The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1882-05-26

ndu 10 DONG business with lawyers.
But time and love would allow of no
longer delay. Uncle Tom had promised
his sister and niece that he would arrange
about the property early in the month
OF August, which had already begun !;
but when, two days after, he called at
Mrs. Conway's house, he allowed that
he had totally forgotten all about it.
This confession was, of course, all made
by dumb show, as from his birth he
could not utter q word /; and Mrs. Con-
ways discourse, as she scolded him. fell
upon deaf ears. Thomas was good
natured soul, and his sister carelessly
thought it did not matter how she rated
him; but, although he heard never a
word, poor TOMS heart was grieved, for
he knew he had vexed his sister.
Mr.. Ellwood, of course, could not re-
ply, although, with the usual tact OF
afflicted people, he made shrewd guess
at what his sister said. He carried lit
tie tablet and pencil always about with
him and now he wrote:
"I'n 60 to Woodley tomorrow, Jane.
The stage from Oakbourne to Woodley
starts at 6, and I'll go over"
Mrs. Conway read the sentence and
then smiled and nodded assent. The two
were reconciled, and the rest of the
evening passed off pleasantly enough.
James lover, Fred, had to go early, but
Uncle Tom stayed to supper. Jane and
her mother went with him to the gate,
and there babe him goodnight.
Mr.. Ellwood then went straight home
to his lodgings, and after arranging with
his landlady to rouse him early the fol-
lowing morning he went to bed. When
the morning came he packed up few
necessaries, directed his luggage to
Woodiey-for he was very punctual
man-and then, after telling the landlady
that he was going to that town for a
day or two, he left. He booked from
Oakbourne by the o'clock stage and
arrived early in Woodley. The next day
his sister received letter from that
town, stating that after seeing his law
yer he found it necessary to go on to
Bellair, but would return the next day.
The next day and the next day came,
but Thomas Ellwood never came back
again. In his letter he stated that the
business in question might have been
done by an agent, but that Mrs. Con-
ways impotence and angry words had
so agitated him that he had resolved to
go on at once and do everything him.
self. He finished his letter with an ex-
preston of love, but Mrs. Conway never
forgot or forgave her own hasty words to
which he alluded
As day after day passed, Mrs. Con-
way, finding her brother still mysteri-
ously absent from home, and that, as far
as she could learn, he had not only been
away for much longer time than bust
ness could require, but had never been
seen since, began to be much agitated,
especially as every one was talking of o
horrible murder in the Bellair coach.
At last she went to Bellair, and when
she learned how the victim had said this
and that she thought little about it, for
she knew poor Tom had no power to
speak. One evening, however, she saw
"a drunken man rolling home. Like
other fools of his class, he scattered all
he had about him, and Mrs. Conway's
eyes fell upon small letter-case which
he knew belonged to Ellwood. She
picked it up, followed the drunkard, saw
where he lived and then applied to the
magistrate The drunkard was arrested.
He proved to be none other than the
coachman, John Rush, who could not,
however, account fairly for the case.
Drunk as he was, he was too sensible to
betray himself. He was, however, held
to bail, which, as he could not give, he
was of course locked up.
The next day he was brought before
the magistrate and examined. Mrs.
Conway swore that the letter-case be-
longed to her missing brother. The
coachman swore that he bought it, with
some other tridee, of peddler whom
he met in the street, and, as there was no
evidence to refute this statement, he was
at once discharged. Rush now saw that
he was likely to become an object of
suspicion and prepared to flee.
Meanwhile the detective police, hav-
ing at last a clew which even blind
man could not help but follow. set to
work again in earnest. They saw Mrs.
Conway and suggested to her that it was
her brother Ellwood who had been MUIR
dered, and that perhaps the coachman
knew more of the affair than he chose
to allow. This suspicion she of course
declared groundless. as her brother, be-
ing deaf and dumb, could not have
spoken as the coachmsn asserted. A
warrant, however, was obtained for ex-
huming the body of the murdered man.
Mrs. Conway at once recognized her
brother.
Rush was now again arrested, al
though the magistrate was greatly OPP
posed to the proceeding, as he Justly
stated that there was not sufficient evil
dence to Justify an arrest. A WELL
known lawyer, Mr.. Chancery, however.
came forward and clearly showed that if
Rush, having every facility for forming
proper judgment, had sworn solemnly
that the deceased. had said such and
such things, the deceased being-as was
now fully proved-deaf and dumb from
birth, he must either have deliberately
committed perjury or else he must have
some completely in the bloody deed, or
possibly he might be guilty of both.
This argument, coming from man like
Mr.. Chancery, was listened to with
proper attention. The coachman was
again taken into custody and committed
for trial.
He was arraigned at the next sessions.
Had he ONLY mur1ered tho unforf nnofa