The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1869-10-19
CHAPTER ~.

THE MOST fIENDIsU PLOT or ALL.
The summer slipped away. and Sep.
tcmbcr was drawing to its close.
one morning late in the month, Col
oncl Nichols SAT- in his office idly drum
ming ON his desk with his fingers. an
expression of satisfaction on his fea-
lures.
lie had been prosecuting Mrs. Lester
with ms attentions, which she had dis
dainiuly rcpulsed. He had also CON
celNeda vehement desire to avenge HIM
self on her daughter Amy, who beliey-
ing that Ally had been sent Off bv Col
onel y lchOls, had been constantthorn
i'll his side for months.
well, he muttcred with Il long
drawn, breath, > finished closing up
my affairs yesterday. What is TO he
my next move: | can leave Norfolk
at amy time. II might not be a bad
idea to take Mrs. Lester any Amy to
my Cape Henry house. People begin
to look culdly on me here and they look
ON MIS-. Lester as an injured saiiitr
He tr0wned darlily, as if unpleasant
memories were recurring to him
At this moment there sounded -
heavy uneven tread in the outer Office
The clerks had all been DISCHARGED
within the month. and there was no
business doing. Nichols, therefore, did
not sur from his seat, nor trouble him
self to inquire the business of the in.
trudcr.
me heavy tread approached the in
ner Office, the door was opened. and n
man looked in.
Nichols saw him and rang TO his
feet in establishment.
Captain Sales ! he calculated. IT
cant be possible. Come in! Com.
right in =
The man entered, closing the door
behind him.
1t was indeed Captain Sales, of the
snip ycfoHe-the same man who had
so lnhumanIy set David Lester adrifl
in the South Pacific, in the very teeth,
rs he had supposed, of a terrible tenn
pest =
The two men-fitting COMPANIONS
shook hands heartily.
When did you arrive, Captain p de-
manded Nichols, proiIering "A chair.
This IS a surprise! | wasn't expecting
you this month =
/ suppose not said Sales, seating
himself ran into the Roads this
very morning, and cast anchor not an
hour ago ! concluded you didn't see
me, since you didn't come oil. We had
a gale all the way home that blew us
right along. Never made "A better yov.
age out and in
Nichols went TO closet CUPBOARD. and
brought out II bottle OF brandy and a
Have n drink he said filling the
glass. How about your trading bust.
ness seems 20 me you didn't stay
long enough to do well,
Mcll,l haven't done so well as usual.
Colonel, that's fact, replied Sales he,
tween the swallows OF liquor nm
I've got something of more importance
to you than thousand dollars more or
less, Colonel
And what is that:' demanded
Nichols.
Sales tossed or the remainder of the
brandy, and set the glass down heavily
AS herespOnded
Is piece of news that will come
hard TO you Colonel. David Lester is
alive.
'Afrc!
Nichols reeled rs if bullet had en-
tered his heart. His complexion turn
ed livid.
Aivel he repeated, in a shrilI.
cutting whisper. He has come back
He is in Norfolk p
lie looked around him wildly. as If
an avenue of escape.
No, Colonel, he is not here. He
boarded us just altera calm in the South |
Pacific. | saw him face to face, heard !
him tell how the vessel he went out in
had been lost in a cyclone, and how he
alone remained alive to tell the tale.
And you brought him back ? cried
Nichols, in that shrill, incisive wills.
Der, putting his livid, scared face. close
o that of Sales, and fairly startling the
after by the glance of evil meaning
hat shot from his bloodshot eyes, 'Yo1
ct him live-you, who will lose by his
life and gain by his death ~
A regretful expression crossed the
ace of Captain Sales.
If | did, ! didn't meant to !! he ex-
ialmed. The fact is, Colonel, / meant
D dispose of him in the quickest man
er' thought there was big storm
oming, SO / set him adrift in an omen
oat. The storm blew over, and Les
n, 1 am sure, made for the nearest is
lnds. lie was in frail boat, the poor
II OF the lot, and l allowed him only a
nall allowance of provisions