THE DOVERFIELD DIANONDS.

Timaru Herald, Volume XC, Issue 13276, 3 May 1907, Page 2

THE DOVERFIELD DIANONDS.

"This -was a car..—a. photograph of a pretty girl's lace upon one side, and, on the other-the&e v.iiU-i: ivu:us, " J-'iora Lizzie to Johnny 'ii. .AUias." ; ' "'Oh, hang it," cxaauned Jorinny Z. ; and as if to hnnseii, " tiy thunder !" "As I have already «ud, i did not caro a rap for old man jjiiebie, who has b.-e:i more than once convicted for assault on his girl's dead mother. As for. the money you took, wall—ii was told.at. the time of his first wife's death and his trial that all the old man. claimed was., or had been, hers. You see, the howlings ui the ■wronged couple had told me tnat you were Lizzei's lover." •"(jive it :to me," Johnny demanded, holding out his hand fur th; picture. But I put it.behind my back. "Give me the order," I cried, and then we faced one another lor a moment in silenc?. "It's a proof of your presence there," I declared, though I fe.t that he was Avon. Johnny still obstinately shook his ..head. '• Not good enough," he said, gently. "Is that all "■ ■ '. ■ Here I produced a soiled yellow envelope, with his name written across it! " I found this telegram with.the picture. It contains a cipher message that would interest the police," He swore softly., e Thenar-" Got, a pencil" hB. asked! I gave him my pencil-, and-a page from my note book, arid he began to write. Suddenly he looked up ,the -ingrained sus-. piciori of the habitual criminal in his eye. "Put it- there—thV picture," he demanded, nodding towards his little table, upon which he had laid the. bit of paper. I crossed over and put the picture .down before him, directly upon the' slip. '" Take it," I.said, and then dropped the cipher' telegram' beside W. "ThereV'you're safe from'me," I added. For a moment he sat motionless, staring at the pictured face. Then a slow red began to creep-into Ms own,: as he lifted it, and,'raismg;ihis head, ,hV looked me over from head to foot. Then, once more, ho took up the dropped pencil, and murmured as if to himself, "Well —if that wouldn't upset anybody.", Presently, he lifted the paper. " Not very well writ," ho observed, "but they'll'know the writing. This do?" and: he read slowly, .' - " Miss Lizzie Frieble, • "Dear Liz,' —Please give bearer of this the packet marked with three crosses, unopened. It's safe. He's all right, and don't you forget it. Name, Mr Jasper. Love to Mom. Yrs. "Johnny." '■ He got up slowly with this missive m his hand, and stood before ine, a hew look id hia face. "Mr Jasper,"• he began;"half a dozen. times since you've been in. this room I've had a glimpse of a man—it square man, and my better in will and wit.- Many a time I've bragged Lo. my mates that honesty and fairness were want of a chance, and only skin deep, and that if ever I met a man I could give best to I'd knuckle to him; I've met him. And when I get out of this scrape, I'll—no, I won't make no promises—but if you'll let me, I'll come to you, and if I can ever do you a good turn, count on ,it- I mean it." He looked down at. his right hahd,\ and I promptly extended mine. I was sure he meant it, then; and"] talked with him, as if his sudden right about face was the everyday thing; and wbea, at last, I trrned to go, he surprised me by again asking with a sudden returr of his dare devil grin—" I say, you. said there was two reasons why I could> not Taiso on them fake gems. "What was the other one?" "Is it a confidence?" I questioned. "Yes! Cross my heart." -"Did you happen to, think, "when you found Mrs. Doverfield's door unlocked, the key in the drawer, and the hinges oiled, that she wanted to lose the false gems?''' -..■ As.l came away with the slip of pap'ei •in" my hand, I did not flatter myself that I had reformed or converted johnny Deegan, but I hoped, almost against hope, that the giri whose picture I had left in his possession could do so.As for the eham jewels, the only Teason T then had for: getting them into" my posv,session was that I might, add- accuraate knowledge.to the search..!'; was always.making wherever I saw a jewel blaze or shimmer. ; For I meant somehow, sometime, to find the Teal Doverfield diamonds. I had gone from my defeat at the Doverfields straight to my interview with Keen Johriy, because, while T believed a 'talk with Dr. Bird of vital importance, it-: value depended on his visit to Mrs Dovtrfield, which I felt assured he would make at once upon receiving the summons. On leaving the prison I resolved to go 'and look over my professional letters, snatch an early luncheon, and then set out at once for the doctor's. But this seemed a day of unexpected happenings.: As I neared my office I saw the doctor fling his short, . plump body from- J his carriage before its very door. : : As, I .approached him, I noted the preoccupied look- oh his face, and was not surprised to hear him say, as he put out his hand, " Must talk with you at once, Jasper; lunched yet?" I shook my head. "Jump in, then. We'll go to., that place off tb-3 Strand; ;I,k J s :'n<ear|;rahcttmy time is short." Few words were exchanged until we were together in a private room, and then, as soon as the waiter had gone out of the room with our orders, he spoke, and to the point. "Jasper, what nave you done to Mre Doverfield?" ,1 stared,. but I knew it wais not yet time to answer. "That poor little woman- must have received a tremendous shock,' 'he went on; "I found her insensible ,md she remained thus quite too long for u;f.ey." "Well?" "It is not well. She has not tittered a rational word since she revovered from her collapse. The case is serious I tell you." " Serious—do you mean up t othe point of danger?" Already my mind was made up." If Austin Doverfield's wife died from this seizure, no. word of suspicion, no reflection upon her fair fame, should become public if I could prevent it." " Jasper." The doctor leaned towards mc—" Ara Doverfield's life lies in my hands —and yours. Her ravings, though vague, are most, strange. I have..shut out her 'husband and her maid, and '--installed'' a trained nurse, upon whom I rely. But I must knew all that passed between you two to-day. You were with her for more than an hour. Her maid tells me that when she presented your, card with some message written upon it, the poor lady's faco blanched; that her mistress only recovered herself by a tremendous effort." Ha paused, while the'waiter arranged our lunr-heou before us. "I think I need not assure you," he resumed, when we were once again alone, "that you may trust m?. You are a specialist; so am I. Whrn—or if—my patient recovers, your path will be free, so far as I am concerned. Think quickly, man!" . • > ■ But I had thought, and decided, whiie ho spoke. Leaving my meal untasted, I reviewed briefly the story of the Doverfield diamonds, rehearsing the scene of the nyorvung. as nearly as I could, word for word. At the conclusion—- " Wait," I caid, " Let ma put a few

questions, so that I may understand precisely, for I see clc-aily that you close my work on the Doverfield case." "Do you mean to drop it?" ho questioned. "I do not mean to pursue a woman who may be dying. I .shall follow up certain clues, because I have gone 100 far to diaw back; btu the persons who aie carrying on Lhe work have no particulars. They suppose me to be looking up a disputed will case." "May I know where this inquiry leads?" " Why not—since you know all the rest. You have heard of old John Sibley?" " Of course . . . ■■*. the living parchment." " Precisely. I have sst him to look up tho family hirtory of- Mrs Ara Doverfield, and—her husband's." " And—" "And now I intend-to turn his attention to the gentleman first. ... to reverso the order of his industry, in fact.*' A singular expression crossed the doctor's face. I could not quite call it one of relief. "Why did you not come to me?" he grumbled. "I know, something of Ara' Doverfield's family, and a little of her husband's." " All in good time;" I said, and then, "Doctor Bird, I haye not only given you my confidence, but I have determined; to follow your advice." " My—advice ?'.' '""l'our advice—and now, I ask you in return, all you can .tell ma of these two people." " Why—of course " "But first, I want your opinion, minus your personal prejudice." " My—prejudice?" " In favour of a lady, until this morning under suspicion of knowing—a little too much about this robbery." " Corns, come, Jasper " "You formed a hastv opinion when I first .visited you; you have seen the lady daily since then. To-day you have heard the fuller story. I will not insult your intelligence by asking- if it hao not modified your former hasty- though quite natural vi>w. . . ." Doctor Bird draw his chair still closer, and then looked 'at his watch. "Time presses," he said briskly, " but, having gained my own point, I can't desert you now. Yes, I have uttered my view. It is now my duty to be frank—like yourself ; i but don't think I have lost faith in little Ara, Danton, whom I h?.vo known from childhood to wifehood. To know my patients has always been my policy—and my ' practice. The~e are not always the came I thing, as vou may have observed." "■Often." "As a child, Ara Danton was honest, loyal to the verge of quixotism, and ready, willing, and even determined, to Facrifice herself ,when possible, for a friend in need; and she has not changed with her growth." "She suppressed the let ter . from the manager ... of tho Safo Deposit Company?— Yes. We will say, too, that rho was awake, for ih" is a light sleeper, wh c n your friend the burglar entered her room. A woman with quick wit and sufficient courage could even control her nerves and-muscles to that extent; still," with a sly smile, "we have only the burglar's word for that, and it's possible, you know, that his eyes and nerves might have played hirn a trick—eh?" I nodded. Tho good doctor should be humoured to the: in}]. " We will concede' the worst, if you like," he cried.,briskly, as he roce and pushed back his chair. " Time's up really, Jasper, and litre's my position in a sentence. Whatever Ara Doverfield has done, iii connection with t he jewel problem, whatever she may be concealing, all is done from a good and pure motive. Whin the truth is known, jou may find, others ,p_erhaps, covered with guilt, but not'' this' 'Vfrbmaii. Look for the future, to the honour, the life perhaps, of some one near' to her, if you -would .solve this riddle, but, for the sake of a suffering, self-sacrificing woman, do not prosecute your search wi'-h bloodhounds, or with fife and drums." He took up his hat— I put out my hand. , "Not yet," I said. "I am ready now to ask for that information." "Ask then—be brief." " Mrs Doverfield .' . . are her parents alive?" "No." " Has she eteters or brothers?" " A brother—only.' " Where iv ha?'' " T do not know." " Tell me what you can of him !" "He is older than Ara—is abroad somewhere, has been' for a long time." " Err be;n back?" "Not to my knowledge." " Do vou think he may bo concerned in this?" " " , "How can I teU?", Then, a trifle petulantly, " Why don'l vou begin nearer home?" " "• "Thanks. I will." I answered, with a smile: " Doctor, how long have you known Austin Doverfield ?" <- " Since ha was married to his wife." " And you do not like him ?" '"He's an upright financier; all London will tell you that."" ■ " H—m—m !" "I have never heard a whisper against him: But—hang it! you know, don't you, that he supposed to have lost heavily in some largo South American flotation? Tt was rumoured thjt a frw weeks ago that lie received' help from his wife. Anything more." "I think not. Th.wk you, doctor." ' "Then I'm off. 'Don't get up. Stay and finish' your lunch." "Thanks, 1 bdieve.l will." It was evident that ho had enjpyed quite enough of my company, so I let,.hhn go, then finished my meal, and afterwards hnstened back to my office: Yes, it was tk n re—the one for which I looked with greatest interest. I opened it with eagei fingers. After my first interview with the Doverfields, I had in old man living in a mean little cottage in Pentonville. He had spent much of his. life poring over records and all manner of public and private documents, so that I had been ! glad to obtain his services. I had set him the task of looking up' the family record of Mrs Doverfield. I hnd also requested a report on Austin Dbverfi°-ulel and his family. ' The div-u'nii I cbe* l ' foi th from the detail". Tfav'ug read, the many pages, I frit that I knc<v a l; Hlc of the past of tli"so two peinple ; ;uri, much, all indeed, ro-verning the r-mifir-'hi'iTis of the families of Danton <'rr] Doverfield. Prjofly Mi'". Doverfield's story, and Ihn.t nf the T-'ntm family, was much :-s s*\ite 1 bv Dr. Bird. Not a huge family it thraild sepin, iind-soon accounted for. .'h'"Jin Dovj7[Hn"« people h'ld been rather rrini""<"7<. a ccr.furv ago, but my agent hrH l)<>,gun very wisely, as it turned out, with the. grandfather of Uij. present we-irer of tl'° nr-jne. "Austin D lb"- Ist,*' ns iiiv little old mini had called him. His wife had been one Fitzray, only daughter of a wen'thv West Indian planter, who. it rc-TiiM, Hd not confined his ronnnercial energies to sugar grow in, but had invested wisely il England, so that at the-death of Anna i Fitzray..Doverfield, a. fine, fortune had be*!"! divided between her two sons, Austin the elder, father, of my client, of the preseilt, and Eugene the younger, and favourite, b-f his mother. • It was because of thi*j favouritism probably that " grandmother; A.F.D.". to quote a'train. from nrv. scribe, rrave the home plantation near Kingston, Jamaica, and a great estate -there, to Eugene, and shares and

real property in England to Austin the 2nd. It wus the English propeity that had descended to the pre.-ent Austin, and in his hands it had formed the nucleua for a still greater fortune. Thj. son ot Eugene Doverfield liad also prospered, it was .said, up to a certain point; bu:. he had : old the old plantation .uad realised upon hU other holdings, and had long left the inlands. I pondered over this business-like account of dead and gone people and their heirs, and then began to write, swiftly, concisely, and at considerable, length. -My old searcher of wills prefened a written, to a spoken order. But while I wrotec swif ly, X 1 paused for thought between thb sintainces; and in one of these pauses, I heard Uov Craig's step as he entered his cilice' Half an hour later, with my letter in my hand, I knocked at Craig's door, and Then entered. Craig was a man of many fads, and one of thoso was eccentric devotion to the typewriter. All confidential letters he typed with his own hand, to 'the amusement of his friends and the delight of his typist, who sat idle at these tirrjis in his clerk's office. He was thrusting a big emimy envelope into the machine as I entered. . "Hello, old man!" he called over his shoulder, "shut the door and sit quiet" for a second. I'm finishing—" thump,' thump,—" with this." Thump ! He swung half round, and biga>n to fold and enclose sheet after sheet, until four letters of unusual length had been placed in their respective envelopes. After this opened a drawer, found and placed the stamps, and tossed the letters down at his elbow " Going out?" he questioned, ias he swung fully'towards me at last. "Only as far as the. corner' —holding. up my own let er; and then, by one of those sudden impulses that sometimes possess us, I asked — " Roy. how much do you know of Austin Doverfield?" Craig, who had been putting his letter:; too-etlnr in a neat little pile, looked up and smiled quizzically. "Still harping on ! the diamonds?" he a r kcd. _ * I had entered his presence wi'h no intention of consulting him, but, as I looked &b my partner, I felt that I might never need 'his help, his sound practical advice, more than I needed them at this monent and then I was si ting before him, and telling him the precise situation of affairs. (To be continued.)