Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1877-10-13
NO. 243
Gales aud Skstehes. i, :
A QUEER CLUE.
IN TWO CHAPTERS.
CONTINUED from yesterday

Accidental! Nonsense !" was all he
said TO that; and then he asked me what
was the first step proposed to take.
told him we ought TO go down to this
village and see If we could learn anything
suspicious about Mr.. Wyndbam, and by
my old detective habits, and the way in
which the officers about would be sure
and help me, thought we might reckon
on finding out what was wanted He was
delighted. and asked whed we should
start, and when l said that very night, be,
was more delighted still. ~, ..r
1t is always my rule to strike the iron
while it's hot, and nothing could possibly
be got by waiting now so l had made up
my mind to just run home and get few
things, and 60 down by the 10 O'Clock
train. My wife. you may be sure. WAS
much astonished. OF course, Lytherly
was ready. And we were put down
at our destination at about 12 o'clock, too
late for anything that night. Accordingly
after breakfast. we began. John Lyther-
ly would have begun before breakfast,
but as an old hand / knew better than
that; because the party we were after,
allowing he was the right party was not
going to bolt now after five years rests
W Ch, SOOu dtbCt OlCdhidots L SddutoI ou
into the bar. and began talking with the
landlord. who bragged-as ii It was q
thing to be proud of-before we had
talked three .mniutes, that he had lived
in Chumpley, which was the name Of the
lively place for more than fifty years.
Then your Just the fellow for me-"
thought; and then began talking Of an
old master of mine who was now living
somewhere down in this neighborhOOd by
the name of Wyndham. .-,, -
"Wyndhamp Let me see; Wyndham ?n
says the landlord, putting on his wisest
look. NO." can't remember any party
of that name. There's Wilkinson and
Virgins; perhaps it's one of them.
told him they would not do; and then
added that the party wanted was an ar
list. painted pictures partly for pleasure
and partly for profit. This was only b.
guess OF mine, but it was pretty safe
one. r.-.. .ft..t,., -tg s,t,
Oh! there's lots of them about here ex.
claimed the old man, grinning very much
as If it was capital idea. "There's Mr..
De Lancy Chorkle, Miss Belvedere Smith,
Mrs. Galloon Whyte, Mr.. Hardy Canute.
and lot more but don't think there's o.
Wyndham." ~
"Ah. well It don't matter, / NAV be
mistaken. l heard. however, he lived
down here at place called the Mount
Is there such place
"Yes, there is; and first-rate gentle
man lives there his namei not Wyndham,
il happens to be Parkway. sir, Mr..
Phillip Parkway; although / have heard
that he is too proud to paint under bis
own name"
II left him without another word, for
when heard this name felt struck all of
heap. for il made guess into a certainty
though in a way l. had never dreamed of,
couldn't even 60 back to LStherly for a
while; 1t was all so wonderful; and was
so angry, with myself for never having
thought ut the time that the man who! OF
all other had the most to gain by the poor,
woman's death. might have been the one
who killed her.
In the bitterness OF my feeling could
not hely saying that any one but detec-
tive would have pounced upon this fellow
at the first. However, got over the vex-,
alton and went back to Lytherly to tell
him my news. We were each very conf
dent that we had the right scent now but
yet it was not easy to see what we were "
do. could not very well apply for war;
rant az anst man because he had painted
picture; and so we walked and talked
until we could think of nothing better than
going down to COmbestead. and with our
fresh information to help US seeing il we
could not rake up something there.
We came to this resolution just as we
reached a toli-gate close by which stood q
little house. which appeared to be the beer
shop, bakers. post office. and grocer's for
the neighborhood. Not much OF, q neigh
borhood. by the bye, for, excepting few
gentlemen's seats, there was hardly anoth-
or house in sight. One small but comforts
able-looking residence, we were informed
by the chattyt old lady who owned the
'store," was the Mount. where Mr.. Park,
way lived. He was very retired, silent
sort Of b gentleman, she said, and people
thought his wife didn't have the happiest
of lives with him. He had been married
for few years, the old lady went on !;
soon after q relation had died, and left
him a good bit of money. Before that
he only rented apartments Z. in the
village; but then he married Miss Dellar,
who was an orphan, with q good bit Of
money too. but quite a girl to him, and
they went to live at the Mount. AT this
point the old lady broke suddenly of. and
said: Here they are! - going to the
door and dropping her very best courtesy;
We followed her into the little porch ana
there. sure enough, was low carriage,
drawn by one horse and in 1t sat gloomy,
dark man. whom l had no difficulty in
recognizing. and by his side sligh, very
pretty, but care-worn looking young wo.
man. Mr.. Parkway looked cody enough
at US, and we as carelessly returned his
glance, for we were both SO much changed
since the Combestead days, that there was
little fear of his remembering us. '14.
II seemed they had called about sefs
want. which the post office keeper was 70
have recommended, and Mrs. Parkway
alighted from the carriage to write some
memorandum on the business. Parkway
had never spoken. and thought 1 could
see traces of anxiety and remorse. Lytherr
ly had followed Mrs., Parkway into the
shop and as could see from where stood,
on the lady asking Tor pen. he drew bis
gold pencil case from his pocket and o.
fered il, as probably containing "a rbsttat
implement than any the post office could
EnA