Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1878-11-01

bell, which meant that the stage-coacf
with the passengers from the rail
road was coming. This coach stopped
at the house first, then continued on itt
journey to q small tavern further uI
the coast.
"You were saying, Mrs. Blaud-pray
continue"
can 1 can tell you is this, sir, that il
that coach you will find a man you
hardly expected TO see. Go and look. "
With that Mrs. Bland famed herself
quite composedly,. and went to hel
room.
went to 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 q man who,
as I approached, Lit fuze, and with it
his cigar. His face ] did not recognize.
/ then felt some little curiosity to find
out what Mrs. Bland meant about the
man 81 hardly expected to see." did
peer into the coach. I was aided by
David, who, with a lantern, was looking
for parasol one of the lady passengers
had left There was man, apparently
asleep. Though it was summer, hand
kerchief was thrown partially over his
face. One glimpse was enough. Though
his whiskers had been cut, and his red
dish 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:
My God Henry, am thief, trying
to escape-to escape. know they are
after me-" Then he shuddered. "I
am mad-crazei--have lost my head.
You here's Do not betray me |"
"To Dickerson's," cried the driver,
and off went the coach. From Dicker-
sons l knew that small fishing boats
ran to Martha's vineyard and the Massa-
chusetts coast. 1 stood appalled, dazed,
and speechless.
Mrs. Bland met me on the veranda
with some flowers in her hand which OK
hailed deep, luscious perfume. 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
sich, for the last three days, and nary a
boarder has grumbled. I come across a
fine lot of fruit this afternoon, and they
is sot in the dining room, and do you all
jest go in and help yourselves. Mrs.
Bland was near me, and clapped her
hands with childish glee, notwithstand-
ing her pricked finger. "Will you take
me in ?" she asked quite naturally.
1 had no heart for peaches, still I
offered the woman my arm. There was
group of noisy boarderS at long table,
but through David's care, Mrs. Bland
secured small kitchen-table, on which
was placed a dish of peaches, fanked
with huge half f.moons of watermelon.
You saw him ?" asked Mrs. Agnes
Bland, pairing peach with a silver
pocket fruit-knife, which she drew from
her pocket. "Dear mel the Juice of
the peach gets into my cut finger, and
really stings."
Saw him, Mrs. Bland2 For Gods
sake, what does this all mean ?"
like cling-stones better than free
stones 1 should be so much obliged to
you if you would pare peach for me.
My finger makes me so awkward"
care you Nemesis, Mrs. Bland ?"
GA what? don't know what that
MEANS"
"Explain |"
"Oh the man in the Goa h? Now,
sir, listen. The '$28.67. Korrect, you
wrote on that bill of mine gave me the
clue to your writing. 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 ac-
counts. George Harland was thief. I
was glad when could congratulate you
on your luck"
"Luck, madam what do you mean 2"
"You were the only gentlemen here
all the rest Of them were cads and muffs.
Your society was rot unpleasant to me,
and I should have so disliked to have
been the means of bringing a theft
to your door. Mr.. Bland was on that
coach, with the driver. You may have
noticed first blue splutter and then q
red splutter from this match. That
meant All right, Mrs. Bland. George
Harland has Incorporated $75, 200
belonging to your stupid old bank, and
did it, clever as you are in figures, right
under your nose, sir. These papers
for the last week have had an inkling of
it-not where you would look for the
news, but in personals and advertise
ments. That is why I read the papers.
Please don't go; any sympathy I might
have had-and have not much to waste
was really that of thankfulness that
quite decent young man like you was
safe. Mind, I never suspected you,
though Mr.. Bland might have done so.
George Harland ought to have $50, 900,
in notes, with him, on his person, this
very moment" There was base look
of greed in the woman's face.
" You ere, then, Madam"
"The wife of Mr.. Bland. / am afraid,
and here Mrs. Bland smiled, showing
me a set OF white teeth, single black
melon-seed increasing their pearly lustre
by contrast, "that you do not like me
as well-at least my society--as you did
an hour ago." There was little bit OF
killing disdain about the woman.
suppose the scorn on my face was mani.
fest, for 1 made no effect to conceal it.
"Great Lord save MS y said David,
coming in and addressing MS, "some.
thing drefful happen-dat man in stage
coach"
"Not run away--escaped p said Mrs
Bland ,springing to her feet with the latent
energy of Jonathan Wild. Her eyel
had lost their pale blue simmer, ant
glinted like cold steel the burrows be
tween her eyes took strange, arabesque
sinister traceries. 1t was dreadful
face to see.
"No, Ma'am--woss nor that. H,
blow his brains out, right in the coach.
"David," said Mrs. Bland" now q
quiet and unrippled as dish of milk il