Adventure, June 1911 — page 185: what you’re looking at

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

The Hmerald Buddha “What time was it?” “Close to ten o’clock. I heard. the hall clock strike the hour shortly aftér' I reached my room.’ “Did you go to sleep?” “No. I thought and thought about the terrible situation I was in. At last I heard my father and Mr. Ashton come up-stairs, and shortly after heard my father retire to his own room. I made up my mind to make a last appeal to Mr. Ashton—to tell him under no-circumstances to deliver the jewel to my father under the impression that I would marry him—that I would refuse to do so. I wanted also to ask him to give me back my letter and to release me from my unwilling promise. He opened his door to my knock, and, fearing I might be seen or heard by some one if I remained standing in the hall, I entered. Mr. Ashton had evidently been examining the emerald, for I saw it upon a table. He had a pen in his hand, and was making a copy, upon a small piece of paper, of the curious symbol engraved on the base of the image. After stating my case in a few words, I demanded my letter. He was very angry and at first refused to believe that I was in earnest. Then he became very brutal and refused to release me. He éven went so far as to attempt to embrace me, and only by threatening to rouse the house with my screams did I succeed in making him desist. Then I hurriedly left the room.” “T*must have done so. The one found in the room belonged to me.’ “Did you by any Soe observe whether or not any of the windows in the room were open?” “T did. They were all closed. I noticed it instinctively, because when. I first en- tered the room I was conscious of the heavy, oppressive atmosphere of the place and, knowing the room had been long closed, wondered that Mr. Ashton had not opened the windows. I suppose it was be- cause his long stay in the East had rendered him sensitive to our cold English weather.”’ “After you left Mr. Ashton’s room what did you do?” “TI retired to my own room, partially un- | dressed and again threw myself upon the bed. 49 “Did you sleep?” “No. I could not.” “When did you again leave your room?” 371 ‘About five o’clock. I had been thinking all night about leaving the house. I felt that after the scene the night-before with Mr. Ashton I could not endure another meeting with him. I got up, put on a walk- ing-suit and boots and, throwing a few things into a satchel, stole quietly down- stairs, opened the front door and went out.” “Where did you go?” “‘I—I set out across the lawns, taking a short-cut to the main road to the town.” ene I OBSERVED that Miss Temple Se was showing a greater and greater appearance of distress as the Magis- trate pursued inexorably the line of ques- tioning which would lead her to the dis- closures I knew she feared to make. Her face, white and drawn, twitched pathetic- ally under the stress of her emotions; she spoke in a low, penetrating voice, little more than a whisper, yet so silent was the court- room that what she said was audible to its furthermost corner. As I gazed at her in silent pity I heard the Magistrate ask the next question: “How far did you go?” “IT went—I—I think it must have been about thirty yards—as far as the corner of the house.”’ “The corner of the west wing?” “Ves.” Her voice was growing more and . more faint. “Why did you not go farther?” “‘I—I saw somebody upon the roof of the porch,”’ “Was it light?” ‘There was a faint light in the sky. I walked over toward the path, and looked ae at the porch roof.”’ “What did you see?” “I saw some one get out of the window from the hall, on to the roof. I—I—they walked over to Mr. Ashton’s window and seemed to be trying to open it = “Who was it?”? The crucial question of all that had been asked her came like the snapping of a lash, and as she compre- hended it, her face became flushed, then ghastly pale. - “T—J——Must I answer that question?” “You must.” “But—I—I can not——” She burst into sobs, and buried her face in her hands. The Magistrate looked at her sternly. “Miss Temple,” he said, ‘‘evidence has been given here this morning which points COmmiclbooks (C@