The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1869-01-14

somewhat humiliating, but I have always
| been rather fond of interfering in other
people'saffairs, and in the present Instance,
having seen and heard all had, felt ex-
ceedingly reluctant to let the matter drop.
The mystery attaching to Mrs Forester
was not very difficult to unravel-at least
in its main feature. AS for this Murray,
and the influence he appeared to possess
over her, had long since made up my
mind that he was william who would
stoop to any device, however contempt
| bic, to insure the success of any evil en-
terprise in which he might be engaged.
determined to use every endeavor to de-
feat him in his present scheme, though let
it not be for a moment supposed that any
| herOics were mixed up in this resolve. I
| looked upon the whole matter rather as
a game of chess, in which by hook or by
crook must checkmate my adversary.
When I reached the breakfast-room, the
trio seemed on the best possible terms
one with another-Charlie cheerful and
unsuspicious as ever, Mrs. Forester play
which she made pretense to eat, but never
touched, and Murray eating and talking
with equal earnestness.
Oh yes" he said, as l came in, "your
wife and /, Charlie, have discovered that
we are old acquaintance. Curious, isn't
it? Wheels within wheels! What fools
we are to fancy our world to be such a
huge place =
[ looked at mis- face as sat down at the
table more closely than ever had before,
and again the old thought of last night
came back TO me. Then my eyes involun-
tarily settled on his hands; they were still
encased in light gloves. I do not know
what it was that prompted me, but ioinin 2
in the conversation, said, You are quite
right; | often tumble across people never
expected to see again-mere passing &C
| quaintances. Do you know" continued,
i" last night when you arrived fancied we
had met before though then you had no
beard and mustache"
/ [ could have sworn, and did to myself at
the moment, that his hand trembled as he
raised his cup to his lips; but a moment
after, as he set it down again, he was per-
fectly calm and cool, while in nonchalant
tone he replied, az must say you have the
advantage of me, as | am not aware that
we ever net before; indeed am quite sure
that we never did. Besides, [ have worn
| a beard and mustache ever since either one
or the other would grow"
"Why, when you were in Paris, you
were as clean shaved as priest on feast
| day." burst in Charlie, quite innocent]y
! but Murray, without taking any notice Of
the observation, turned to Mrs. Forester,
and commenced talking to her about some
thing quite different.
Slowly, but surely, conviction was
| growing upon me that made me pay con-
/ siderable respect to my Impressions of the
night before, and determined me to be
more Watchfll than ever My only fear
was that Mrs. Forester, in the weakness
| of her terror, would take some deperate
step, when, after all, as l firmly believed.
there was not the slightest ground for
alarm. ~
| In the course of the next twenty-four
hours, by dint of pertinacious listening
and watching, found that Murray's pro-
testations of affection cooled in proper
ton as he ingeniously limited that his
silence might be purchased for reasona-
BILE sum-a suggestion that his victim
| caught eagerly at, only to be more
! crushed by the revulsiOn of feeling that
| followed when she reflected how utterly
| impossible it was for her to obtain the
| two hundred pounds he modestly asked.
He was treading on dangerous ground, this
same Murray: even as he stood there l
might hav, handed him into the custody
! of the nea rest constable on charge of
! endcavorins5 to eXtOrt money by threats
and menaces. Looking at it from q legal
point of view, this would have been an
! excellent course to adopt, but it was the
exposure that was to be avoided, and
therefore it was necessary to adopt differ
| ent tactics.
For three days l watched-with what a
| trial to the patience can readily be
imagined-this human spider torturipg
! the poor fly he had got into his web: he
| cool, courteous, and insinuating as he
worked out his scheme: she growing
10 md Eer onJ 1ocirr q II cfrap rt h
and courage, only to find it again to take
one last desperate step, and thus forever
put an end to the torture she was suffer
! ing.
Yet all this while her husband seemed
to notice nothing amiss with her, though
her eyes were often red with weeping,
and her face wore settled look of melan-
choly and despair Not that he failed IN
affection or tenderness, only he was one
of those men who, in the goodness OF
| their own digestions and the smoothness
of their life-stream, look upon dyspepsia
as popular delusion, and cannot under
stand why any one should be unhappy. 1t
was the evening of the fourth day since
Murray's arrival, and after dinner l had
left him and Charlie discussing a bottle of
81 Chateau Margaux and their old Paris
! days, and was wandering down a side
path that led to the plantation, when ]
suddenly trod on something. Looking
| downward, l saw that it was pocket
book of somewhat bulky dimensions
There was only one thing to be done
namely, to pick it up, unclasp it. and ex.
anime the contents, which | need scarcely
add I faithfully did. This investigation
having been satisfactorily accomplished,
placed the pocket-book in my pocket, and
strolled on into the plantation to reflect
| w
should be. knew the game was in my
hands now" my only puzzle was how
TO play it without making disturbance
Still, what was to be done must be done
quickly. AS | came to this determination
found myself standing by the side of 6
small lake that lay in the midst of the
plantation almost at the same moment
l heard a groan as of some one in distress
Turning eagerly to the direction whencs
it seemed to come, through the dusk which
was now growing into darkness saw tn,
flutter of a white dress near to the hea(
of the lake. know not what possessed me
but thought seized me tls5 sent me tear
ing through the bushes :.nd brambles will
! frantic speed. A few seconds more, ane
had caught Mrs. Forester by the wrist
"What would you do, woman?" ex
: claimed, breathless
She made no answer-only fell faintin,
, at my feet
When got back to the house l foun,
| Murray alone in the dining room, payin,
| the closest attention to second bottle O
!, the "a Chateau Margaux, to better appre
| ciate which the lamp had been brough
in, so that he might examine the marvel
r Gus beauty of its color. Charlie was clos
t eted in the smoking room with his farr
3 bailiff; in short, the opportunity of an in
J, terview alone with Murray that / 8
T much wanted presented Itself / was nc
! slow to take advantage of il, and f1ingin