The Morning herald., 1876-11-11

tions of the Malay creese, carefully covered
with the stains Of blood, did not altogether
diseel this feeling"
"Have you got the papers yet or are there
any in Sydney that contain an account Of
this AFFAIR."" l. ~
II have kept them all. You may read
the whole ease # you care abont it," - -. =.
4 should like to, Svery much,", said
Brandon calmly.
TWhen ! heard of this before the mail
was opened ! felt an agony Of fear lest my
miserable boy might BE implicated in some
way. 10 my immense relief his name did
not occur at ALL"
"You got a letter from your wife?" said
Brandon, interrogatively.
"Yes," said the old man, with sigh.
'0Ihe last that l ever received from her.
Here it is."
And, saying this, this he opened his
pocket-book and took out letter, worn
and faded, and blackened by frequent read
ings. e7' an q ,'.'po.
Brandon took it respectfully, and read
the following: as.n0~ -
J CALCUTTA, August Is, 1928.
MY DEAREST HENRY BY the papers
that send you, you will see what has
occurred. Our dear Edgar is we'll, indeed
better than usual and would feel much
cheer If it was not for the sad fate OF the
poor Colonel. This is'the last letter that
you will ever receive from me. am
going to leave this country never to return.
apd do not yet know where / will CO.
Wherever | go will be with my darling
Edgar. Do not worry about me or about
atm. It will be better for you to try and
forget all about US, since We are from this
time the same as dead to you. Goodbye
forever, my dearest husband it shall b.
NV daily prayer that God may bless you.
Your afect;onate wife,
N.' # MARY"
|. Brandon read this in silence and handed
il back. a ..JU@ l..
"a strange letter." said Compton mourn
fully. IA first it gave bitter papg to
think Of my Mary thus giving me up for
ever, SO coldly, and for no reason but
afterwards ! began to understand why she
wrote this. '-.'
my belief is, that these williams kept
my son in their clutches for some good
reason, and that they had some equally
good reason for keeping her.. There's
soure naystery ,'about ut which I can't
fathom. Perhaps she knew too, much
about the Colonels affairs to be allowed to
60 free. They might have detained her
bv working upon her love for her son, or
simply by terrifying her. She was always
q timid soul, poor Mary. That letter is
not her composition; there is not word
there that sounds like her, and they no
doubt told her what to write, or wrote out
something and made her copy it. sf
"And now," said Compton, after another
long pause, II have got to, the end Of my
story. know nothing more about them.
1 have lived here ever since, at first de-
spairing. but Of late more resigned to my
lot Yet still if have one desire in life
tits to get some trace of these dear ones
whom still love as tenderly as ever.
You, my dear boy, with your ability, may
Iconjecture some way Besides, you will
perhaps be travelling more or less, and may
be able to hear. Of their fate. This is the
condition that I make. implore you by
your pity for beart-broken father to do
as l cay and help me-. Half why would
|give all that I have if I could get them
back again." ... .
Brandon shuddered perceptibly at the
words "heart-broken father" but he very
quickly recovered himself He took Mr..
Compton's hand and pressed it warmly.
"Dear friend, will make no objection to
anything, and I promise you that all my ef-
forts shall be directed towards finding them
out" #.- E.N 4
"Tell them to come to me, that l am
] rich, and can make them happy"
"i'll make them go to you if they are
alive" said Brandon.
"God bless youp' calculated the old man,
fervently.
Brandon spent the greater part of that
day in making business arrangements, and
in reading the papers which Compton had
preserved containing an account OF the
Despard murder
1t was late at night before he returned
to the hotel. As he went into the hall
he saw a stranger sitting there in a loung-
ing attitude reading the Sydney 'News."
He was a thin, small-sized man, with a
foreign air, and quick, restless manner:
His features were small, heavy beard
and musta che covered his face, his brow
was low and his eyes black and twinkling.
| A sharp, furtive glance which he gave at
Brandon attracted the attention of the lat
ter. tor there was something in the glance
that mean more than idle curiosity.