Picture-Play Weekly (Apr-Oct 1915)

10 PICTURE-PLAY WEEKLY ing of the doorbell must have scared the would-be pillagers away, for nothing had been taken. Blake telephoned to the coroner, and then returned to his automobile, in which he had driven to the captain's h.ouse, to ride out to Lady Verinder's suburban estate and break the sad tidings to her and Rachel. Blake did not show the ]\Ioonstone to t':e girl, but he let her mother see it. He told the latter that he had thought of waiting until Rachel's birthday, so soon to arrive, before he let lier know that she possessed such a treasure. She agreed that it would be better to sur three Hindus were kneeling on the floor of a cheap furnished room in the East End of London. One, in the center of the trio, had a squat, earthen vessel before him. He raised and lowered liis hands, with the long, brown fingers touching, slowly three times over the mouth of the vessel. A puff of smoke arose from it; then another and thicker puff ; and last of all a dense cloud of the grayish-white vapor. Into this the three Hindus peered. The lips of the one in the middle moved : "Oh, Ashayi, reveal to us where the Third Eye of the God of the Moon reposeth at present !" 8 H ■ • ■ Franklin Blake and Captain Herncastle's valet lifted the lifeless body from the bathtub. prise her with it then. And Blake explained that on his return to London he would place the diamond in the safedeposit vault in his bank. Then he went for a stroll with Rachel through the garden. She and Franklin Blake were engaged — a fact which was unknown to a younggirl who that day set eyes on Blake for the first time in her life. The girl was Rosanna Spearman, a new maid in the Verinder household. And, no sooner had her eyes rested on Franklin Blake than she fell madi}', hopelessly in love with him. W hile Blake was at the Verinder estate, with the Moonstone in his pocket. Gradually a figure began to take shape in the heart of the vapor cloud. It was the figure of Franklin Blake, walking in the garden of the Verinder mansion. Lie was talking with some one who was evidently walking at his side. But who that person was was not revealed in the smoke cloud. Franklin Blake alone appeared in it. The vapor faded away. The Hindus exchanged satisfied glances, and hastened from the room. An hour later, hiding behind the hedge near the gateway of the Verinder estate, the three turbaiied East Indians watched Franklin Blake drive away in his automobile. One of the dark-skinned trio followed the motor car, at a tireless dogtrot, all the way back to Lo;]don. And he watched him enter tiic bank for the purpose of placing the Moonstone in its safe-deposit vault. From that day forth Blake was a marked man. Wherever he went, one of the three Hindus followed him. It is safe to say that he was not out of their sight for a moment, except while he slept. And even then he was watched more than once or twice. Rachel Verinder's twenty-first birthday arrived. A house party was arranged in celebration of the occasion by her mother. Franklin Blake was, of course, inVited. So was another young man, a friend of the family, named Godfrey Abelwhite. Another guest was one Doctor Candy, a white-haired and testy old practitioner of the neighborhood. Blake, who was an inveterate cigarette smoker, was complaining, in Doctor Candy's hearing, on the night of Rachel's birthday, that his nerves were in bad order. The phj-sician suggested that he try cutting out cigarettes for a while. Blake replied that he had already determined to do so, not having smoked at all that day. And, he added, instead of feeling better for it, his nerves were troubling him worse th.an ever. "Then let me prescribe for you," Doc tor Candy offered. "A few drops of "No medicine !" Blake had protested, lifting his hands in mock horror. 'T don't believe it's ever done anything for anybody — except harm.'' Doctor Candy, his white beard bristling with indignation, turned on his heel and walked away. Later, Rachel received her presents from the guests. Franklin Blake presented her with his last of all — a finely wrought gold bracelet, set with a single sapphire, in proof of the steadfastness of his love. "And this," he added, handing her another, and larger, jewel box, "is from your uncle. Captain Herncaslle." An awed hush fell on the assembly, as Rachel opened the plush box. There : lay a diamond larger than any one there had ever seen, or dreamed of seeing, in his or her life before. Rachel looked up from the Moonstone in silent wonder at Blake. "\Vhere did he get it?" she voiced the question that was in everybody's mind. "I don't know, ' Blake answered what was the trutli. "But lie willed it to vou,