THE DOVERFIELD DIAMONDS.

Timaru Herald, Volume XC, Issue 13296, 27 May 1907, Page 2

THE DOVERFIELD DIAMONDS.

"Eh, what's that? Oh. yes, of course. It was easy, sir, going along in the shelter of the railway <nibanknKnt. The willows arethick on the stream. Ab:>ut eleven Debtee came back alone, and asked for the trap to drive to the village. Said. Monsieur had finally decided to answer the telegram. As soon as he had gone, ■Jones went across the orchard, and contrived to follow Debree's every move." "Of course, he, Debree, sent a message V I broke in. " Of course—after watching the elevenforty arrive Jones noticed one of the passengers, a rather poorly-dre-sed chap, start off southward, and. after a. bit. Debree drove along slow and careless, and gave the fellow a lift." " (iood !" T ejaculated, without knowing whether it were really good or ill. " Well, perhaps, sir! Anyway, they drove round the bluff." Hire I chuckled. The bluii road was out of sight from Wravlands.

"Of course." continued Lane, "Mr Victor was still fishing below the bridge; ;>nd when the trap came spinning along, Debree called out, good and loud, that, if Monsieur didn't mind, he'd like to drive this man, ' who was crippled. and not over strong,' a little further on his way •to the next- station, etc ..etc. Of course, Mr Victor goes over to the. trap and declares himself tired, and anxious to get back ; but it ended in his getting into the trap, and all three* drove on towards Madiou Station."

" Describe the stranger," I called. " Medium in size, tquare built, looked muscular. He carried one arm in a sling, and. I'm ready to vow that he wore a 'make-up' face. The took the fellow to Marion, and then drove back." . I thanked Lane for liis good work, told him he had sc6red what I believed to be a strong point, and. that I recognised the crippled ranged; and then I sat down to medita.te.

I believed, was almost sure, that the man who had been winged so cleverly by Enid Devereaux. in her uncle's de-fence had at -last crept from 'his -hiding place; and the fact that he had gone straight to the two men at Wravlands gave me final proof of their close connection with Meyrick. But- how connected, and why One thing only I felt -to be an assured fact. Monsieur was scheming to rid himself of observers, animal and human; and what more probable than that his purpose had to do with the admittance of Meyrick to Wrayiands under the safest conditions possible? . Well, I was mind-ed to. help him ; and, given the right conditions, the result must at least show whether the presence of Captain was, or- was not, needful to their success.

I had b'jgun by believing that there people luid schemed to guin admittance to Wraylands in tfo hope of thus brings ing them, one or all, in closer contact with its owner; and believing thus, I had determined to change our plans. If it should prove that- the presence of the captain whs necessary to "them, then he sSiould only cnme surrounded and watched over by his friends. I w<nt back to my desk and—Josephine's letter, which, this time, I had quite forgotten for the moment. Wh-re had I left off? Ah, yes. '•.She. madam, must oi> go to the city, etc:, etc., it would not be safe. But my lady will go; I'm sure of it. There s a reason why she wants to go, though I .don't know what it is. One thing shows out more and more, since we came down here. They"—meaning Monsieur .and Madam —" watch each other closer than ever, and e:ich one is tryin' to pry out th.' other's secret. That's as far as I've got in that direction. '"And row for the strangest thing of all. Mr Jasper, as sure as I'm a living gill. Monsieur and Mr Yalefc Debree change about. When Monsieur comes down to dinner with Madam," or goes out by daylight, it's the. valet dressed in MonYict ore's clothes. And when.' .Monsieur prowls about at night swinging and smoking in the hammock till all hours, it's not. the valet, but himself. And since I've com? to this conclusion f I see, as . plain as plain, that's its always been the man Debree that plays at being Monsieur by davlight, and its Monsieur that is, the valet by day; and, looking back now, I can well remember that- whenever Monsieur is seen out anywhere by day, the valet keeps to himself, as is only to be ssen, now an' then, at a distance, and for just a minute, and sometimes not at all. Of course, my lady can't help knowing all about this twisting about, and she helps it on. She has to; but she don't understand it much better than I do. I've noticed lately that Nancy Banks is giving more close study to Monsieur —both of him—than t oall the rest together; maybe she's beginning to take notice. I believe tliis is al] for -this time. " Very respectfully yours, '' J. 8."

I put the letter down, too much impressed—T could not say amazed.—to smile at Josephine's characteristic phrasing. What- this girl had coolly set forth had hovered vaguely in my own mind, and been mentally cold-shouldered as too preposterous and melodramatic to harbour and reason over; and yet every movement of the two men fitted into this theorv.

Drawing a sheet of paper towards me, I . wrote across it 'two words, "Tell Xancy," and. enclosed and addressed it to Josephine Bryce. Then I took up her letter and went to Craig's room. Craig and I talked for an hour, and then sent the following message to Hal Landis .

' "As soon' as possible a.fter you .have hav& dimd, take a cab and fetch the .captain here. It's important. "Jasper." Next, because it was my nature to do a tiling promptly, having once decided on it; I called for Dr. Bird, over, the telephone, asked after Mrs: Doverfield, and, being assured of her slow but steady improvement, I told him that I had rearson to know or believe, that Madam would again attempt to pay his patient a visit witliin a few days, and that I depended upon lrm to ward off thi<: visit, if possible. acting in concert wi'h the nurse. "Matters," I said, "are getting strained, and the woman will make a desperate effort to be admitted to the sick room/' and then I hung up the receiver, and went out to dine.

This bit of diplomacy brought the eexpected result. We had not lingered over our meal, but when we came back Dr. Hird was sitting in my chair, pivot-ting from side to side, like a, schoolboy, and cross. He talked fast, and so did I, for both were talking against time. He had a waiting patient, and I awaited a client, and—a friend. When lie rose to go he was looking grave and anxious. " I'll tell you how I'll arrange it," he said. '* Nurse, if the. woman conies in my absence—and I'll be there, for a, few days, as much as possible —must send her to me, and I will assure Madam that at the very first fit and safe moment- I will notify her in person, and that she shall be the first to whom I allow this privilege. I see the necessity for keeeping this woman out of Mrs. Doverfield's presence. And—l'll keeep her out."

I knew that he would. Determined at last to take the offensive at- need, I had also decided to play my game with all cards on the table, so far as my trusted friends and helpers were concerned: and so I had at last put the' Doverfields.' case briefly, but fully, before the doctor, and he left me fully alive to the situation, and a host in himself ; while, feeling that I might now leave London for a few days, st-cuie in the thought that Madam and the woman who was either her tool or her urey, and who so dreaded und feared her coming, would be kept apart.

As the doctor took his hurried departure, ithe Captain and Landis arrived, and were soon closeted together—this time in Craig's sanctum—and again, I ihad a story to tell. This time it was of Wraylands and Monsieur and Meyrick that we talked, and our plans were made together, and each man was given his part to play. The Captain and Craig were to remain in London, unless called to Wravlands by sudden developments, and they were to be at all times in touch, and ready for an emergency. As for Landis and myself, we hoped soon to be inconspicuously domiciled in " Aunt Jem's " lodge, and as we, like Monsieur and ( iiis valeb, intended to live exclusive and secluded lives' while there, we had little fear. To make our way smooth the captain lost no time in procuring and placing in our hands four warrants —the first one for Ralph Meyrick, the others for the group which Enid now persistently dubbed " Madam and party." A few days after the coming of Monsieur and his man, and the non-appearance of Ralph Meyrick, I had formulated an opinion. This theory of possibility I had religiously kept to myself. It was under the illuminating rays of light thrown out by Josephine's letter that I got out my note-book, after our visitors had departed, and began to run my fingers down the list of Kenyon's observations at Madam s Kensington house. After a (moment, I turned to my notes of Josephine'.'! reports, and presently, upon a sheet of paper before me, I had outlined a chart, upon one column of which stood the ■word " Monsieur," upon the other the word "Valet." And, with the reports -of Kenypn, the letters of Nancy and Josephine, and some of my own notes of observation, outspread before me, I worked for two of the long early morning. hours, reading, comparing, thinking, and finding myself, by the aid of one, or more, enabled to read what, taken singly, had not been clearly revealed to me before. And then, exhausted, bub well pleased with my work, I flung myself upon a couch and slept dreamlessly and late.

And now, for , several . days, we were ready and waiting. Messages came to me daily from Kenyon and Lane, and occasionally from Enid and Nancy. Josephine, after what in her later days, she never "failed to 'term lier ;" startling revelation," was silent, until she was .again able to startle me—this time in person. For several days, dating from the morning before the girl's letter had stirred me into activity, Kenyon had sent me almost the same report. "Valet came this morning keeping close,'' and not seen outside since arrived ; saw face twice at window;" This was the first report. " V— — still shut in. Went out about ten in the evening,, going past the Devereaux place, and home by another route." Thus ran the second message, and the next- morning came this: "V still invisible by day. Last night made an actual prowl about Devereaux house. Extra constables on that beat. V—— appeared to nieit them.at all corners." '

The fourth report was .similar, and half an hour after its reception a certain goodnatured and reliable police inspector hailed me over the official wire. " That you, Mr Jasper? All right. Yes, my men report that-'same man hovering about the D. house. I think he meant to do something, if my men had not been there; must have surprised hiih a bit, I'm thinking. Shall we arrest, him, or only watch him? All right'. They'll ba at hand, until further notice. Eh? Oh. yes, one of the men followed the fellow right- up to Madam's house, and having received his instructions, rang off. I had thought it well to put an extra watch on the Devereaiix house, but an arrest just now was not to my mind. That afternoon Austin Doverfield came in upon me, looking- worn and anxious. "I am growing superstitious about this matter of my wife's diamonds^' 1 lie- said, after a little preliminary talk. . ' And, in spite of our efforts to relieve her. nervous strain,' my wife seems, mentally, very little the better for it all." I suj>p'6se what has hap-, pened has aroused my'faculties of observation. At all events,- I have'noted a growing uneasiness in Mrs. Doverfield's manner. She seems to m-e like one who is on the alert and hourly expectant-- 'of some alarming event. I can't- understand it. And—l comprehend her less and less. I hope you can relieve this strain —soon, before- " He paused, and I saw in his face the look that tells of a mind where doubt, and love are 'Struggling, and where both are strong. I faced him in silence for a moment, eye to eye, and I trust that I- looked, what I felt, sympathy and sincere regard. "Mr Doverfield,"' I said quietly, "the sternest judge, and the hardest we poor mortals must- stand before, is law.- The law of our most severe judge has -said that everyone shall be accounted innocent until proven guilty. Yours is a strange case. I have never met with one more puzzling or more complicated. When we last talked together, you did not care for the moves in the game, only for the solution. Have you changed your mind?" The man -let himself isink into the nearest chair with a gesture of weariness. "When I came to you,", lie said, in a halfhesitant manner, "I wanted —I thought I wanted —information. I, am sure now that I wanted encouragment more. You have ma.de me ashamed, Mr Jasper, and I'll only ask now for—a word of- courage—or at least sympathy." ! "Qf 'course ! As many words as you like, Mr Doverfield," I said, still meeting his gaze and -smiling now. "ut I never waste my sympathy, and you don't need it." He started. " No,, sir ; your, wife is improving. Dr. Bird is top honestly and heartily her true knight not to guard her every step on the road back to health. Don't you g'o to him aitking for sympathy. To him Mrs. Doverfield is the one woman above all criticism, without fault, and with only one weakness —a too absorbing affection for her husband, and a too-anxious and palpitating dread of his least disapproval. Pray don't misunderstand-me, Mr Doverfield. May I offer a word of advice before " "Go on!" he broke in, almost eagerly. Sometimes—at rare intervals —we ispeak from a source of inspiration. I had not thought to put myself on record, as it were, as Mrs. Doverfield's champion, and I knew that her sick ramblings and ravings had given her husband strong reason to look on me rather a)s an accuser than a friend; but I ceased speaking his countena friend; but as I ceased speaking and saw ■the change that slowly overspread his countenance, seeming to smooth out the lines, I was not- s-orrv.

What- I lr.icl clone might have b-'en illjudged, but as I stood before this man, who seemed to be slowly relaxing from a bitter mental and physical tension, I threw back hit head and mentally pau-ea my own back, 'as I assured myself cnat what I had done was at least sufficient for the day. Then, as he continued silent, " Do you care for unfinished details?" X asked. He i hook his head.

" Details—no. A few more encouraging words —if you ha\-e them —y?s!'" " All!" I was quite reckless now, or so Craig would have said. The truth was that I wanted to burn my bridges. " There are to be no details, remember. Mr Doverfield, I can put your hand on your wife's jewels to-day, at any time—all but one, thai if—

"Is it possible'/ Then why—?" Some thing in my face seemed to check the en quiry.

" i can iind the diamonds now, but not the thief. The mystery surrounding tho case is vet to solve, and as the actual jewels are safe, and I am following ;i. clue-r----of a sorL —I desire to leave them in their safe retreat; for, until; I have played my l»«t, o."-rcl, and won or lost the game "

" Jasper, you see something more this than a common rubbery?" _ : v " I have mentioned —complications. He came to liis feet with sudden elasticity. "Mr Jasper, I have—have you ever thought that there might be a —a piot.' " How —a ■ plot ?•" . " Against—my wife ?" . •• My dear sir, if I were to tell you ail 1 have thought concerning the case, it would take all day, and—l haven't the tune. If vou will trust me a little longer, promise to tell you all I know—of victory or defeat.. At present. I am just waiting for things to happen." He turned suddenly and caugnt up hit> hat. "I understand," lie said,, half smiting. "And I- am going home to wait, 100. H ave you, meantime, any advice or tions for meto —to help kill time? A harder task than waiting, in ' suspense, was never set a man." " Will you let me advise you agam T lb en be kind and very gentle to your wife, felie, too, may find it hard to wait—in suspense. And, if you feel the need' of anv more comfort, talk as freely with Dr. Bird, when you next meet, as you have with me. "Thank you, Jasper." He put out lii:? hand, and held mine for a moment in a firm, strong clasp, and then the door closed behind him. Of one result of this interview I felt.assured Austin 'Doverfiekl 'and I henceforth would _»underst*Mid each otlier, and in the end would be friends or strangers.' . These were the days when the poor wait of a sand'wich man held small place in my mind, in spite of his seething connection with Madam, by the link of the diamond solitaire. :0f course, I had settled, in my own mmd, that- the man's part in the mystery was an accidental one. And I could picture him, as I had seen him that day before the theatre, prostrate for a moment in the mud beside the kerb, then scrambling to his knees, as it seemed, in dazed bewilderment, until'"'the gamin, who was first to spring to her rescue, had pushed towards him his sandwich boards and helped him struggle to his feet. It was here that Madam s carriage must have stopped, and where, ais she leaned from it, the solitaire, doubtless, had slid from the folds of her silks and laces to the mild of the street. (To be Continued.)