. Let me close tho doors of the hiding-place. Janshee must look as lie used to." "He will look better," replied Nicholas; " lie has his eye how." "I don't think that improves his looks."; Jack removed the Eye from ine socket, tnd proceeded to close un .the open stomach. By pressing slowly lie found that the valves would gradually go together, accompanied all the time 'by the click of hidden machinery. . How the^thing was worked Jack could not understand, and was too tired to examine, but by slow pressure he closed up the gap, and then brought the fan-shaped Lands across the stomach again. In a few minutes Janshee looked as ho had done before his secret was discovered. Jack then slipped tlie Eye into the socfet and prepared to go." "Janshee can watch over your slumbers, Nicholas," he said, and with a final glance at the ugly image he returned to his bedroom. Nicholas gave a grunt, fastened the window, put out the lamp, and without a look at Janshei, stretched himself on the sofa.

Tyson looked the door of his room. He trusted Nicholas, but thought it just as well to be on his guard. Now that- the diamonds were gone, there was no danger of his being murdered or robbed on the idol's account. Yet his caution made him secure himself against any possible accident. He was not inclined for bed, for recent events l.ad made him "wakeful. In his hand he held the blue envelope which Hafiz had token out of the idol. It was addressed in his uncle's handwriting to "My' dear daughter, Marion Glynn." This showed that uncle Priscus must have discovered the secrct of the imago without the assistance of the Jade Eye. But what struck Jack as strangest o: all, was that the. envelope was open. The seal had been broken, the paper within snatched out in such haste, that the envelope was torn. Evidently the person who had opened the letter, had been surprised in the act of doing so, and had hastily replaced it within the secret receptacle, ' "Queer!" paid Jack wi!h a whistle, "Here's another mysterv! I wonder if Mrs Jury, saw Uncle Pri'seus hiding this, and took a peep at it, when he was not looking?" He drew out a' folded sheet inscribed closely with his uncle's neat small handwriting. Humph! It will do'no harm if I read this. I don't suppose my cousin will object if she ever does turn up, and after all I must find out the truth, whatever it is." ■ .

Having thus satisfied his conscience, Jack Ihrew on his dressiiig-gown, drew the candle nearer, and began to read the document, It commenced abruptly, and the first sentence awoke an ungovernable curiosity in the reader. Not for worlds would he have laid down the paper now, "Don't trust Mrs Jury, Marion. That is the text of my sermon, if you ever read it. 1 repeat my words to impress them on your memory. Don't trust Mrs Jury. And now to explain. "I shall never see my daughter again. When you were taken away, my dear, vou were a little baby. By the time you read this you will be a woman, perhaps an old woman, for I do not know when, or how you will be found. But bv this time you must have seen my solicitor, and received from him tin sealed envelope' which, contained the directions how to open the ima«e Jansliee. By this time you lmvythe diamonds,in your possession,—that is,'if Mrs Jury has not stolen them. If she has—but to tell you what to do I must get on with the story,—l must begin from the beginning. ' "Marion, over 20 years ago, I was a happy man. Your mother was then alive. We had just been married, and we lived in the cottage at Cliesleigh. envying no one. You were 'born, dear, and that completed our happiness. My wife—your dear mother —looked after the house, and I attended to mv collection. I used to buy many things from Marthas,—the Jew in Lincoln's Inn Fields—who keeps a curiosity shop. He charged big prices, and I used to beat him down. Many things in the collection which I presented to my fellow citizens were bought by me cheap—very cheap, considering the prices Marthas fixed. Sometimes I got the better of him, at other times he made me pay more than the articles were worth. But we were always good friends, —until I found out what a Villain he was. "He lived above the shop with his daughter, Rachael, a dark-haired, handsome girl with a furious temper. Also with his sister, Iluth Marthas, who was quiet but cunning. The household got on excellently well until Vassia Kosciioi arrived. He was a Russian Jew, and had got into trouble over some political affair at Moscow. The Government of the Czar wanted to catch him, but he managed to slip out of Russia by the way of the Black Sea, and so came on to England with a " little money, and a

letter to Marthas. He was a good-looking young mail in his way, and Rutli fell in love with him. Marthas was furiously angry, but.shc did not care. She got her husband to change his name to Solomon as more English, and married him quietly one day. Marthas was furious with her, and turned lier out of the house. She and Solomon went to litre in Kentish Town, and were very poor. Still they managed to keep themselves alive. ( I was sorry for Ruth. In those days iho was a good, woman. Afterwards—but I must explain."

"At the time of his arrival Solomon (I may -as well call him by his English name)' was, .always talking about a certain •Tud'. 1 Eve. It seemed he had travelled in India on some mercantile expedition, and while there had met a, priest. who. was dying. The priest'belonged to an island in thy Chinese Sea, and the god worshipped there was a. certain iddl called Janshee— the god of'good luck. He had one eye with a diamond pupil, set in the centre of his forehead. It was stolen one day—the Eye I mean—and/the worshippers fell away from the god, Then the idol itself was carried off by Chinese pirate?, and ultimately passed over to India. It then came in some way to England. The priest told Solomon that if the Jade Eve were restored to the forehead,'great wealth could be obtained. I do;not know if he told Solomon of what the wealth consisted, but if he did, Solomon kept it'to himself. Marthas was much interested in this .tale, as he had been in the East- hiijiself. and was certain that the tale was true, Solomon limited about for the Jade Eye,'and one day—l understand, he came acf&ss it But did not tell Mar-

" Now the' curious thing was, Marion, that about the same time, I became possessed of ,the idol Janshee. I nicked it up m a stiop at I Bath of all places in the world, whither it hid been brought by an old Anglo-Indian. On his death it was sold by the heirs, and I saw it in the shop I spoke, of. I bought it, but not- knowing much about the tale—(save that a. one-eyed •idol was mixed up in it) I said nothing to Solomon, nor. to Marthas.

"Finally, Marthas found out (how, I do not know) that there wer-; diamonds -concealed 1 in the body of the idol I did not know this at the time or I should have ina'de'"a search then. At is was, I did not discover the treasure until later. Now, all that follows was told me by Mrs Jury, wlien she afterwards became my housekeeper.

" On hearing about the, diamonds, Marthas set about finding the idol. He sought in.every quarter; not knowing that Janshee was in my possession. Of cjurse he failed. But he did not give up hops, being obstinate and avaricious. Tailing to get the image himself, life wanted Solomon to give bim the Jade Eye. This Solomon very naturally refused to do. Marthas was much enraged, and set about finding some way whereby to bring about the ruin of his brother-in-law. He knew that Solomon was wanted by the Russian police. i\nd tiuuu.'ht —very truly, as it afterwards appeared— that if he could get him to cross (lie Channel there would be a chance of his falling into the hands of the Russians..

" Marthas at the time was doing business with me, and I was often np at his shop, althouglr 1 never asked him to sec me at Chesleigh. "In some way—l don't know how—he induced Solomon to forge my name to a cheque. When this was cashed by Solomon and the money was obtained Marthas refused to take any of it, and threatened Solomoil that he would tell me if the Jade Eye

were not given up. Solomon nfiturally refused, and Marthas came to see nie. I was very angry, as I had been kind to Solomon, and naturally did not know how Marthas had indHced liim tn commit the crime. I saw Solomon, and threatened to' prosecute as I could ill afford to lose the lfirge sum of money which had been obtained by fraud. I got out a warrant, for the arrest of. Solomon, and betook refuge in Marthas's house. You mUst tiotthilik that I was hard in acting thus,'' Miirioll. 1 knew nothing of what was at tilts back'of it all, arid only saw that Solomon had behaved disgracefully and ungratefully towards me in forgfcig my name. The police looked for Solomon, and I refused to-listen to Ituth. She wanted mo to pardon him. ■ I, very properly I think, declined to do so.

"The upshot of the matter wns that Marthas, under the pretence of savin? his brother-in-law, took, him abroad. What happened on the other side of the Channel I do not know. But in a week of so Marthas returned, and, as I afterwards discovered: he brought back with him the Jade Eve. It is by belief that he betrayed Solomon to the Russian , police, and obtained the Jade Eye as his reward. As the police, knew nothing of its significance, 'of course they would have no hesitation in handing it over when • tliov found it on Solomon. And Solomon himself would keep quiet for his own sake. He knew that Marthas had not the idol, and lie hoped to escape and get back the Eye. Of course this is all theory. I do not know what really happened. Marthas returned, and told Until that her husband was safe, hut that lie had behaved badly. Then he refused-to have anything more to do with his sister. • And it was about this time that his daughter Rachel left Iter father, for what reason I do not know. But she went, and Martlias was left- alone.

"For a- year or 'two Ruth maintained herself by "sewing: and lived in Kentish Town. Rachel had disappeared, no ovie know where. >

" I bad little to do with Marthas after this. As Solomon was gone I made no further move in the matter of the warrant. Rut Marthas got the. forged cheque, and kept- it in his possession. I was foolish to give it to him; but he gave me in exchange a. cabinet,of Louis XV, for which I had longed. He said he only wanted the cheque so that if I died and Solomon returned he could protect himself,

" It seemeii that Solomon had threatened to murder Marthas-when lie returned, because Marthas would not give him money. This was the' Jew's story, and; at the time, bsilig angry against Solomon, I believed it. But now I know that there was something more behind. However, I gave the cheque for the cabinet, and solaced my conscience with ilia-rellection''that Solomon was across the Channel, and that Marthas could make no use of the cheque. Not that I pardoned Solomon, but' I did not fee why Marthas should proceed against him. ' That was my business.

" But- about this time two : great sorrows befell, and ail, my- thoughts of the idol and the forged cheque were merged in (lie loss of you, my dear Marion, and of your mother. Your'nurse., whom I .trusted, took you out one day, and did not return. I communicated with the police, but they could not find your whereabouts. And I shall never know what- became of you, or why you were stolen, because I believe I shall be.dead before'l see you. Ah! what u story you will have to'tell. I cannot think what enemy I had to inflict- such trouble on me—a double trouble,—for from the time you ..were .lost your, dear mother

pined away. Six months later I buried her. and was alone. "For some months I lived by myself, and then, feeling lonely, I took two people to live with me. One was Ruth, who had now taken the name of Mrs Jury; she became my housekeeper in order to earn her. bread. The other was your cousin, John Tyson; his parents were dead, so I resolved to replace you, my dear, by taking care of Jack and giving him a good education. So this sort of life went- on for a long time. .1 added to my collection, looked after Jack, and was on good terms with my housekeeper. . All the time tliS idol was in my possession, but this Marthas never knew. , Mrs Jury never communicated with him, and I had very little to do with the man. I believed him to be a villain. " One day many years a'j;o, while cleaning the idol, I probed the socket where the eye had been. I 'thought there might be some dust in it. My pressure started some hidden machinery, and I saw that the stomach of the idol opened. In it I found an ivory box, containing diamonds to the extent of thousands of pounds., I saw at once why Solomon had wanted the Jade Eye. It was a key to the machinery, His" story was now clear to me.

"As Solomon /was gone, I thought I would keep the jewels for your dowry. I removed them from t]ie hiding-place, arid closed it up. Then I questioned Mrs Jury about lief husband. She related to me the story of the idol; and how Solomon hoped to become rich. Ilaughed at her tale, and showed her the empty hiding place of the jewels, saying that no doubt the priests of the image had removed the diamonds before Janshee was taken away by the pirates. I did this so that she shou'.d not discover my secret. To my surprise Mrs Jury burst out into anger against me. She said that I lwd ruined her husband, that lie had been betrayed into the hands of the Russian police by her brother for the sake of the Jade T.ye, and that I was the original cause of the trouble, because I had prosecuted Solomon for forgery. I was very angry at this accusation, and would have sent her away. Hut she implored me not to.turn her out to starve, and said that she did-not mean to blame mp. I pardoned her—foolishly, I think, —for I am sure that she always credited me with the disgrace of her husband. However, she remained my housekeeper, and from that day never said a. word against me. All the same L never trusted her, and I say again: iHin't trust ills Jury, Marion. j

"But to make a lons storv short—l wanted you to get the diamonds, but did not know how to secure tliern to you. If I put them in my will questions would be asked, and you might he in danger from Mrs Jury and Marthas. If I told Jack, he might take them himself. I do not mean to say that lie would act dishonourably, Marion. But were you not to appear for many years—and God knows when you will come back to your own—Jack might get tired waiting and use the jewels for his own benefit. I therefore decided to arrange flic matter in this way to moke all safe.

. " I left my collection by will to the Cliesleigli people, but I reserved Janshee for yourself. Jack, by. the will, was to take charge of it, and as he did not know the secret I never thought there would be danger of his finding it out. Mrs Jury certainly would not tell him. By my will also, Marion, as you know now, I left a sealed envelope with my solicitor to be given to yon-when you appeared. It-'Con-tains—as you now know—the directions how to open the idol and obtain the jewels. I did not put anything in my will likely to tell the secret of the sealed letter to Jack. I cannot trust him, as I saidbefore. "And now-, Marion, I write this On what I believe will be my deathbed. L have placed the ivory box of jewels within the idol and all is safe. You will get the sealed letter and open the image. Therein you will find your dowry. You can theD tell Jack the diamonds. Sell them— through Jack—as secretly as possible, so l that Marthas may not hear about them, lie is clever enough to guess the truth. Sirs Jury also. She hates me, and will hate my memory, although I have left her the cottage and a small income for her life. She will try and get the diamonds. Then there is always t-he chance that Solomon may escape from.the Russian prison, where I verily believe he is. If he does return he will certainly try and get the diamonds if he suspects you 'have them. Therefore- dispose of them secretly. You have every right to them, Marion.' I-bought the idol, and I found out the secret. Besides the worshippers of the god are scattered— the priests are dead. Take, then, the diamonds with a clear conscience, and bless ycur poor father who remembered you.

" Let Mrs Jury still stay in the cottage, and keep away from her. ' I am Sure she is a .dangerous woman. Avoid Marthas, for hfc is a villain. He forged the cheque himself, I believe, in order to inculpate Solomon, but of this I cannot be sure. I hope Jack will find ypn, my dear,' wherever you may be and restore you to your rightful position, Oh! that i could . remain alive to bless you, my child! But why should I talk thus? If you ever read tliese words ,you will have returned to your rightful position, as unless you can establish your identity to my solicitor, he -will not give you the sealed letter. But- when you read this you will be acknowledged as Marion Glynn, and ivill be able to- take your fortune. I believe the diamonds are worth at least £30,000-or £40,000. But-let Jack manage the matter. And tell Jack not to hs angry with'me that I did not trust him. He is young, and I could not be sure of his good faith. And now. bless you, my dear, and may you be happy. My dear" little girl, whom I shall never see, pray for your poor father,, who loved.yon, dear Marion. So no more. "Your affectionate .father, Priscus Glynn.' ' (To be continued.)