Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1877-02-20

this Is my answer. They are as much in
the dark as am; and must admit that
am seriously troubled"
As he ceased Demptou glanced round,
as expecting the remarks that would nat
urally follow. Looks were exchanged,
but no words. The utter silence and
grave faces of the group were marked.
Dempton's compressed lip and darkening
countenance showed how he felt it. He
half turned toward the door, when Atkins
interrupted him with, 1T does look very
bad, indeed" Deliberately folding up
the letter, and keeping his eyes fixed upon
il. Dempton replied:
at looks very serious. Mr.. Atkins, and
l should expect my neighbors to show
some interest in il. My friend may have
fallen Ill on the journey; he may even
have died suddenly. But and as
he said this, he looked full at Atkins-"I
was not prepared for your feeling it 50
much"
Here again what he said was SO reason.
able, his manner SO in keeping with his
recognized character. as to render it diff
cult even to hint at the suspicious that
were entertained by every one present.
Atkins again showed himself the readiest
man among them.
at seems to me, Squire, that if Mr.. E.
sey had been taken sick among Christian
people, or died in Christian way. word
would have been sent to you, or to his
other friends. | suppose he had some
thing about him to show who he was Pr
That's plain enough to be thought of,
replied Dempton, land makes it more Of
trouble TO me- 1t is possible that Elsey
has come to bad end-if that's what
YOU meant But think that you meant
more; and the rule have gone by all my
life is TO hold my tongue altogether, or
speak out all my mind. | am no fool,
Sir. not TO understand when thing like
this happens, and mans neighbors meet
him, as I've been met here to-day, that
there's something underneath had better
be brought on top. / wish to know what
it is, if there's any one here man enough
TO tell me-"
This bold challenge took every one by
surprise. Here was the very man him
self opening way to the secret which
they had taken for granted would be
wrung from him only when he could hold
it no longer. He could not have reused
them up more thoroughly than by the
taun. contained in his last words-yet they
rather liked him for it. The stir that
showed half-dozen of them eager to
take his words up, referred more to this
taunt than to to their suspicious Atkins
promptly interposed a mlder and more
iudicious answer than the others would
have been likely to give:
.'Well Squire, | must say that's frank
and fair; and none OF US is going to re-
sent hard word at such "A lime not |,
for one. You mustn't think hard of me if
| answer you just as plainly as you have
asked. But you know, Squire, why none
of US is very ready to begin talk with
you-which. 1 must say has gone against
you in this matter pretty bad.
And then Atkins went on in his blunt
way, but not unkindly, to tell what the
suspicious were, and how they had been
excited. Nep's adventure and Pender's
inspection figured largely. but somewhat
to his own surprise. Atkins got 10 the
end of his story sooner than he expected.
Those two incidents and the mere fact OF
Elsey's sudden disappearance, contained
the substance of it. lie felt unwilling to
go back to the circumstances of Mrs.
Demton's death which, in truth, had been
the first unuoticed stimulant to suspicion
nor could he very reasonably dwell On
the disposition which prevailed to suspect
Dempton on account of his manners and
mode of life. When he ceased speaking,
the cork was drawn but the fluid was
fiat; the pent up excitement OF the past
few weeks suffered a collapse. In his
simplicity, Atkins felt half ashamed OF
himself. and provoked at his neighbors as
if they had got him into scrape. He
was too sincere and manly, however, not
TO give Demp:on to understand that there
was something to be explained. il it is
less than fully justified the suspicious that
had been entertained.
ICoNrINUED TOMORROW