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y traveller SLIDULI) BUY THE o A. R D I It F, '0, ^WASSEA JjjT E WrORT 4 IT. c rjMME rjpARLES 4k. C ONE PENNY. <

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WHEN THE SEA GIVES UP ITS DEAD." BY MRS, GEORGE CORBETT, AUTHOR OF S»Hoi's Life," Pharisees Unveiled," Tho Note," C^ssandriv," "Secrets of a 'tt.e Etiquiry Orfice," Experiaticas of a LuJy Djtec'uve," The Mystery of Fellsaiere," &o. CHAPTER I. f "THE DIAMOND ROBBERY." Confound that npset! 1 shall be two behind time—I wi3h I had walked all e w*y. instead of trusting to the supposed »li of a 'bus, when the streets are so ?Pery that horses cannot keep their feet." soliloquised Harley Riddell, ruefully, *oi* hurriedly picked bis way through the ^e»hat aggressive conglomeration of ^^fions, hansoms, 'busses and fourwheelers, !ch threatened to still further belate his ]^riv*l at the establishment of his employers. Stavanger, Stavanger, and Co., merchants, of flatton Gardens. of ft ^nt an extrs spurt from the corner **°lborn Viaduct, he managed to be less ?Qoto»l than he bad expected; bnt, some- bis surprise, he fancied that the assis- VThona be encountered betrayed signs of iftl e*oitement, which were not at all with the usual decorous quietude jjj Stavanger's aristocratic establish- tjj /p Still more astonished was ha to notice whatever the reason for the unusual £ may have been, it became intensi- ty big arrival. Butthere was just a tinge he riD with his astonishment when ^ceived that both the Brothers Stavan- "C Inward Lyon, who was the in the business, were here before him. ko one these gentlemen had ever been to come to business before eleven I 'n the f°reuoon' Harley may be ex- Vh *°r th*nking it 0C^ t^at ^ey 3hould a11 oit on this particular morning before the J clocks had boomed ten, and that, further- they should all stand gazing at him til expressions which suggested suspicion anathema. Ie 1 othJng wrong, 1 hope, sirs ? was Har- impulsive question. a_i You are no doubt the best judge of that," oli ^r' David .Stavanger, who, being a vicar's (j,^?hwarden, systematically cultivated a ^ftufied bearing and an impressive mode cf Pe«eh, "Probably the atrooious injury to Po loh We have been su\,jected has been ex- to the light of detection sooner than W for. You perceive, Mr. Detee- vhe continued, turning to a short, but *ell-built man of middle age, who was iftl Cont€mplating our hero with unusual "you perceive the instantaneous VlorL.- ? of an evil conscience! No sooner ingrate see us here a few moments ve our usual timo than he jumps to the Of ety "Ittural conclusion that he is at the end b- Cr 18 oriminal tether." W- °88 your pardon, interrupted the de- ^lv«, whose name was John Gay. "Your d..Q°tion8. Mr. Stavanger, are possibly more than correct. We have yet to hear ^'a Sentleman has to say for himself, it you will perhaps let me remind you that PaJdangerous to malre statements that we may be unable to prove." PaJdangerous to make statements that we may be unable to prove." D^tfcman, ind.ed!" exclaimed Mr. V — sir, with your permission, gentleman ««Ti^ We have proved him otherwise." ^Uy at ke an easy matter," put in Hugh •' e> ailger, the son of the last speaker tiia f^hing points to him, and him alone, as thief." had not noticed Hugh Stavanger's until he thus unpleasantly made it rent. He had, in fact, been stupefied by HioJ^traordinary words and behaviour of «V6r *r°und him. But at the word "thief" h e of bis thrilled with passion, strode hastily forward to the side of ^Om Stavanger, exclaiming, H Htract that td I It or, by Heaven b 1 he would add violence to his other if 845(1 ^r- Uavid» hastily sheltering behind Mr. Samuel Stavanger's more JfeeJ Person. '• 'J'ake care, Hugh, my boy! ^fie 18 never any knowing how far these r*does will go when they are aroused. Mr. 074 inSIst upon your duty being done at Hf ii. WSf(j. time Ilarley was calm again out- ^iolf' ^'8 ca^m was as that of the ocean faoe a deluge of rain is beating into a sur- -'ter Blnoothnes8 which the still heaving below would fain convert into moun- S?8nreakers- desperado! Was it possible that Kri Eluded to ? He looked at the faces of 41r1°Und him, and read condemnation in ,rA all- Nay, there was at least one coun- ^iohe. rhich was impassive, one breast in a trace of fairplay seemed to linger. aPPea^ to the detective for an ex- Wm? horrible mystery. •?e*di you, he began, in a voice wnose au<^ quietness surprised even him- ^ou te^ nie what is the matter ? 4 t r am glared at as if I were a wild V through the mockery of an "jjj ,,l0n>" cried Mr. David. °e^1ia' i|"eP^e^ ^r- ^ay, it is by no means ^ook. ,°at an explanation would be a ''WhVn case." tj. V yourself said everything pointed to Ve ^s.Suilt," contended Mr. David, h e/ "kely," wa3 the dry reply. I said seemed to point to your a ^itS^lfc* -^llt not say tbat of ,J '^hat is another thing, and slightly «A*y province." 0 the d^e^nwbile»" said Havley, I am still ELSiw isi?10 • robber'r ot a serious and thp ^a*are» an<5 you are suspected of atcJbir,„ gai(i the detective, carefully be face of the stricken IJarley, It is my duty to arrest you in the name of the law, and i warn you against saying any- thing that may be construed against you at the trial." Since when has this tremendous robbery taken place? asked Harley. Everything was secure when I left the premises last night at seven o'clock." Who was here when you left P asked Mr. Lyon, taking part in the conversation for the first time. "No one. sir. The members of the firm bad all left early. Mr. Hugh, to whom I usually band the keys, being also gone, I locked all the cages up, lighted the gas, padlocked the door, delivered the door-key to the night- watchman, and took the keys of the safes to Mr. David Stavanger's house. I put them into his own hands." That is quite true, so far as the delivery of the keys goes," said Mr. David. -1 What I want to know is this-What have you done with the stones you abstracted before you locked the safes?" Excuse me once more, interrupted the detective, "you will have all necessary ques- tions fully answered at the preliminary in- quiry. Meanwhile Mr. Harley Riddell must consider himself my prisoner." You will permit me to send a message to my brother ? Certainly." One of the shopmen, to whom Harley had always been kind, hurriedly produoed a piece of paper and a pencil, and Harley, in whom surprise at his own calmness was still the dominant sensation, quickly wrote as fol- lows :—" Dear Lad, 1 believe I am under arrest for wholesale robbery. It would be too absurd to protest my innocence to my twin soul. Ascertain where I am taken to, and break the news gently to the dear mother, before it reaches her in some other way. Teli her that the mystery is bound to be cleared up soon. As for Annie—God help her and me, and how can she ally herself to a man who has been under arrest— CHAPTER It FIRM FAITH IS NOT IDLE. Harley Riddell was duly charged before a magistrate with having feloniously abstracted gems to the value of four thousand pounds from the premises of Messrs. Stavanger, Sta- vanger, and Co., diamond merchants. After hearing all the evidence attainable, the legal luminary thought it his duty to oommit the prisoner to the Assizes, and during that time Harley was condemned to undergo the miseries of confinement and mental torture, [ERE WAS ANOTHER WITH WHOM A PARTING INTERVIEW WAS PERMITTED. I without being able to do anything to help himself out of the abyss of disgrace into which he had been plunged. But though he was powerless himself, others were working bravely for him. At fir,t they also worked hopefully, until it became evident that whoever had concocted the plot of which he was the victim had neglected no precaution against the failure of the plans. Mr. Uavid Stavanger, the senior partner of the firm, deposed that, influenced by the in- variable steadiness, industry, and ability of the prisoner, he had been induoed to place more trust in him than he had ever placed in any of the employes of the firm. He bad been eight years in the employment of Messrs. Stavanger, Stavanger, and Co., and had never given the firm any cause to complain of his conduct until now. "In fact," continued Mr. David, be has so wormed himself into our confidence that it has been a very easy matter for him to steal those jewels, and there is no knowing Considerably to Mr. David's ohagrin, how ever, he was not permitted to continue his remarks, and his evident determination to take accused's guilt for granted was sharply reprimanded. Fellow employes gave similar evidence to that of Mr. David, but were all no evidently convinced of liarley's innocence that counsel for the prosecution no longer felt quite sure of winning the case, until Mr. Gay pro duced the most damning evidence that could be forthcoming against a man aocaatsd of theft. He had, duly armed with a warrant, searched the belongings of Harley uiddell at his own home, and, inside the lining of the light topooat that he had worn the day before the occurrence of the robbery, the detective I had found three of the missing jewels set as rings, which were identified by Mr. Hugh I Stavanger, who bad seen them in their cases on the 17th of May. Asked how, if I-farley Riddell was the manager, and consequently of considerable importance in the business, it came to pass that the full extent of the robbery was dis- covered before the arrival of the latter on the scene, Mr. Hugh Stavanger stated that it was usual for Riddell to see to the safety of everything at the shop and to deliver the keys to the senior partner. At nine in the morning these were fetched by the leading shopman, whose duty it was to see that all was in readiness to receive customers at ten o'clock. As Mr. David Stavanger wished to present his eldest daughter with a birthday gift, Mr. Hugh had volunteered to fetch several article3 of jewellery for her to choose from, and had, therefore, contrary to his usual custom, gone to the shop at nine o'clock. lIe had himself unlocked the safes, and had compared the contents with the inventory which was with them, had at once seen that a great number wmaammmammmmmtmmmmammmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmammmmmarnmtm of valuable stones were missing, and had tele- graphed to the members of the firm to come at once. The detective, who was immediately sent for, could find no evidence that any pare of the premises had been feloniously entered or that the safes had been tampered with. There was much other evidenoe, some of it of not too relevant a nature, but all of it conducive to the annihilation of any hope of acquittal for the prisoner. His defence was considered feeble, his guilt indisputable, and he was sentenced to 6ve years' penal servi- tude. Five years' penal servitude! Is any pen powerful enough to pioture all that it means to a man like] J arley Riddell? One day on the summit of bliss, the next in the abyss of degradation and despair! One day revel- ling in love and happiness; the next loaded with misery, desperation, and isolation from all his beloved ones It is terrible for those who are guilty of crime. But for those who are innocent —God help them! There was a farewell scene between Ilarley and his mother, who was passionately indig- nant at the monstrous injustice of whieh one of her twin sons was the victim. The poor soul, mindful in her misery of Harley's solici- tude on her behalf, bravely bid her agonising grief under a show of mingled anger and hopefulness, while for the first time in all her lotig years of widowhood she felt resigned to the fact that the father of her boya no longer lived to witness the disgrace that had fallen upon his name. What though the disgrace was unmerited It was none the less bitter, and Harley. who knew his mother's indomi- table nature, felt cheered and hopeful in his turn when he beard her vow to use every means, whether they were evidently possible or apparently impossible, to vindicate his character, and bring the guilt of the robbery home to the real perpetrators. Hilton Riddell, his twin brother, cheered him much, too, by his faith in his chances of a speedy unravelment of the plot of which he was evidently the victim. There was also another with whom a part- ing interview was permitted, although Harley would almost have preferred to be spared the anguish of mind which it cost him. For the presenoe of winsome Annie Cory, who was to have been his bride ere long, only brought the more vividly to his mind the picture of all that cruel fate had bereft him of. She, like the true girl that she was, vowed to wait for his release, and to wed none but him. He, being sensitive and refined, vowed just as positively that nothing but the most incontrovertible proofs of his innocence would ever permit him to tske advantage of hei- love. Mr. Cory was very magnanimous, and he had cordially approved of the engagement of his only ohild to a man whose combined resources only amounted to £ 400 a year. For was not he himself wealthy enough to provide very handsomely for his daughter, and were not the various qualities of Harley Riddell far beyond riches alone ? Still, although be liked the young fellow, and would, under happier conditions, have gladly welcomed him as a son-in-law, he fully endorsed Harley's protestations to the effect that only as a man who could stand before the world nnshamed would he ever permit a woman to share his life. For he would not like his daughter to marry an ex-convict, whom folks would look askance at, even though the ex- convict's friends were all convinced of his innocence and of the injustice of his punish- ment. But he deemed it wise to offer no violent opposition to Annie's determination to be true to the man she loved. He trusted to time to weaken her love, and show her the folly of allying herself to poverty and dis grace. Meanwhile, as he really liked Harley and fully believed in his innocence, he meant to do all in his power to promote a certain plan which Iiilton had confided to him, whereby it was hoped to divert the weight of punishment on to the shoulders that deserved it. The interview had proved trying to Annie as veil as to Harley, and Mr. Cory was very thankful when he arrived at his own house with his daughter, who certainly looked as if she had borne as much as she could. li Margaret," he said to his sister, who had been his housekeeper ever since his wife died, ei,ht years before the opening of our story, I believe the child is dead beat, and I don't feel too clever myself. Have you anything in the way of a pick-me-up ready P" You shall have some hot milk, with a touch of brandy in it, in a few minutes. That will do you both good, and serve to put you off until dinner is ready, which will be another half-an-hour yet. How did the child bear it 2" Very bravely. Vowed eternal fidelity, and all that sort of thing. But Kiddell is too much of a man to take her at her word, and swears to be nobody's husband until be is proved innocent. And quite right, too. Jn fact, I hope Annie will get over her infatuation in any case, for 1 have no fancy for being pointed at as the father-in-law of a man who has been in gaol. Yo 'i see, although we never for a moment believe that the poor lad had anything to do with the robbery, and are sure that he is the victim of a vile plot, it will be difficult to get the world to think as we do" and, to tell the truth, it's a deucedly nasty busi- ¡ ness all round." While Mr. Cory had been speaking Annie had gone up to her own room, and Miss Cory bad rung the bell in order to give some direc- tions to a servant before she followed her niece upstairs. Williamson," she said, "bring two glasses of hot milk here as quickly as possible. She delivered herself of this order very quietly. But no sooner was the servant's back turned than she emptied the vials of her wiath on to her brother's devoted head. John Cory," she said, drawing her really majestic figure up to its full height, and speaking with a solemn deliberation which she only atfected on serious occasions. I'm ashamed of you I never expected to see the day when my father's son would deliberately contemplate the desertion and permanent abandonment of a man whose sole sin is his betrayal by some villain who has ounniugly contrived to divert suspicion from himself to an innocent man. John Cory, if I could believe that you would do this vile thing, I would leave your roof for ever." "But, my dear girl II.Doti't I my deir girl me! You never do it except when you want to talk me over, and at fifty-six I'm too old to 3wallovi gross flat- tery. Just tell me this-Do you mean to turn your back on young Riddell now that he is powerless to help himself, or do you mean to act like a man ? Of course, I mean to do all I can for him." 94 I know you did. All the same, the bare thought that you could dream of revoking what you promised just before the poor lad'a calamity overtook him made me feel as if I could shake you. Oh, here's your milk. Just put your brandy in yourself and drink it while I go upstairs to Annie. Williamson, see that we have dinner punctually." Williamson, having acknowledged her mis- tress's order with due deference, hurried away to expedite matters in the lower re- gions, and Miss Margaret Cory lost no more time in visiting her niece, whom she found sobbing as though her heart was breaking. At this sight even Miss Margaret, stolid though she usually was, found herself considerably upset. She made a faint attempt to dissuade Annie from crying, but was convinced that her efforts were woefully inadequate,and eventually administered the truest consolation by break- ing down herself and mingling her tears with those of the girl whom she lovsd more than any other being on earth. There, auntie, I won't be so foolish again," said Annie at last. "But I could not help myself when I thought of all the horrors poor Harley is doomed to endure." And no wonder, my dear. But, please God, we'll put an end to his misery by freeing him before long." "But how can that be? Have you for- gotten that he is sentenced to five years' im- prisonment ?" No, I have not forgotten. Neither have I forgotten a speech that his brother Hilton uttered last night. He said:—'Heaven helping me, I will leave no stone untunred to run the author of all this misery to earth. He may be very cunning, but I defy him to elude my when once I have net eyes upon him. The mystery is not so great as it perhaps seems to some. The onus of criminality rests between very few people, and I have good I reasons for believing that my aus^ioions are oentreing themselves round the right man. It is but a question of time, for, if there is a God in Heaven, the guilty coward who really stole those diamonds shall be brought to justice Annie, when I heard the fervour with which those words were uttered, and marked the deli- berate determination of Hilton ltiddell's mien, I shared his confidence in the fuiure, and resolved to afford him every facility for achieving his purpose. He will need money, for without money very little can be done. For your sake, my darling, I will give all I can to prove your lover's innocence." How good you are, auntie." cried the girl, kissing her relative affectionately. You always make me feel better. This time, be- sides comforting me, you have made me a little bit ashamed of myself. Henceforth I will work, instead of giving way to useless re- pining. If there is any part I can take in the unravelment of this mystery I will show my- self a ready and capable helper." That's right, dear girl. The police started with the conviction that Ilarley Riddell was guilty, and hunted up no end of facts to prove themselves in the right. We will start with equally positive convictions in the other direc- tion, and it will be odds if our labour of love does not bear the fruit we desire." Oh, auntie I am all anxiety to begin Do let me run down and tell the dad all about it." "Not so fast, my dear. If Mrs. Riddell, who has been terribly prostrated by this blow, is able to bear being left an hour or two this evening, her son will call here, by appoint- ment with me, to consult as to what will be the best plans for us to adopt." You dear old thing! You have been actually working already r' Certainly. The sooner we begin operating the better chance we have of being successful, and the sooner we may hope to see Harley justified and at liberty. In fact, you need not. be surprised if Hilton Riddell has already made considerable. progress. And now, dear, you must make yourself a little presentable, and I expect you to partake of a substantial meal, even as 1 mean to do, for we must make oursplves strong if we mean to do anything useful" The result of Miss Margaret's tact and management was that Annie was not nearly so downcast that evening as her father had feared she would bA, and when Hilton Riddell made his appearance at eight o'clock he found all members of the Cory family ready and willing to second all his endeavours on Harley's behalf. "And how did you leave your mother ?" asked Miss Margaret. Stronger and better than I could have believed possible," was the reply. She is brave and hopeful, and firmly believes that I shall succeed in tracing the real delinquent. One thing troubles me a good deal about my mother. It may be necessary for me to travel, or some other contingency may arise which will render it impossible to be with her much, and I fear that, if left to herself, she may succumb to her troubles." She shall not be left to herself," cried Miss Margaret, emphasising her remarks by a vigorous shake of the handsome lace lappets which adorned her cap. She must come and live here while yon are away. That is just what you would have proposed yourself, isn't it, John?" "Certainly, just the very thing," echoed John, warmly. Sorry you got the suggestion out before I did, though. And now, Mr. Riddell, about your means and employment. Don't think me impertinent or intrusive, but 1 u Pray don't apologise," said Hilton, hastily

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Servant (through partly open doc My master is out, sir but you can leave the bill with me, if you wish. Mr. Dudely: Bit! ? I have no bill I wish to- Servant: No bill Arc you sure you've not made a mistake ? Are you sure this is the house, sir ? Artemus Ward died not many monthr after his London debut, attended to the las' by T. W. Robertson, author of Our Boys: Caste,' and other well-known plays. A stronf attachment had sprung up between them, ant the devotion of his new-found English friend was touching in the extreme, and characteris- tic of Hobertson's noble nature. Just before Ward's death Hobertson poured out some medi- cine in a glass and offered it to his friend. Ward said, My dear Tom, I can't take that dreadful stuff!' 'Come, come,'said Ifobertson, urging him to swallow the nauseous drug, there's a dear fellow Do now, for my sake; you know I would do anything for you/ 'Would you?' said Ward, feebly stretching out his hand to grasp his friend's, perhaps for the last time. 'I would, indeed!' said Hobert- son. 'Then you take ;t,' said Ward. That humourist passed away but a few hoars after- wards." ?

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A Dalziel telegr.im from Hot Springs (Vir- ginia) sayi: Anoilier ca?e of the public lakin a prisoner from custody and sum- manly executing him has occurred here. A negro named Abner Anthony attempted to com- tnil an assault upon Mrs. Newton lililliamg, white woman, and, fearing the consequences of his act, absconded, On Monday he was captured an(O lodged in the gaol. The mob, however, learned CÝ his arrest, and stormed the building. The prisonei was dragged from his cell to a convenient opeo space and shot dead, his body being riddled witfil bullets. GROCKR'S SCALES, Cinisters. Mills, Machinery Counters, Fixtures, Sundries, and Shop Fittings of desm-iptlon.-Parnall and tlous, 21 and 22, Narrow Vvii* street Bristol. 97314 Ask for Tyler and Co/tf CXQIO Medal Flannel.

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I will, as you so kindly take such an interest in us, explain exaotlv how we stand. My mother, who is an officer's widow, has a life pension, which the vicissitudes in the career of 1 larley or myself cannot touch. My employers, Messrs. Treadonem and Co., have magnani- mously given me my liberty, and have not been afraid to mention their true reason for discarding the services of the brother of a convict. My time, therefore, is my own, to use as I please. Needless to say, it will be used in my brother's service. Fortunately, I have a couple of hundred pounds saved, and Harley, daring the last six years, has saved a few hundreds also. He has some inkling of my intended course of procedure, and has arranged for me to draw his money if I re- quire it. But I hope to run my quarry to earth without encroaching upon Uarley's savings, for it will go hard with him at first, especially if he has no money to fall baok upon." j His money shall not be touched," put in Mr. Cory in a very decided tone. "I have a nice sum available for unexpected contingent cies like the present." And so have I, answered Miss illargaret. You are very kind; I hardly knew how to thank you," said Hilton, very much moved. "And how can I help?" inquired Annie, piteously. I have no money of my own, but 1 am anxious to do some real woi k, and I am sure you would find me clever and capable." I should only be too glad of your hdp," said Hilton, with animation in his mien and entreaty in his voice, but the only way in which you can help seems too preposterous to suggest to you." i Out with it, man," cried Mr. Cory; if it ia something that cannot be undertaken, no harmwill be done." Then here you are, sir. It is necessarj that I should gain a little insight into tht doings of the family of Mr. David Stavanger, for I am convinced that either he or his son knows where the still missing diamonds could be found. There is an advertisement in to-day's paper for a holiday governess to the' youngest Miss Stavanger, a girl of twelve. To- morrow morning I intended going to the office of Messrs. Bell and White, private inquirjr- agents, to ask them to send their principal lady detective, Miss Dora White, to try for; the appointment, as a governess has many means of gaining information concerning what is going on in a household. Now, if V you Not another word, I will turn detective# and beard these lions in their own den," wa< Annie's exclamation, < But how about references ? Besides, they would know your name, perhaps," objected Mr. Cory. You dear innocent," remarked Miss Mar. gal'e, with the calmness born of superior wis- dom when one takes up detective work, one has not to be too squeamish about ways and means, and you may trust us to devise som* scheme to circumvent these villains. If Annia can't get the post, I'll try to make myself look more youthful, and make a bid for the appoint- ment." Somehow, any lurking objections which Mr. Cory might have had were all overcome, ani. when Hilton went home that night manj arrangements for the future bad been made. Snbject to Mrs. Riddell's own consent, it had been decided that it would be best for her to live with Miss Margaret for a while. Mr. Cory, very muoh to his own surprise, found himself enrolled as an amateur deteoti.e, liable to be called upon for actire service at any time. Annie, instead of moping at home and giving way to melancholy, was bent upon yielding efficient help as a lady detective, and Hilton meant to be guided by the exigencies of the moment. The avowed end m of all these good people was to brii a who was respon- sible for Harley i imprisonment to justice. The progress of our story will show how they went about their new employment, and what were the results of their endeavours II amateur detectives. (7'0 be continued.)