The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1878-11-13
THE FLORIDA AGRICULTURIsT.

in that coach you Will find man you
hardly expected to see. Go and
look" With that Mrs. Bland famed
herself quite composedly and went to
her room.
wentto the coach, not understand
ing what the woman meant. Some
three women got out of the vehicle,
followed by an old gentleman who
had to be helped out-evidently an
invalid. On the box by the driver
was a man who, as 1 approached, lit
a tuze, and with it his segar. His
face I did not recognize, l then felt
some title curiosity to find out what
Mrs. Bland meant about the man /" /
hardly expected to see." l did peer
into the coach. 1 was aided by Da-
vid, who with a lantern was looking
for parasol one of the lady passen-
gers had left. There was a man, APP
parently asleep. Though it was sum-
mer handkerchief was thrown over
his face. One glimpse was enough.
Though his whiskers had been cut,
and his reddish hair stained black, it
was the face of George Harland, the
assistant teller of our bank. He
looked at me in an agonized way,
then put his fingers to his lips and
said in low, broken voice; y" My
God Henry, l am a thief, trying to
escape-to escape 1 know they are
after me then he shuddered. 1 am
mad-crazed-have lost my head.
You here? Do not betray mel"
"To Dickerson's," cried the driver
and off went the coach. From Dick
erson's l knew that small fishing boats
ran to Martha's Vineyard, and the
Massachusetts coast. stood APP
palled, dazed and speeches..
Mrs Bland met me on the veran-
DAN with some flowers in her hand
which exhaled a deep luscious per-
fume.-The odor quite sickened me.
Ladies and gents" cried the good
natured familiar landlord in his shirt
sleeves. 1t isn't down ON the bill
of fare, but we have been quite short
of fruit, peaches and SIGH, for the last
three days, and nary boarder has
grumbled. l came across fine lot OF
fruit this afternoon, and they is sot
III the dining room, and do you all
jess go in and help yourself" Mrs
Bland was near me, aud clapped her
;nor o,. L.; slee .antygithsfar,S
take me in ? she asked quite naturally.
had no heart for peaches, still /
offered the woman my arm. There
was a group of noisy boarders at a
long table, but through David's
care Mrs Bland secured long kitch-
en- table on which was placed dish
Of peaches, fanked with huge half
moons of watermelon.
You saw him." asked Mrs. Ag-
mes Bland, pairing a peach with sill
yer pocket fruit knife which she drew
from her pocket. Dear nae the
juice Of the peach gets into my cut
finger and really stings."
"Saw him, Mrs. Bland. For
Gods sake, what does this all mean?n
II like cling-stones better than
free-stones. I should be so much
obliged to You if you would pare a
peach for me. My finger makes me
so awkward"
" Are you Nemesis, Mrs. Bland?"
" A What? 1 don't know what
that means"
+" Explain !"
sob +! the man in the coach? Now
sir, listen. The ss28.67. Korrect.'
you wrote on that bill of mine gave
me the clue to your handwriting.
Mr.. Bland-there is a Mr.. Bland
sent me down here after you. Those
figures and K-o-r-r.e-c-t cleared you.
There were no figures like yours in
the altered accounts. George Har-
land was thief I was glad when |
could congratulate you en- your
luck" -
a" Luck, Madam what do you
mean?
You were the only gentleman
lere-all the rest Of them were
'ads and muffs. Your society was
lot unpleasant to me, and l should
nave so disliked to be the means of
a theft to your door. Mr..
3iand was on that coach with the
river. You may have noticed first
blue Splutter and than a red splut-
er from his match. That meant.
All right, Mrs. Bland.' GEORGE