The Colonel's Wife

The rupture was all about a two acre ield. Colonel Fairholme, J. P. , wauted t to fill out a deut iu his riug feuce, aud Sir (icorgc Warbmton stepped in Oíd bougbt it over his head. "Aud you eau oonsider your eugagemeut at au eud, sir," the colouel wrath'nlly iuformed his uephew aud heir. "No daughter of that sueak's shall be mistress of Broad water. " Theu Evelyu aud Dick held a council of war ou a ueutral stile. "I've had similar iustructious, " said the girl. "They're very much iuceused t preseut, but it wou't last. Withiu six weeks souiebody will be giviug a reconeiliatiou diuuer party. I kuow the dear oíd things so well. " But before the ïuouth was out Colouel Fairholme was on his way to Australia. During the first few weeks after his arrival iu Melbourne he communicated regularly either with his maiden sister or with Dick. Theu there was a gap for a couple of mails, aud Dick was gettiug uueasy aud meditatiug a cable of inquiry wheu the auxiously expected letter arrived. My Dear Boy- I have a piece of news for you which, 1 dare say, will surprise you very inuch. After being a cöiifirined bachelor for nearly CÜ years i have fouud my better half at Xast. I made her acquaintauce at tho table d'hote here and we vere married last Monday. The lady is a great deal youiigtfr than myself, and I may say, without boasting, as charming in disposition as she is in appearance. You cannot fail to like her, and I am aure you will both be the best of friends. We are leaving in a fortnight by the Ormuz, do you will know when to uxpect us. HoiiACB Fairholme. P. S.- Please break the news gently as you eau to your uuut. H. F. A few days after the letter carne a brief uote for Dick : " Just a lew liues to catch the mail. There is a tiresorne delay in the final arrangeinents, and I fiiid that I cannot leave as soon as I hoped, as the berths are already booked for Orruuz. Adele will corue on alone with her maid. Meet her at Southanipton. I shall foliow by next orieut boat. " Diek wondered a little at the arrangement, but did not fail to meet his uncle's wife when the time arrived. She was a tall woruan of 28 or 30, undeniably handsome and desirous of winning the good graces of her husband's nephew. Nevertheless Dick did not take a fancy to her. In f act, she rather repelled him. However, she quite wou Miss Fairholme's simple soul by complimentïng her upon her housekeeping and refusing to Interiore with such admirable management, alsu she professed great interest in the estáte. "I ani so fond of the country, " she told theni, "and your Euglish scenery is so picturesque and homelike. I prornise myself a rainble every morning bef ore breakf ast. ' ' But one day Dick saw something whichgave him thecurious notion that, after all, it was not the beauties of nature that attracted her. He saw Mrs. Fairholme walking briskly down the road outside to meet the postman - tuere was ouly one delivery in that part of the world - who was about to leave the Broadwater letters at the lodge. She stopped the man, and he gave her aix envelope, which she opened and read on the spot. ' ' Hum ! " he reflected. ' ' So Mrs. Fairholme is so auxious about her correspondence that she takes the trouble to #o out aud meet it at half past 7 a. m." That afternoou he was at the vil lage postofflce, and tho postruaster, who was aiso the grocer, happened to be serving lmuself. "I saw a letter for you with the Melbourne postmark on it this morning, sir," he said, with the license of an old tenant. "I hope the colouel's well?" William contirmed the statement ernphatioally, and furthermore volunteered the information that the new mistress of Broadwater had met him. on the highway, near the lodge gates, aud requested him to hand the letter over to her. "Thanks," said Dick lightly. "Of course Mrs. Fairholme has forgotten to give it to me. I'll ask her about it. " Conscious of her duplicity, Dick could scarcely forcé himself to be civil to her. But she appeared not to notice his mofoseness, and in the evening after dinuer she rose from the piano suddenly, as though on impulse. "By the way," she said, "have you the key of the strongroom, Dick? I meaut to ask you before and forgot. I should so much like to see the family jewels. Your únele told me that he has fióme wonderful rabies which he bronght from India. Bring them down, there's a, dear boy!" The "dear boy" obeyed without the best grace in the warld, and Mrs. Fairholmo admired the jewela and playea vr.tn thüai aü lik ■ ■ - ■■l ;- v-' toy. Bnt the r-ibies seerned especially ! tu ■aptivaíe her fancy. "Ihey magnificent !" she eaid, ar.d her ees veré almost as bright with excítemete tjis thegerusthemselves. "I never saw auythiug like them. And the diamomis are fme too. But those oíd l'ashiuned settings are horrible. I shull have them all reset at once. Do vou know the address of a good jeweler?" "Linklater of Bond street is oue of the best, I believe. But, if you will excase me saying so, dou't you think the matter will keep till the colonel's return? I'm uot sure that he would care to have them altered. " "Oh, he wou't object if it is my wish," she Said sweetly. "I ani going into the town early tomorrow. I shajj wire myself to Linklater's to send one of their people to fetch them. " He qnietly rau up to Londou in the rnorning and paid a visit to Mr. j iater, to whom he erplained tho circnmstauces aud then reqnested that the stones should uot bo unet until they heaord fFom the colouel himself. "But, my dear sir," the jeweler said, "1 know uothing of theso jewels. 'Ko such telegram as you luentiou has , been received by us. ' ' The September afternoOD was wauing when lio got back to Broadwater, and Mrs. Fairholme, superb in a velvet ner gown, swept across the hall to greet him. "You tiresome f ellow, ' ' she said fully, "where have you been all day? The man írom Linklater's has beeuhere since y o'clcck waiting for you to como home with the stiongroom keys. " There was amoment'spause, wherein a dozen wild ideas flashed through Dick's brain. It was evident that Mrs. 'Fairholme had merely used the pretext of wiwhing the jewels reset in order to get them out of the house. "Oh, of course. I forgot. He has come for the jewels, hasn't he? 111 fetch them.'1 But when he reappeared his hands were empty. ■ "I'm awfullv sorry, Mrs. Fairholme, " JL ' ' ' [in til i -i 1 nv 1 1 i , J ' i. i i J. (iu iiwi ni' , he said coolly, "but I've mislaid my keys. I hope I haven't dropped them out of doors. ' "I don't think it will be mnch use searching for them," she replied, with an unpleasant laugh. "I shall have a locksinith down froru Loudou the first thing iu the morning. And the jeweler's man shall wait. " Dick wrote out a telegram and gave it to a grooin with a sovereign. "Seud it off at once, Rogers. And keep a still tongue in your head. " The message ran as follows: To Colonel Fairholnie, on board the Australian mail steamer Oratava at Naples: Return overland. Imperativa business. Please don't fail. DiOK. If the colonel obeyed, he would be at home in three days - that is to say, four days before he would have arrived under ordinary circumstances - four days before he was expected by Mrs. Fairholine. When the locksmith arrived, Dick had a little private conversation with him, and a bank note changed hands. As the result, the man told Mrs. Fairholme that the job was a long one, and that he could not nndertake to accomplish it under three days. The mysterious man, who was not from Bond street, went away, and on the third afternoon retuined-, but the strongroom door was not opened yet. The workman was awaiting instruotions. About 5 p. m. there was a rattle of wheels in the avenue, aud somebody rang the front door bell. The next moment the colonel, in traveling cap and ulster, stepped into the lamplight. She shrieked and sprang to her feet, overturning the bamboo table with a crash. "Colonel Fairholme!" she gasped wildly. "Home already!" "Mrs. Bellarinine ! Bless me, what a remarkable thing ! Why, I thought I had left yon in Melbourne!" "Then she's not your wife!"cried Dick aghast. "My wife!" exclaimed his tincle, perplexed to imtability. "Yon know very well I have no wife, sir ! I met fhis lady and her husband in Melbonrne, and they very kindly nursed me through my bout of influenza. I told you so in my letters. ' ' Of coursethe "man from Linklater's" was her husband, and the pair of adventurers, knowing the colouel's plans, had taken advantage of his illness to intercept his letters, forge snbstitutes to serve their own ends and make this bold attempt to steal the famous rubies. The colonel bearned upon his nephew. "And what shall I do for you, Dick, for saving my rubies?" "You can repay me veryeasily if you like, sir. Cali upon Sir George Warburton. " The colonel made a grimace. But he went. And within twomonths Evelyn's prophecy was