Adventure, June 1911 — page 160: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

346 very well, and I am delighted to meet-you. I was afraid you, too, were in the conspir- acy.” Her face darkened again. S — conspiracy?” I asked, much mysti- ed. Miss Temple looked apprehensively to- ward the door, then her eyes sought mine. “‘T am all alone here, Mr. Morgan,” she said at last, “and I need a friend very badly. I wonder if I can depend upon you —trust you?”’ I was surprised, but assured her I should be only too happy to serve her in any way. “But what is it that you fear?” I in- quired. ‘My father,” she said hurriedly, at the same time lowering her voice, “is a madman on the subject of jewels. would give anything—anything to pos- sess some curio upon which he had set his desires! Last year, in China, he saw by accident the emerald you have just seen. It was the sacred relic of a Buddhist temple in Ping Yang, and is said to have come from the holy city of Lhasa in Thibet. His offers to purchase it were laughed at, and when he persisted he was forced to leave the city to avoid trouble. | “Tn Hong Kong he made the acquaint- ance of this man Ashton, a sort of agent and collector. Mr. Ashton persecuted me with his attentions in spite of my repeated re- fusals to marry him. Imagine my amaze- ment, then, when my father, on our arrival in England, told me that he had commis- sioned Mr. Ashton to obtain the Emerald Buddha for him, and had agreed, in the event of bis success, to give him my hand in marriage! “My prayers, my appeals, were all equally useless; he informed me that Mr. Ashton was a gentleman—that he had given him his word and could not break it. I was forced into a semi-acquiescence to the ar- rangement, believing that Mr. Ashton could never succeed in his mad attempt, when suddenly my father received word that Mr. Ashton had arrived at Southampton yesterday. I shall never marry Robert Ashton—never! I do not know what my father will ask of me, but if he.asks that, I shall leave this house to-morrow, and I beg that you will take me with you, until I can find some occupation that will enable me to support myself!” Her story filled me with the deepest He. Adventure i thrust out my hand and grasped hers. ‘‘You'can depend upon me absolutely!” I exclaimed. “My mother is at Torquay. She will be glad to welcome you, Miss Temple.”’ “Thank you, thank you!” she cried in her deep, earnest voice. “Do not leave in the morning until I have seen you. night.” At the stairway she threw back a smile of such sweet gratitude and relief that I felt amply repaid for my promise. astonishment. SUDDENLY my attention was at- dining-room, as though Major Temple and his guest were engaged in a violent quarrel. Then Mr. Ashton burst into the hall, fol- lowed by Major Temple, both of them €x- cited and angry. “IT hold you to your contract!” the former shouted. “By , you'll live up to it, or I'll know the reason why!” “pl pay, it, Pl payt’””” acid Major Temple angrily. “But not a penny to boot!” Ashton turned and faced him. “Don’t you realize that that emerald is worth a hundred thousand pounds? You promised me your daughter, but you’ ve got to pay me for the stone in addition!” “Not a penny!” cried Major Temple. “Then Vl take it to London and let Crothers have it!” “Come now, Ashton, what did the stone cost you? Merely the cost of the trip, wasn’t it? I'll pay that, if you like.” “And I risked my life a dozen times to get you the jewel! You must be mad! Fifty thousand pounds, and not a penny less! “Tt’s mine—I told you of it! Without my help you could have done nothing. I demand it. Itis my property. You were acting only as my agent. Give it to me!” Major Temple was beside himself with ex- citement. “Tl see you now thoroughly angry. The Major glared at him, pale with fury. “Yl never let you leave the house with it!”? he cried. By this time my repeated coughing and shuffling of my feet had attracted their at- tention, and they both hastened to conceal their anger. first,’ cried Ashton, COmmiclboooks tracted by the sound of loud voices, coming from the direction of the (© Good-