The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1878-06-15

and myself had agreed to go and see a new ey-
hbition of paintings which some one was start
ing in London, and tickets were pretty freely
given away for it, but the same reason which
stopped my wife from going to Canterbury
stopped her from going to the exhibition /
went, of course, because ! couldn't be of any
use, under the circumstances, to my married
, daughter; and very good exhibition it was
too. There were plenty of paintings, and
| had gone all through the rooms and entered
the last one There were very few persons, |
was sorry to see, in the place, so that YOU
could have an uninterrupted view of any
picture you pleased. After CHANGING careless
| ly round the rOom-for one gets kind of sur
feted with pictures after bit was struck
by gloOmy-oOking painting to the left of
the doorway, and which had not noticed on
my first entry. When | came to look closer
into it, was more than struck was as
founded. 1t was picture representing the
tindng of old TrapbOis, the miser in the
was lighted only by the candle which the
young nObleman held above his head, and it
appeared to be eXcellently painted. But what
drew my attention was that, as a part of the
confusion in which the struggle between the
old man and his murderers had placed the
room, the washstand had been upset, had
fallen into the fireplace, and the ever had
rolled into the CRATE, where it was shown as
unbroken, although the water was flooding
the boards-all exactly as l had seen
JIG SAINT luluSS HNt years DtlOTG-SO tA-
actly, that l was perfectly sure no
chance coincidence had produced the re-
semblance, but that whoever had painted
this picture had seen the room where
Miss Parkway was murdered, and had had the
scene stamped on his memory Who so likely
to have the scene so stamped, | instantly
thought, as the murderer himself? As this
rushed on my mind | could not repress an ex-
clamation, although pretty well guarded as a
rule. The only other person in the room
heard me, and came to see what had excited
me so strongly. Apparently he was disap-
pointed, for he looked from the picture to his
catalogue, then to the picture again, then at
me- back to his catalogue, and then went
away with Disconnected grunt. | did not
move, however, but remained quite absorbed
in the study of this mysterious painting; and
the more | looked the more | became CON
vinced that it was copied from the scene of
Miss Pathways murder. There were several
little points which | had at first not noticed
and, in fact, had quite forgotten; such as the
position of the tire-ronS, the direction in
which the water had run, etc, which were all
faithfully shown in the picture. To be brief,
| had made up my mind before | left the room
, that had at last found the real clew to the
, Combestead murder.
The artists name was Wyndham; and de-
[ termined that would very soon, as natural
beginning, make some inquiries about this
Mr.. Wyndham; and, indeed, began before
left the exhibition. lengaged the hall-keeper
, and, when got fully into conversation with
him, asked carelessly where Mr. Wyndham
lived, as thought | had known him many
years ago, giving a description of some en-
trely imaginary person. The hall-keeper said
| No, that was not the sort of man at all
Mr.. Wyndham was" there he described him) :;
, and he doesn't live at the west end of Lon
don, as you said, sir, but at a place in Essex,
not very far from Colchester He knew
| where he lived, because he had several times
posted letters to him at The Mount" This
was about all got from the hall-keeper, but
it was as much as | wanted.
| am not greatly in the habit of taking other
: people into my confidence, but this was alto
gether an exceptional case; So after a little
reflection, went straight to the address John
Lytherly had given me, and told him what
had seen. lie, OF course, introduced me to
, his wife, very pretty, dark-eyed young wom-
; an; and, when | had told all, they exchanged
| looks less of surprise than triumph. "Oh, it
is coming all right" he exclaimed. 81 knew
the murder would cry out some day. And
now you will have a little more respect for In
dian fortune-tellers.n
5 . | am not quite sure about that | said
, But don't you go making so certain that we
are going to find out anything, Mr.. Lytherlv:
this may be only an accidental resemblance"
Because, as you may suppose, had not told
them how confident felt in my own mind.
, . Accidental! Nonsenseln was all he said
to that; and then he asked me what was the
first step proposed to take. | told him that
l thought we ought to go down to this village
and see if we could learn anything suspicious
about Mr.. Wyndham; and by my old detective
habits, and the way in which the officers about
would be sure to help me- thought we might
reckon on finding out what was wanted. He
was delighted, and asked when we should
start, and when | said that very night he was
more delighted still.
1t is always my rule to strike the iron while
it's hot, and nothing could possibly be got by
waiting now; so had made up my mind Just
to run home, get few things in nv bag and
go down by the ten O'Clock train. Ny wife,
you may be sure, was very much astonished;
but, as | expected she would be, was lust
as confident in the murder being found
out as young Lytherly himself OF course
the latter was ready, And we were put down
at our destination about twelve O'Clock; too
late for anything that night, but still we were
on the spot to begin the first thing in the
morning. And accordingly, directly after
breakfast, we began. John Lytherly would
have begun before breakfast, but as an old
hand | knew better than that; because the
party that we were after, allowing he was the
right party, after a five years rest, wasn't 60
ing to bolt now; so it was no case for hurry
ing and driving. Well, soon after breakfast
I sauntered into the bar, and began talking
with the landlord, who was an elderly-sort Of
party about my own age, and who Dragged
as If it was thing to be proud Of-before we
had talked three minutes, that he had lived,
man and boy, in Chumpley, which was the
name of the lively place, for more than fifty
years.
"Then you're 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.
"Wyndham2 Let me see; Wyndham?"
says the landlord, putting on his wisest look.
"No; | can't remember any party of that
name. There's Wilkinson and Virgins; per-
haps it's one of Them
told him they would not do; and then
added that the party meant was something
of an artist; painted pictures partly for
pleasure and partly for profit. This was only
a guess of mine, but it was pretty safe one.
"Oh there's lots of them about here"
exclaims the old boy, grinning very much, as
if it was a capital idea. "There's Mr. De
Lancy Chorkle, Miss Belvedera Smith, Mrs.
! Galloon Whyte, Mr.. Hardy Canute, and a lot
more; but dom think there's Wyndham."
"Ah, well, it don't matter" l said, very
carelessly still; 81 may be mistaken HEARD
however, he lived here at place called the
Mount. Is there such place."
SIS there such place says the landlord,
with as much contempt in his voice as if ought
to be ashamed myself for not knowing. eyes,
there is; and a tlrst-rate gentleman artist
lives there, too; but his name amt Wynd
ham; his name happens to be Parkway, sir,
Mr.. Philip Parkway; though | have heard
that he is too proud to paint under his own
name.n