The Flaw in the Sapphire

ed one Rodman Raikes, unpop

tion of personal prowess, for no more

little in body, and l

e, Raikes was the embodiment of the

locality, and usually walked with head tilted and body bent as if enga

returned with vicious interest, and never neglected an opportunity of

dividing his laughter into chuckles-if the strident rasp which he indulged could be called by

re row of brick houses, in the mos

, who reflected, on compulsion, in the manner of a s

ikes' complete

ith that of his rickety elders that he suggested to the fanciful the grim idea of having

ively plump; an example of incredible expenditure appl

h the young man's embonpoint, and was propitiated only by the reflection that he contributed in no way to his nephew's physical di

t into the wall, was a series of three dwellings used as a boarding-establish

mmunicate with each other, a continuity

ccupy the portion just indicated with no other te

kes made no attempt to dispose of, in fact, strangely resented a

uld thus forego such a prospect of advant

rs on the other side of the partition indulged in curio

mises he occupied, but since none had the courage to investigate such a possibility, the

e mean figure of the miser, after presenting itself for one hesitating, suspicious mom

once established the basis of indulgence by tentative nibbles of this and that, which were almost Barmec

f reasonable abundance, he forbore to ac

racticed in all other directions, and his sister, rather than submit

le no more than the others, and so occupied a seat in t

ate to Raikes that his nephew did not expect a legacy to follo

ortion of the apartment he pleased and enjoy himself a

sation, Robert grew vicariously robust, and accepted, with cy

the table at which they

f congestion had others been known

this exasperating refusal to accept a reasonable measure of what was set before them; a disabil

owever, a new

as the custom of the widow under such circumstances, he was intruded upo

he landlady expected to be assisted by one of those vacancies which occur with such in

pt transfer wo

r, was an un

tter refused to realize it; if the miser had hi

s shriveled table companion; made friendly overtures, disguised in perfunctory courtesies, of passing the bread or the butter when either w

the newcomer

n; his expression, aside from h

ed from receding sockets through heavy eyebrows, w

ath which his lips, at once firm and s

ly clad in black, a habit which emphasi

anspire, which introduced a sort of eerie distinction to the commonplace surroundings in

ment the occasion justified, that the miser, in the ensuing days, emerged from his cust

s was but th

urbanity, to the advances of the stranger, and ere the week had conclud

red at another table, and the widow, as usual, offered

to remain in his present surroundings, and when this disposition

t seemed, now that Raikes had ventured ever so little beyond

kes would have considered dangerous and which he would h

experience when he was constrained to recognize, nay, surrender to,

agreeably conscious of a sort of guilty abandon which, at times, stupefies

ormation of Satyr to Faun, and the inversion advanced to still further degrees their curiou

seen to disappear with the latter through the doorway which led to his apartments, Robert's interest in the spectacle chan

ion, the strangely-assorted pair proceeded along a dimly-illum

heir open doors, the apartment in which he found himself was the only one where any kind of accommod

swallowed. "I do not smoke myself, and, therefore, cannot provide you with that sort of entertainment; still, I have no object

stranger, smiling with his curious eyes, produced two cigars, one of whi

n temptation; the nearest I will approach to dissipation will be, with your

weed in his pocket. "It is my one indulgence; in othe

lack of emotion, "for the last ten years. It is

d at all points; that is bad management. The finest tragedy I ever

pport of his theory, "I can, at

y of the service indicated, the Sepoy's busy, furtive eyes glan

an antiquarian would have accepte

decrepit, leaned against the wall to mainta

is companion, appeared to extend its worn arms with a we

ent's lamp, several account books and a blo

, the Sepoy directed

ble inch of space, turning his head cautiously to enabl

to the nature of his quest, Raikes succeeded in finding a lucifer,

f the stick, with elaborate carefulness, upon the table, as if urge

his glances from their mysterious foray, directed

ecall had the Sepoy looked upon hi

ing fascination, that he vainly sought to duplicate by attracting

inhalations of his vicarious smoke, "

d the other. "I

es, dissatisfied with th

s," said

cried

us Raikes with a quick, penetrating look that was not without its effect

ur establishment

hance to be,"

t this curious rejoinder, "you have so

ut I have a few in my room now, and, by

Raikes. "May

ir with some brilliant object he held in his grasp, he deposited upon the table a sapphire of such extraordinary size and beauty, that Raikes, able as he was to realize the great value of t

e upon the brilliant with repulsive fascination, a

d, sinuous rhythm, until presently, satisfied with the vacant expression which had replaced the eager look of the moment before in

inued on Di

e reached the exasperating announcement in

d on Dick

that meerschaum-colored divil was a-goin' to say. 'Dickey No. 2.' Why, that

s Dennis

kle before, but never in

rospective employment, he was now confronted by a predicament which

eous tale appealed so strenuously, promp

rift warned him against such

justed the remaining bosoms of the dickey to his waistcoat, plunged

ways of heedless employers and suspicious subordinates which, eased by a native good humo

as he retraced his steps to The Stag

vated, a great splotch of grease detached itself from the ironwork and

I'll know what the Sepoy said to-night." A remark which proved conclusively that

the rear room as to arouse the suspicion and encourage the displeasure of the waiter, Dennis hasten