The Red Cloud chief., 1884-08-29
CHAPTER XII.

In the afternoon, after lunch had been
eaten, there came a NJ at the back
door. and Mr.. Montamu Blake WAS an
noUnced. There had been n little con-
tretemps or misadventure. 1t was Mr..
Blake's habit when h. called at Cookers
Hall To ride his horse into the yard.
make his way in by the back entrance.
Tn this occasion Hayonoies had been
considerably disturbed in his work, and
was discussing the sad condition of Mr.
Baggett with r~hornybush over the gate
of the kitchen garden. Consequently,
Mr.. Blake had taken his own horse into
the stable. and "a he Was about 10 lead
the least up to the stall. had been
stopped and confused by Sergeant Bag
gets p%rotruiing wooden leg.
Alloa, whats mp How?' said n
voice. addressing Mr.. Blake from under
the straw. ado YOU 90 down, old chap,
and Get us three-penn'orth of cream -
the valley from the Cock"
Then Mr.. Blake had been aware that
his prior visitor was not in a condition
TO Ice of much use to him. and tied up
his horse, in another stall. But. on
entering the house. Mr.. Blaze an
nounced the fact of there being a
str ;nger in the stables, and suggested
that the one-legged gentleman had been
looking Al somebody taking a glass of
GIN Then Mrs. Baggctt burst out into
n loud Screcch of agony. The nasty
drunken beast, he ought to be locked
up into the darkest hole they've got IN
all ArleSford.h
but who is the gentlemang' said
Mr.. Blake.
my husband. sir! | won't deny
him. He is the cross as | have 10 carry,
and precious heavy he is. You must
have heard of Sergeant Baggett-the
most drunkenest. beastlieSt, idlest
scoundrel as ever the Queen had in the
army. and the most ~diificultest for l
woman TO put mp with in the way Of n
husband. Let a woman be ever SO de-
cent. he'd drink her gowns and her pet
ticoa.s, down TO her Very undercloIhng.
How would You like. sir, to have to
take up with such n beast As that,
after living all your life As comfortable
as any lady in the land? Wouldn't that
be a come-down. Mr.. Blake? And then
to have your box locked up, and be told
that the KEY of your bedroom door is
in the masters pocket" Thus Mrs.
Bag.ett continued to bewail her des-
tiny.
Mr.. Blake having got rid of the wom-
an. and ~beIhinking himself of the disa-
greeable incidents to which a gentle
man with a larger establishment than
his own N ght lie liable. made his way
into the ttin@-roonI, where he found
Mary Lawrie alone: AMI having apollo
gized Tor the manner of his intrusion.
and having said something intended TO
be jocose as 10 the legs of tie warrior in
the stable. NJ once asked a question as
To john Gordon.
..Mr. Gordon:?" said Mary. HE was
here this morning with Mr.. White
staff, but l KIN W nothing of him since"
He hasn't gone back TO London"
~ don't know where he has rome.
He slept in Arlesford last night, but l
know nothing of him since
''He sent lis bar by the boy 1T the
inn to the railway station when he came
up here. | found his bag there, but
heard nothing Of him. They toll; me
n the inn that he was To come up here,
and l thought l should either tird him
here or meet him on the road"
ID YOU want TO find him especial
Typ
''Weil, yes"
'.Do you know Mr.. Gordon?r
"Well, yes; / do. That is 10 say, he
dined with me last night. We We're at
Oxford together. and Yesterday even
ING we got talking about our adventures
since"
He told you that he had been at the
diamond-fields?r
"Oh. yes; l know all about the dia-
mond- fields. But MIR. Hall particular
" wants to see him up at the Park"
(Mr. Hall was the squire with four
daughters. who lived at Little Aries
ford.) MI. Hall says that he knew
his father many years ago, and sent
me out to look for him. l shall be
wretched if he goes away withou. COM
ing to Little Arlesford House. He can't
60 back to London before four O'Clock,
because there is no train. You know
nothing about his movementss"
Nothing at all For some years