“The Sapphire Riddle,”

Wairarapa Daily Times, 2 February 1937, Page 7

“The Sapphire Riddle,”

CIIAPTER I—continued. "If that's tho case,” she returned, “nothing more is worth the discussion. To safeguard yourself you’ve only to reveal this new test you’ve devised and then everything’s at an end. "But, being simply a human being, Mortimer was twitting her, "and knowing that the revelation of that would immediately render my greatest achievement null and. void, incidentally depiiving myself of a considerable fortunewill I do that, think you?” Ursula Brunskill laughed and got to her feet.

"I’ve known you for two years now, Doctor. You’ll not be offended, I hope, when I say that of all the unworldly, unselfish, truly scientific men I’ve ever known, you are the greatest!” Her calm blue eyes held his embarrassed look. "You have found a way to nullify the biggest step into the physics of synthetic gems that any man has ever found—at the time you make that step. Ho considerations of money grubbing will sway you you’ll make that test known.” She bowed and bade him good night. "Fancy making me worry like that,” she laughingly concluded. And, after the door had closed behind her, Doctor Mortimer sat a long while with wonder in his kindly eyes. She had spoken the truth. He would have to reveal that one test which lus artificial gems would not pass. . . . "But,” he suddenly grunted, “if I produce another specimen stone like that ruby—a sapphire, for instance I’ll not trouble to search for a Avay to cut my own throat over it! I swear to that!” « * * *

\Yo\l —Ursula retrieved a fallen shoe and sighed over the fire—that was all three or four weeks ago. She understood that Mortimer had approached Colonel Godolphin and 'that, a promise had been given that a wary official eye would be kept on all the arrivals at Carlton Lodge. That was .sensible, and so much to the good. But she was not in any way satisfied that things Avere working out now to the serenest advantage. . If anything, the Doctor was more involved than ever. He had given the new test full pub-licity-—and the jewel “ring” received it with oily but fervent gratitude. One would have naturally thought that immunity was purchased by that one great act of sacrifice. Yet, and Ursula had to admit it to herself, badly as it went against the grain, it was appearing that merely a temporary respite had been gained. No longer were the threats of: the " Amstcrdammish” people made vocal; no longer did they come to the Lodge,and strut and smarm and fume, as their moods arose and were vanquished. . . . they stayed afar off, and nothing but the fearsome element of their incessant watchfulness could be defined or encountered. And that was worse than the former state of open hostility. Another matter with involved experiments which she knew concerned, the production of a synthetic sapphire- a dream he had always had. Working with him and knowing much of the properties of the various minerals Mortimer employed, fusing .them together in his electrical furnaces to make them into artificial gems, Ursula was absolutely certain he was making this sapphire. For once, in all her association with him, he had not taken her into his confidence. The omission hurt her. there was a crash.

"Ileigho, it’s a queer world.” Ursula yawned and ruefully challenged the .silence of her room. "Best thing to do is to stop worrying! After that the next best thing is dinner.” She went across to her wardrobe and paused before its tall linen fold doors. She paused and she blushed. "Of course,” slio murmured as she opened those doors, "there are really more exciting things than dinner. ...” Her slim fingers passed over the fabrics. 0-f half a dozen gowns to rest on that was the newest arrival at Carlton Lodge; one she had not worn. It was a black chiffon and it foamed magnificently under her ardent touch. She shook it out and cooed and caught it to her breast as she gazed into a tall clieval mirror. Then!

"Ursula Brunskill!” she .severely remarked to her reflection, "you seem to forget you’re a prim and proper bluestocking, an important personage who assists a world famous scientist m his work. .. . really you do! But still,” and her merry eyes unashamedly met their mirrored counterparts in beauty, "you’ll absolutely sweep the .sedate board Avith this —I wonder if he’ll like it?”

“He” was Doctor Mortimer’s nephew, Lawrence Sotheran, the tall and slowly moving and idle Larry Sotheran, who farmed a little place up on the bleak hillside when lie wanted something to do that looked worth while in life, but who was usually found lounging about the valley with dogs at his heels or with a rod or a gun over his shoulder. Larry was personna gratic at the Lodge, and he and his uncle got on famously together, despite the seeming difference of their habits and tastes. So Urusla dressed herself with greatest care and took inordinate pains with her honey-bee brown hair before descending to the dining room that night. Contrary to what sho had expected of him, Doctor Mortimer was in his most expansive and communicative mood. Over dinner he centred all attention on himself by reporting to Ursula and Larry that he had succeeded in perfecting another gem . . . “A sapphire this time.” He shot a wicked glance at Ursula. “Which, after all, is only the ruby’s elder brother. What the making of that ruby taught me and what I’ve learned since has re-

(Published by Special Arrangement.)

BY JOHN H. FORTESCUE, (Author of "The Chain.”)

suited in something which appears to me to be—a specimen stone identical in all respects with a natural product.” There was a confused noise behind his chair; a clatter of something on to the sideboard, a noisiness of clashing silver.

Mortimer lifted his eyebrows and shrugged his shoulders. "Poor old Cradby,” he said gently, ‘ 1 he’s getting worse and worse. I wonder if I’m being altogether fair to him, keeping him at work! Don’t you think, Ursula, a pension is indicated?” Cradby Joe was the factotum who served the Lodge as butlcr-cum-manser-vant-cum-general handyman. In his* own way he was an autocrat. He had been with the Doctor for more years than anyone could count and was almost as blind as lie was deaf and almost as slow as he was feeble. No one. knew the innermost story of his attaclimeant to the scientist. But some said there was a considerable mystery about it all. ...

"Oh, I don’t know,” Ursula whimsically regarded the old fellow, all confusion over his mistake. I believe h’d break his heart if you turned him off, Doctor.”

"Sh-sh-sh,” Larry smiling warned them, “or he’ll hear.” "He’s as deaf as a post ”

"Don’t you be.so sure of that, Uncle Henry!” Larry was suddenly grave and queerly unattractive with it. "Our ancient Joe is not so deaf a,s you might be inclined to imagine! Why it Asms only the other day Avhen I suav him out with ’ ’

He stopped in confusion and reddened. Suddenly a claw-like hand had appeared over his left shoulder and his plate Avas being removed. The brittle voice of Cradby Joe came into his

senses:' » “Will you be taking- tlie souffle, Mr Lawrence? ’ ’ ‘‘ Er—no tliank you, Joe,” Sotheran bit his lips and looked away from the bleared eyes that held him so curiously. How the old fellow had managed to move from that sideboard to the dining table in the time it took to speak the few words he had spoken Larry Sotheran did not know. A practised man- . servant, young and nimble on his pins, might have been expected to do it but not the old and decrepit Cradby Joe. Ursula’s speaking was slowly going on across the board. “And do you really think this sapphire is the great thing ” “My synthetic ruby was—eh?” Doctor Mortimer wagged a skinny finger. “My dear girl, it’s far and away beyond the excellence of that stone! It’s a sapphire . . . there’s no more to be said. ... it is a sapphire, as perfect as one mined in Ceylon! Nature and I have agreed; portentous as that might sound. ’ ’ He became grave then, and slightly bowed his head. “I am sorry, there was no need for that arrogance —I have been privileged to wrest one of Nature’s secrets from her keeping, that’s a better way of putting it.” “It must pass every test.” “It passes every test,” the scientist agreed. His eyes were full of some peculiar emotion of awe. ‘ ‘ But it did more than that for me, my dear young people; it unlocked the most tremendous cavern of mystery I have ever encountered in my scientific life. It is not altogether as a sapphire produced from an electric furnace and a few grains of alumina, titanic acid and magnetic oxide of iron, that I regard it. ... I see it in quite another light. As a key, in fact, to the innermost secrets of this strangly functioning globe of ours. However, ’ ’ he smiled happily across at his nephew then turned to Ursula, “I mustn’t turn our evening meal into a scientific lecture —? ” They protested, eagerly and truthfully, that they did not mind in the least about that. They both felt baffled by the old man’s revelation and nettled because of his sudden decision of taciturnity. Yet they did not gain anything more of interest from him for a while. When dessert was on the table and the candles arranged, in old fashioned style among the fruits and service, when the scraggy form of Joe was turned about to retire from the room, and then only did the doctor go back to his thesis. “Yes, you may leave us, Joe,” he said to the man. Then, to Larry and Ursula, “I suppose I’d better satisfy your curiosity—eh f’ ’ As the dining room door opened for old Joe’s departure, a candle flickered in the draught. The old fellow stopped and looked across at it. Then, half closing the door again, he stepped across to the table and replaced the candlabra in such a way that it was shielded by Lawrence Sotheran’s great figure and at the same time exactly confronted the scientist. Without a word he turned and left them after this. Mortimer laughed. Ever so slightly lie pushed the big silver stack of lights to one side. “Lord, that glare under my eyes is worse than fifty draughts,” he said. “Cradby Joe’s become very attentive all of a sudden. ... I bet the old beggar was all agog to listen to what I had to say about that sapphire.” “If he could have heard,” Larry made the malicious rejoinder. “Ah—got me there!” Mortimer shook his head. “Lawrence, you’re a suspicious mortal! And yet, I don t know.” He looked puzzled. “I had the strange conviction that the fellow was listening all tlio time. That’s why I dried up and said what I did. about scientific lectures. Good as he is, it s not an earthly bit of use filling his silly old pate with stuff like that which he could hardly digest—and undigested, turn over to all and sundry” (To be Continued).