Bridgeton pioneer., 1885-02-05

| he was prepared if the Colonel, who was
a magistrate, gave him the order, and
not without.
But we are interrupting Colonel Cliff
ford's interrogatories.
Madam, what makes you think this
disloyal person was my sOnw
Indeed, sir, don't know" said the
lady, and looking around the room with
some signs of distress. 81 begin to hope
it was not your son. He was tall
young man, almost as tall as yourself.
He was very handsome, with brown
hair and brown eyes, and seemed incap-
able of deceit"
Have you any letters of his?" asked
the Colonel.
81 had great many, sir" said she,
"but l have not kept them all"
Have you one?" said the Colonel,
sternly.
"Oh, yes, sir" said nrcy, 81 think
must have nearer tMtuty; but what
good will they be-" said she, affecting
simplicity.
"Why, my dear madam" said Monck-
ton, Colonel Clifford is quite right; the
handwriting may not tell you anything,
but surely his own father knows it. /
think he is offering you very fair test.
must tell you plainly that if you don't
1 shall regret having put myself for,
ward III this matter at ALL"
Gently, sir" said the Colonel; "she
has not refused to produce them"
Lucy put her hand in her pocket and
drew out packet of letters, but she
hesitated, and looked timidly at Monck-
ton, after his late severity. Am 1
bound to part with them?"
Certainly not" said Monckton. "but
you can surely trust them for minute
to such a man as Colonel Clifford. am
of opinion" said he, that since you cam
not be confronted with this gentlemans
son Though that is no fault of yours,
these letters (bythe-bye, it would have
been as well to show to me) ought now
at once to be submitted to Colonel Cliff
ford, that he may examine both the con-
tents and the handwriting; then he will
know whether it is his son or not: and
probably as you are fair with him he
will be fair with you and tell you the
truth"
Colonel Clifford took the letters and
ran his eye hastily over two or three:
they were filled with the ardent pro-
testations of youth, and love that evil
IDENTIFY looked toward matrimOny. and
they were written and signed in a hand
writing he knew as well as his own.
He said, solemnly. "These letters are
written and were sent to Miss Lucy
Muller by my son, Walter Clifford"
Then, almost for the first time in his
life, he broke down, and said, God for
give him: God help him and me. The
honor OF the Cliffords is an empty
sound"
Lucy Monckton rose from her chair in
genuine agitation. III fctter angel
tugged at her eartstriligs.
"Forgive me, sir, oh, forgive mew she
cried, bursting into tears. Then she
caught a bitter. threatening glance of
her bad angel fixed upon her, and she
SAID to MoncktOn, Il can say no more,
can dO no more. twas fourteen wears
ago-I can't break peoples hearts. Hush
1t up amongst you. | have made a hero
weep; his tears burn me. | don't care
for the man; III go no further. You,
sir, have taken a deal of trouble and eX-
pense. dare say Colonel Clifford will
compensate you; l leave the matter
with you. No power shall make me act
in it any more"
Monckton wrote hastily on his card,
think, madam, you are not fit to take
part in such a conference as this. Com
pose yourself and retire. know your
mind in the matter better than you do
yourself at this moment, and | will act
accordingly"
She retired, and drove away to the
Dun Cow, which was the place Monck-
ton had appointed when he wrote upon
the card.
Colonel Clifford" said Monckton,
".all that is woman's way. When she
is out of sightof you, and thinks over
her desertion and her unfortunate con-
dltion-neither maid. wife, nor widow
she will be angry with me if [ don't
obtain her some compensation"
She deserves compensation" said the
Colonel gravely.
Especially if she holds her tongue"
said MoncktOn.
whether she holds her tongue OF
not" said the Colonel. 81 don't see how
| can hold mine, and you have already
told my daughter-in-law. A separation
between her and my son is inevitable.
The compensation must be offered. and
God help me, I'm a magistrate, if only
to compound the felony"
Surely" said Monckton, 'it can be
put upon a wider footing than that; let
me think" and he turned away to the
open window; but when he got there he
saw lot OF miners clustering about.
Now he had no fear of theirrecogniZing
him. since he had not left vestge of
the printed description. But the verv
sight of them, and the memory of what
they had done to his dead accomplice,
made him shudder at them. Hence
forth he kept away from the window,
and turned his back to it,
Il think with you, sir" said he, melli-
1luously, that she ought to have few
thousands by way of compensation.
You know she could claim alimony and
be a very blister to you and yours. But
on the other hand | do think, as an i'm
partial person, that she ought to keep
this sad secret most faithfully, and even
take her maiden name again"
Whilst Monckton was making this
impartial proposal BARLEY opened the
door, and was coming forward with his
deed, when he heard voice he recog-
nized; and partly by that, partly by the
fellows thin lips he recognized him.
and said, "Monckton! That villain
here."
"Monckton," said Colonel Clifford.
chat is not his name. 1t is Meredith
He is clergyman" BARLEY examined
him very suspiciously, and Monckton,