, 1882-01-20

"We know you are all right, remarked
the senior partner, as | was about to go;
but l want to give you word OF warn
ing, nevertheless. Don't take any
strangers into your confidence until you
have passed out the money, and look out
who sits next to you"
1t was something new for him to eau
ton me, and | could not but wonder at
it; but in the hustle of getting on board
the train forgot what he said. Ordi-
nary prudence had induced me to place
the money, which was all in bank bills,
and divided into three packages, where
the deft hand OF pick-pocket could not
reach 1t.
Interested in a newspaper, time flew
by as the train flew west, and, at length
the hoarse voice of the brakeman warned
me that | had reached Grafton. | had
leaped down and was making my way to
the livery stable when | heard n familiar
voice, and looking up, saw Raleigh. lie
was seated in buggy, and had, seeming
ly, waited for me to come up.
Don't express your surprise, he be-
gan, as I stopped at the wheel. II did
intend to 90 away, but l changed my
mind, and | like this section so well that
I am going out to-day to look at farm,
with view of purchasing, Come, ride
up to the hotel
We rode up, ordered lunch, and
while we were discussingit, Mr.. Raleigh
discovered that the farm he was going to
see was Just beyond the Scripts.
How fortunatel could ride out with
him to see the farm, and return in his
company, and he would be greatly
pleased.
was also pleased. If anyone had
told me, as we got into the buggy, that
George Raleigh meant to return with my
money in his pocket and my blood upon
his hands, should have believed him a
lunatic. And yet George Raleigh had
planned to do that very same thing.
1t was lovely day in June, and the
cool breeze and the sight of meadows
and green groves made my heart grow
larger.
My companion was very talkative, but
he didn't even hint at my errand.
80, excuse me" he exclaimed, after
we had passed mile or so beyond the
village and and were among the farm
houses, IL should have offered you this
before"
He drew from his pocket small flask
of wine and handed it to me. Now, |
was temperate in regard to drinks. In
fact. / detested the sight and smell of
anything intoxicating; bat | had not the
moral courage to tell him so and hand
back the flask undisturbed. feared to
offend him, and so | drank, perhaps,
three good swallows. He called my at
tention to the woods on the left, as he
received back the flask, and when
looked around again he was just remov-
ing it from his month, as if he had drank
heartily.
In about five minutes began to feel
queer. The fences along the road seemed
to grow higher, and the trees to grow
larger; something got into my ears, so
that the rattle OF the buggy sounded
a long way off.
"How strange! why, | believe | am
going to be sick!' | exclaimed. holding
on to the seat with all my might.
"You do look strange" he replied, n
sicklY smile stealing over his face, II
shouldn't wonder if it was apopleXy."
/ did not suspect the game he had
played. His words were Ike an echo,
and his face seemed twice rs large as it
usually was. My head began to snap
and crack, and was greatly frightened.
"You are badly off, he continued, =,
looking into my face. Il will drive as
fast as possible and get q doctor,
Ny tongue was so heavy that | could
not reply. l Iclutched the seat, shut my
eyes and he put his horse at his best
pace. We met farmers team, and |
can remember that one of the occupan ts
of the wagon called out to know what
allied me. Raleigh did not reply, but
urged the horse forward.
About three miles from Grafton was u
long stretch of forest, and this we soon
reached. The pain in my head was not
SO violent, and | was not 50 badly al
fected with opening my eyes. l had
settled into o sort of dumb stupor, with q
brain so benumbed that | had to say to
myself, "ths is tree, this is d stump"
etc, before | could make sure that was
not wrong. Half y mile down the road g,
after we struck the forest, and then
Raleigh turned the horses into u blind
road leading back into the woods.
could not understand what he intended.
tried to grapple with the question, but
I could not solve it.
"Well, here we are" exclaimed
Raleigh, when we had reached u point
forty rods from the road.
He stopped the horse, got out and
fastened him, and then came around to
the wheel.
"You don't feel just right, bus guess
YOU will be better soon" he remarked ;
come, let me help you down"
He reached up his arms, and | let go
of the seat and fell into them. 1t seemed
to me as il / weighed ton, but he car
ried me along without an effort and laid
me down within about rod OF the fence
which ran along on one side of an old
pasture. Just now the effort of the drug
was wearing off, and / began to feel a
n 81