Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1886-09-17

II was pitch dark as yeti would hardly
he light by the time he should arrive at
Mrs. Jaker's cottage, but he calculated
that a person of her condition would be an
early riser, and he felt no compunction
about waking her up should she prove a
slug-a-bed. lie was bent upon seeing her
before the detective arrived with his
search warrant; so that in the event of her
husband having obtained his plumber from
Victor de Camilac the woman's mouth
might be sealed as to the existence and
whereabouts of that obnoxious French
man.
"My friend Penwern ignores those foot
marks on the flower beds now that he has
started on another track" the colonel
thought MS he walked briskly along the
avenue under the cold October sky. "Not
very logical. That narrow sole and pointed
heel could never have belonged to the
boot of n rustic poacher, and yet those
foot-marks have to be accounted for some
how, and am not at all clear that Grace's
admirer is safe out of the business"
Before going down stairs the colonel had
tapped softly at his friends door and had
questioned the night nurse. Her reply
was more favorable than usual. The pa
tient had spent quieter night the fever
was little less intense, the deirium less
violent. All this was hopeful
There were patches of gray in the east
ern sky by the time the colonel came to
the end of the long, muddy lane and en-
tered Mrs Jaker's neglected garden.
Albeit the sky was gray in the east, and
a fa 1t admiXture of silvcry light glorilied
the undulating lines of hill and woodland,
Mrs. Jakcr had not yet left her pillow
l. 1 I
oak stick at the cottage door. She put her
head out of an upstair window presently,
however, and ON hearing that he had par
ticular business with her, promised to be
down in ten minutes. So the colonel
strolled up and down the dreary little
garden, with its stagnant puddles in de-
pressed corners and it sragged regiment of
barren cabbage stalks.
The cottage door opened while he stood
at gaze above the cabbage stalks, and he
was admitted to the Jaker abode. Mrs.
Takers toilet was of the briefest and the
colonel could not help suspecting that she
had slept in her gown A swarm of
healthy, handsome children, all in the
last stage of rags and dirt, were squatting
and scrambling about the wide heart h,
which had evidently belonged to the farm
house kitchen. The few sticks of furni-
ture We're all in a ruinous condition. and
it was not without careful selection that
Mrs. Jaker found chair which she could
venture to offer to her guest When he
had seated himself she knelt on the heart h
and lighted a fire of sticks and turf which
made cheerful flare of light amidst the
grayness of the morning. While she was
doing this she turned her head now and
then and looked timidly and interroga-
lively at the colonel She was scared bv
the appearance of a stranger at this I'M
wonted hour; but she was accustomed to
be visited from time to time by the gen
try" who came to demonstrate with her
upon her own and her husbands misdo-
ings.
You had n stranger hero last night,
Mrs. Jaker," began the colonel
"Ges, sir, there was person here"
Exactly. l know all about him and
what passed. You have not heard the
last of that person and his inquiries. 1t
would have been wiser II you had told
him the truth about that money which is
to pay your husbands passage to Canada
and set you all up in new country. 1t is
nice little fortune for a man like Jaker
to drop into 1t ought to buy him a pretty
little farm out yonder'
Mrs Jaker paled at his speech, and a
frightened look came into those mild eyes
of hers, eyes which were apt to mislead
strangers az to her character
Fortune, sir" she faltercd "My poor
husband had nothing but the so he won
at the races"
Indeed Then how came he to spend
nearly elO with the old woman AT the
shop? That would leave him very little
for his passage money"
Hereupon Mrs. Jaker, with tears in her
eyes, called upon the heavens and those
who dwell therein to witness her truth
She had told the strange gentleman who
called last night the truth, and nothing
but the truth. If her husband had more
money than those 10 soverci gns won for
him by the horse True Blue-which was a
Wiltshire-brcd horse and well beknown to
him, or ,Jaker would never have backed
him-she knew it not.
Come, now, Mrs Jaker, this is all very
foolish said the colonel, in a friendly
tone. suppose were to tell on that the
person you saw last night is coming again
this morning and that in all probability
he will take you off to prison. a man in
Jakers station doesn't come by 800 in
bank notes without people asking ques-
tons, and as Jaker has made off it will be
for you to answer those questions"
As the colonel uttered those words
"&4OO," he looked straight into Mrs.
Takers face; and every line in that face
hardened as the woman was by long eX-
pericnce in lying, told him that the shot
had gone home. Sir Adams bank notes
had by some means or other fallen into
Takers hands.
Il am here as your friend" said the
colonel The man you saw last night is
member of the police, and you have
nothing to hope for from him. am here
to clip You, if | can. A sum of 94OO
was stolen from Sir Allan Darnels house
last Tuesday night, and some of the money
has been traced to your husbands posses
sion How did he come by it? Was it he
who shot Sir Allan2"
mo, sir no. and again Mrs Jaker
called upon the Almighty to witness her
her truth.
you have lied to me once already, when
you told me Jaker won that money
on the race course. How can | believe that