The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-08-09
Published
CUT BY THE COUNTY.
A NOVEL BY MISS M E. BRADDON
Authr ma Phantom Fortune Dead Mems Shoes Etc


They hurried home as fast as they could, directly
! they got clear of him. Now this fact, taken In
conjunction with the night attack upon Sir Allan,
| is certainly rather startling"
| ut is more than startling" exclaimed Dora.
81 have felt convinced from the very first that it
was no common robber who entered the house
that night"
And then she spoke of the footsteps which she
had heard on the terrace between 10 and 1.-THE
slow, stealthy tread like that of man pacing up
and down waiting and watching for his oppor-
tunity. No doubt that was the football of this
very man.
who could he be, do you thinks" asked
Edward.
Some one connected with Lady Darners past
life" answered Dora, decisively
"Some secret lover of Graces," thought
Edward.
His shabby clothes were only disguise, you
may depend" said Dora
| 'But the fact that the money was taken seems
| to point to a burglar" added Edward obviously
| 1.-THE money may have been taken only a
| bind-not taken at all, perhaps, only hidden
| somewhere about the room where it will be
| found later on. The man was a gentleman; he
| went to that room to see Lady Darnel, and on
| finding himself surprised by my poor brother he
| shot him in order to escape recognition. Who
knows what hatred and jealousy he may have
| felt against poor Allen, if he was, as / fear, a
| cast-off sweetheart of Lady Darnei's-jllted,
| perhaps, in order that she might marry my
| deluded brother"
| Dora Darnel put her little story together SO
neatly had such glib, assured air in the telling
| of it, that Edward Colchester was almost in
clined to believe her. And yet there were diff
culties.
| "This person was described as young man,
woman. A former admirer of hers would hardly
| be youth.
"Those Mowbray girls were too frightened to
| be very good judges as to a strangers age, and,
again, some women have such perverse ideas.
To my mind, Lady Darnel is just the kind of
person to have encouraged young admirer, and
| then to have thrown him over directly she saw a
chance of good establishment"
you have not high opinion of Lady Darnel,
said Mr., Colchester, shocked at the undisguised
venom of her tone.
HAS the county high opinion of herq Have
you high opinion of her9" asked Dora con-
temptuously.
II have always liked her immensely; but of
course, / would rather think i'll of her than of
Grace"
''Of Grace" screamed Miss Darnel. what has
Grace to do with its Surely you cannot suppose
this man to be an admirer of my niece"
She pronounced the possessive pronoun as if
the mere fact of relationship to her made wrong
doing of any kind impossible.
'I-I-have been inclined to fear that he
might have come here to see Grace faltered the
Squire, blushing vehe,nently.
ITO see Grace! 1mpossible It was in Lady
Darnel's room that he was found All Lady
Darnel's conduct since that dreadful night has
indicated a mystery. Never was guilt more
plainly expressed than by that wretched wom-
ans words and manner. Why, she started up in
her sleep the next morning screaming out that it
was her fault it was she who had murdered her
husband And that idlotic detective from Lon
don has chosen to start upon an entirely false
scent. He has taken it into his head that Jaker
| stole the money, Just because Jaker happened to
| change twenty pound note in the village two
| days ago"
did he?" exclaimed Edward 'That looks
queer. Jaker is bad enough for anything"
| But Jaker would have no motive for breaking
into Lady Darnels morning room. He could not
| know that the money was there. There was
| nothing to take HIM to that particular ROOM
Nothing, except the fact that it is the most
| accessible room in the house." said Edward Il
| should like to see Grace. if she would let me-
| She will not be quite so unhappy, that Sir
Allan is in a more hopeful condition. All. there
she is in the garden. I'll go out to her If l
asked to see her, dare dare say she would say
| no."
| He took a hurried adieu and was off to the
garden before Miss Darnel could say another
4 l,o1
in the distance, rich brown hair blown by the
autumn wind Grace was walking up and down
| by the shrubbery, just where she had told him
that his case was hopeless. She had flown up to
| her room to avoid him, if he were pesti-
| lence; and yet here she was walking where he
could hardly fail to see her as he left the house
| 1t was just of those inconsistent things
| which young ladies of Grace Darnels age are
prone to do Edward Colchester ran across the
| lawn and Joined her. He ran his fastest half
| afraid that she would vanish amidst the wilder
ness of shrubs before he could reach her. But
she did not even try to avoid him. She
gave him her hand frankly, and he took
| it, but with a certain GOODNESS which
| artled her. His bosom rent by horrible
suspicious about that stranger whom the Now
brays had described to him. Till those doubts
should be satisfied the master passion, jealousy,
took the place of the master passion love. He
made some common place remark about the
improvement in her fathers health, and then
began abruptly to talk of the stranger who had
met the Mowbrays. Graces sudden look of fear
at his very first allusion to this man told him
| that the man was no stranger to her. His doubts
| were too we'll founded. The man had come to
| Darnel to see Grace. He must needs be some
disreputable sutton whose acquaintance she had
| formed away from home. and who came by
stealth to prosecute his suit or to complete his
conquest.
Your aunt thinks that this man came to see
Lady Darnel," he said.
ITO see Lady Darnel. How wicked, how I'M
just So like my aunt" cried Grace Indignantly
For what other purpose could he have come
except as thief"
HE is not thief said Grace, beginning with
a rush, as if about to say great deal, and then
becoming suddenly silent
For moment she had been inclined to say
"He came to see me-" She had been tempted to
| tell Edward Colchester the story her entangle-
ment the dishonoring chain which she had
la...a., o,ras2 haa L.