The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1887-12-31 00:00:00

NOBLER THAN REVENGE.

BY THE
Author of" The Heiress of Atherstone Grange!'

CHAPTER LVIT.
HOW IT ILAPPENED.

'Smell service is true service while it ksts,
Of friends, however humble, ECOIII not one?
—WORDSWORTIL

IT was over the walnuts and wine after dinner that
the three gentlemen heard the story of what had
happened to Frank Hatherleigh on that terrible night
in the wood opposite the ferry house. Mr. Jarvis had
heard most of it before at odd times, and the ladies
would hear it piecemeal at some other time. It was
to be told in all its hideousness now.
I never realised quite that my cousin had any
animosity towards me,' the young man said, till
felt myself whirling downwards to my death in that
hideous pool. I had a fancy that he would have liked
to take my place in Helen's affections, but I trusted
him. We—that is, Helen and I—had parted then,
but he did not know it. I went into the wood to see
Barney Grubb • I had no idea that he had hem
enticed away. I told my cousin I was going, and
What for, on the last occasion we had met.'
'lt was a pity you did not tell someone else,' Mr.
Jarvis remarked, somewhat drily.
Yes, but you see I was going to aid and abet
Barney in a sin. I wanted a certain oddly-striped hen
pheasant that he knew of, and my object that night
was to see if ho could not catch her for me. He is
good at anything ef that sort.'
'I might have known that you were after some-
thing mischievous,' the lawyer said. I did not
believe that you were enticed there; there was no
motive.'

No, I was not enticed. I had told him—Horace—
that I was going, and that was all. I saw him in the
afternoon and thought no more about him, and I
went to the woad about dusk. I was waiting at the
side of the hole when it happened all so suddenly. I
was just thinking what an awful place it would be to
drop into, when I was struck and fell—down—down
splashing into the dark water. I struck my face
horribly against something—it seemed to me as if I
had sliced away half of it—and then I sank.'
'And you did not artrt who tatruol. 70.?• Mr. Ingram,
senior, asked, interested beyond measure in the recital.
Well, yes. It seemed to me that I saw_ Barney
Grubb, and then in the flash of time that it all took,
the malignant face turned into my cousin's, and I
seemed to understand it from beginning to end. I
think the pain of the blow on my face saved me from
drowning, for I believe it kept me from inseasibility.'
He must have got away very quickly,' Cuthbert
Ingram said. 'He did not stay to see the result of
his handiwork.'

• He thought there could.be but one result, I suppose,'
Fronk Hatherleigh replied; 'and was afraid to look on
what be had done. Greater men than he have shrunk
from doing that. I seemed going down for an eternity
and all sorts of things passed through my mind. I
wondered what everyone would say when they heard
that I was dead, and how my cousin had managei to
get me over the hoarding round the hole. I know
now that I went down boards and all, and I thought
of Barney Grubb, and how it was that my cousin had
looked like him; and Caen for a minute or so all was
dark and_l knew nothing.'
'A close shave,' said Mr. Ingram. 'Face to face
with death, It makes one understand what that
sentence means.'

'Yes, indeed ; face to face said Frank, gravely. 'I wok
up from my trance, as it seemed to me, holding on with
all my might—how hard I held my hands will show
till I die—and feeling some gravel, or something of
that sort, being thrown down on my face. "Can you
bold on, guy'nor ?' someone said above me,' ani
knew that rescue was at hand. "Yes," I gasped.
"Who are you Pi' and the voice said "Jack." I felt
that I was saved. I don't know what I fancied the
lad could do for me, but I knew he could do some-
thing. He seemed to think a moment, and then spoka
again. "The hole's broke away there a bit," he sate.
"Get a firm grip, and get a rope.' How he did it
I don't know, nor how I managed to avail myself
,of
such help as he could give me. It was heaven's
mercy that the horrible pit was full. If it had been
as I have seen it before now—a deep well of darkness
before the water was reached—no power on earth
could have saved me. I owe my life to that boy, and
With heaven's help I will repay the debt.'
By all accounts you have pretty well done that
already,' the elder Mr. Ingram said. I have heard
of that young gentleman—a plucky lad, sir.'
Aye, plucky indeed. I don't know how I managed
to get out of the wood with his help, but I did it, and
we went together to the Old Heath Station. I had
money with me —a tolerable sum—and I believe that
Jack declared I was his brother, and drank. At any
rate, we passed muster, and got away. I have since
Learned that the clerk who gave us our tickets was
taken away ill only a day or so after, and that he died.
But for that we should certainly have been tracked.
He was a stranger, Jack said.'
Yes, but for that the mystery would have been
solved long ago,' Mr. Jarvis said. I don't believe
Frank knows very well what happened to him after
he was once in London.'

I don't,' thp young man said. Once in the train
my energy went and very nearly my senses alontr,
with it. I was terribly cut about the face. Jack
had wrapped me up so that the injuries were not very
visible, but I was a horrible object. The only coat I
had was an old workman's jacket—the lad fetched it
out Of a shed amongst some buildings.'
'Then you left your coat in the pool on purpose ?'
_ _

'I did. In the brief minute that I lay on the bank
before I tried to get away, I resolved to let everyone
think the murderer's purpose had been accomplished.
I would wait and see what came of it. I was to wait
loner than I thought of. I had injured myself
internally in my struggles to keep myself up in the
water, and I was bruised all over, besides my wounded
face—so it was small wonder that for many weeks I
lay ill, thinking most of the time when I was myself
that I should never recover—mind and body were
alike broken by the shock. But I held to my resolu-
tion of hiding myself till I found out whether I writ;
indeed correct in guessing my cousin to have been
my assailant. What has happened since you all
know.'

What put it into your fiead to play ghost?'
Cuthbert Ingram asked. Mr. Jarvis says you have
established a wonderful reputation that way.'
'Accident in the first place. Somebody saw me at
the hole without Mr. Stone's disguising whiskers, and
raisea the ghost scare. I confess to having carried it
oti afterwards in the hope of giving my cousin what
he richly deserved—a fright. I did it just at the nick
of time, it seems. The ghost is laid now.'
'Ay, without bell, book, and candle, Mr. Jarvis
said. There is only to show yourself in proprzct
persona to them all. Barney's wedding comes off to-
morrow. I suppose you will take that opportunity.'
'Mr. Stone has promised to be there.' Frank said,
with a smile. I don't think he will break his word.'

'Then I will send Mrs. Churchill a message about
Helen and her nephew,' the lawyer said. HillfoTd
&all have such a surprise as it has not known for
many a year. I will give the good people a fillip to
-have something fresh to talk about.

'Happy is the bride that the sun shines on.'
Pretty Madge Churchill had the old saw in her mind
as she stood looking out of the window on the morn-
ing that was to see Mary married to Barney Grubb. If
sunshine had aught to do with it, surely Mary ought
to be, happy. The bright spring radiance was pour-
ing down upon everything, and making all nature
joyous.

- -Madge could not help feeling glad in spite of the
sorrowful remembrances that were busy at her heart,
poor child. How much had happened since the bright
.day when Mr. Jarvis had brought Helen Ramsay to
live with them. What sweet hopes had risen and
faded in her heart, and how they had been scattered
and torn asunder by a terrible fate. She would never
be the same lively, light-hearted Madge she had been;
but youth is elastic, and returning health was doing
for her what it dons for all of us, and making her feel
that the world was not all sorrowful because of her
great grief.
It was a pleasure to-give pleasure to othoro, find they
had all conspired to make Mary the happiest girl in
all the wide world. At least, she said so, and she
was likely to know. She had been a geod, honest
girl, and had no friends of he-r own to go to for her wed-
ding, so Mrs. Churchill was giving her a wedding
breakfast, and lending her all the kitchen part of the
house to receive her guests in. The other servant
bad lent herself to the work with& will, and the young
ladies had helped—so Mary's wedding was to be
quite a little festivity. They were all going to church
to tee her married. and sign the book' for her—a
part of the ceremony which Mary regarded with great
awe, and dreaded more than the solemn work at thil
altar.

Madge was already dressed. They were putting el
their 'heavier mourning, and coming out in grey
dresses to -do Mary honour, and Norah was standing
in the ball arranglng some flowers in a basket—for
they were omitting nothing that would make the affair
pretty and bright—and Barney had brought a basket-
ful the night before from his own garden ny the ferry.
There were no roses yet, it was too early, but there
WM an abundance of spring flowers of all gorts, and
Madge came to take the white May blossom for her
badge for that eventful day.
Madge,' called Norah from the hall.
_ .

'Yea, dear.'
'I don't believe that Mr Stone is come after cl:'

I havnit heard a word about him; Barney -aid
yesterday he knew he would be here. He see= to
think a great deal about him. 'Mao can he be:
wonder?'

FI don't know,' Madge said, with a little shiver.
•Ja I know what I thought about him the first time
taliV7 him. At Campsie House—do you remember?
Yes.'
I don't know what there was about him; but all
the way up the pith, a, we saw him .coming, it
seemed to me as if I were looking at Frank. I suppose
it was because I was ill and weak, but it made me
feel quite frightonoci.'
remember,' Norah replied, rather ahsentiy. She
wasthinking of the tiowers ; and, stepping hack to
look all her a.ratitretneuts, said, • There's a telegraph
bait:ming, Made; I BaW him turn the corner.
could see :amber .down the road that led to
reritbank than ber *later could from where she
stood. The outer door was open, and the upper hale
a the inner one sfrved as a window.