, 1876-09-15

place where Mr.. NarlnG was arrested
reveal nothing?'
"Oh. yes. a terrible struggle had evil
dently taken place there. The flowers
and roots were torn up, the shrubbery
broken, the ground in various places
was covered with blood, and knife was
found which was proved to have be-
longed to Henry, also stained with the
vital fluid
DO 1 understand that your father
interposed no obstacle to your marriage
with him q
None at all, sir; in fact, my fother
loved him"
How long ago is it since your father
was missing ?"
This is the fourth day My motive,
Mr. Brampton, in applying to you, is to
free Mr.. Henry Waring from the impu-
tation of a crime of which 1 am sure he
; is as innocent as am"
at does indeed seem improbable that
.he committed the deed. The fist thing
l must do is to see Mr.. Henry Waring,
and hear what explanation he has to
give"
Thank you, sir, said Miss Milford.
''When shall come and see you again?"
" Are you staying in New York ?"
Eyes, sir; I am staying with an
aunt"
Every well, when 1 have anything to
communicate to you l will call.
The next morning 1 started for the
town of L., situated on the Hudson
River railroad, in the prison of which
Mr., Waring was confined. 1 had some
little difficulty in obtaining admission to
the prisoner, but when stated that 1
was detective officer, an order was re-
luctantly given me.
The moment l entered his cell, Mr..
Warning advanced to meet me. In a few
words told him of Miss Milford's visit
to me, and that 1 was acting under her
instructions.
81 own the circumstantial evidence
appears to be very strong against me-"
he replied, a" and l am afraid my plain
unvarnished story will not do much to-
ward disproving it. But the following
are the simple facts of the case: On the
night in question, visited Milford's
house as usual. I stayed there until
eleven o'clock and then took my leave.
1 was accustomed to return home by
the garden at the back of the house, as I
saved something in distance bYso doing.
On the night refer to, / was about a
dozen yards from the back gate, when
two men started up from behind some
bushes and seized hold of me. Before
I had time to defend myself, one of
them struck me a violent blow on the
head which knocked me down senseless.
When I recovered twas daylight, and I
must have been there all night. found
my hands and clothes covered with
blood, and my knife which carried for
self-defense abstracted from my pocket.
had scarcely risen to my feet when 1
was seized and accused of having mur-
dered Mr.. Milford"
"But how about the watch and
purse? ?"
l assure you no one was more sur
prised than myself when they were tax
en- from my pocket"
How long a time had you parted
with Mr.. Milford when you were as
sailed in the garden?"
"Mr. Milford usually retired at ten
o'clock, leaving Miss Milford and my
self together"
After little more conversation with
the prisoner, I withdrew, not very well
satisfied with the result Of my visit. 1t
it is true it served to confirm me in the
opinion / had formed of Warnings inno-
cence, but was no nearer discovering
the truth than before.
My next proceeding was to make
strict examination of the premises lately
occupied by Mr.. Milford, and especially
the spot where Mr.. Milford had been
assailed. The house afforded no clue,
but the garden convinced me that the
young man had been struck, and that it
was not occasioned by any real struggle
that had taken place, but to induce the
belief that such a struggle had occurred.
There was too much regularity in the
uprooting of the flowers and roots, and
the shrubbery was broken too system
atically not to settle this point at rest to
the eye of detective.
I discovered that the most minute
search had been made for Mr.. Milford's
body, but without any success. After
making these investigations, I returned
to NeY York, and really saw but little
hope d being able-to unravel the mys-
terry.
Three weeks passed away, and had
not discovered one single link in the
chain was seeking to find. One day
Miss Milford called on me again. In
few words told her, that up to the
present time my researches had all been
fruitless. She looked disappointed.
Have you heard" she said, "t that
my uncle, Mr.. Oliver Milford, is oecu-
pying Linden Manor House?"
:" Your uncle occupying Linden
Manor House l'' exclaimed, in tone
of great surprise.
" Yes, he appeared there two weeks
age, and claimed all my fathers prop