The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1882-03-24

some one to see your brother
She came half way down the stairs, push.
ing back her curls with one hand, and look
ing at we with wondering eyes. Even then
her beauty struck me as 1 stood gazing at her
'Perley is not at home.'' she said hurried
/ ly. ''He has gone away. We do not know
when he win return"
Evidently this mother and daughter were
in the secret of Matteson's viHainy. and do
! ing their best to screen him from its conse-
! quences. My heart bled for both of them,
/ but it was no time to indulge in sentimental
/ pity. Speaking as briefly as l could, told
/ them it was my duty to compel them to re-
main where they were while I searched the
/ house.
/ Mrs. MattesOn sat down, pale and tremb-
| ling her daughter colored high.
Mother" she said 'why do you stand
by and listen to such ISLANDERS? 1t is false ,
Let this man search the house if he will nv
brother is as innocent as I am"
No opposition was offered to my search 1t
was entirely fruitless, however-there was
nowhere any traces of the flown bird Nev-
ertheless, I concluded to remain there quiet
ly for day or two, to see what little wait
ing might bring forth
The same afternoon Clara Matteson came
in, as I sat by the piazza window, keeping
quiet watch on all the surroundings.
''bIr. Meredith" she said softly. "mother
thinks have been rude to you She saws it
was not your fault. personally, that YOU were
sent here-On such a mistake-and perhaps
she is right. I am very sorry if I have hurt
your feeling"
The pretty pentent way in which she
spoke quite won my heart, and a few ques-
tions on my part seemed to unlock the hid
den recesses of her confidence She talked
at first shyly, but afterwards with more as
surance of herself her absent brother and
her mother, giving me a thousand artless lit
tie family details which l almost dreaded to
hear. The twilight talk was one of the
pieaSantest episodes of my by no means uni
versally pleasant life, and was considerably
annoyed when it was broken in upon by the
arrival of the DownviIle constabIes who were
to watch through the night At the sound
Of their footsteps on the piazza floor Clara
rose up and sat down again, confused and
frightened
"Oh, Mr.. MeTedith-thOse men"
'Be easy, Miss Matteson," 1 said s'vou
shall in no way be annoyed by them. Your
privacy shall not be broken in upon, believe
( me-
Il know am silly" faltered Clara, obut
oh it seems so dreadful -
My orders to the men were brief and sue
cinct. l stationed them as seemed best to
me, and then returned to spend the evening
with Miss Matteson. And when was at
length left alore I could not help thinking
how much more winning and graceful she
was than poor Kitty Elton.
At length an answer came to nv report to
Mr.. Clenner-it was short and to the purpose:
/ Come back. You are only losing time.
/ If the bird has flown we must look elsewhere
for him.
/ L read the missive with a pang. Clara
Matteson's cheek deepened in color as | an
nOunced my departure to her.
''1Ou have been far kinder than we have
! dared to hope, Mr.. Meredith" she said, as I
/ held her hand in mine.
''You will think of me sometimes, Clara ?''
/ The reader will easily perceive how our
I intimacy had progressed. She smiled, hung
( her head, and taking pair of scissors from
the table, severed one bright black curl from
/ the abundant tresses that hung over her fore
head.
me-" u
/ Was I foolish to press the iettv ringlet to
my lips ere 1 laid it closely against my heart?
Clara evid emily thought I was, for she laugh
/ ed, but did not seem displeased
Mr.. Clenner seemed annoved when oot
back to the Bureau-rathera an unreasonable
proceeding on his part, for certainly did all
that man could do under the circumstances.
1--WE have been mistaken all the way
I through, il seems" he said, biting hls lips
''Strange--very strange-I never was before
mistaken in my calculations. Well, we must
try again"
l went to Kitty Elton's that night She
received me with sweet, shy sadness Of
welcome that should have made me the hap
piest man in the world but it did not CLARA
Matteson's dark beauty seemed to stand be-
tween me and her like a visible barrier
When [ took my leave there We're tears in
her eyes,
kitty, you are crying -
Because you are changed, Edward you
do not love me as well as you did ~
"Kitty, what nonsense p
l was veXed with her simply because /
knew her accusation was true. But kissed
her once more and took my leave moody and
dissatisfied.
When 1 reached the Office next morning
Mr.. Clenner was not there.
'He has gone to Downville,'' said my feI
low detective che went last night
~TO DowLvile %
was seriously annoyed. Did Mr. Glen
ner distrust the accuracy of my reports Or
did he imagine that l was unable to institute
thorough and complete investigation of the
premises?
TITS very strange" unused aloud.
Jones laughed.
Well he said, you know Clenner has a
strange way of doing things. Depend upon
1t, he has good reasons for his conduct
was sitting at my desk two days subse-
! quently, when the door glided noiselessIy
open and Clenner himself entered.
'Y ou are back again, sir, and what luck?'
''The best
''You don't mean to say you've got him ?'
81 do mean to say it. Edward Meredith
1 knew 1 could not be entirely mistaken.
Perley Matteson is in the next room-half an
hour from now he will be in prison.
"WheTe did you apprehend him ?"
"At home in his mothers house,
"But-"
"He was there all the time you remained
there. Ned, my boy, you have made blum
der for once but don't let it happen again."
''What do you mean, sir %