Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1886-09-18

said the former. Indeed l had no thought
when I heard of your being in confinement
save Instantly to release you. I lave not,
therefore, had time as yet to get the whole
truth out of Flinter as to his extraordinary
and abominable behavior. Of course I shall
do 80, and you may depend upon my calling
him sternly to account for an outrage
which has brought him within the reach Of
the criminal law. That is SO, I think, Mr..
Fosdyke."
Certainly" replied the lawyer. II
should say that there never was a clearer
case Of abduction in this world. Mr.. Fen
ton, if he chooses toprosecute, may undoubt-
eddy send Mr.. Flinter to Jail for a couple of
years at least"
"May I ask" continued Bra nksome,
"whether you are able to account to YOUR
self in any way for this unheard of pro-
cedure9'
He looked earnestly at me, and evidently
awaited my reply with interest.
II have formed a theory" I said, "but I do
not know that I ought to name it in the
presence of a third person"
"Oh, pray consider Fosdyke as being on
the same footing as ourselves. So far as YOU
are concerned, he knows everything"
There was nc installing the emphasis with
which the last word was spoken.
"Then I shall tell you exactly what it is
that I have thought during my long and
weary confinement. I believe that Mr.. Maui
sverer is deeply offended because I have
ventured to pay my addresses to his niece,
and anxious to get me for a time, at least,
out of her way, has arranged this outrage
| with Flinter."
Branksome looked puzzled for a moment.
It was evident that the idea was ane that
had not occurred to him before. He shook
his head slowly.
u annot believe that the affair has been
brought about in the way you describe.
My poor friend Mauleverer is, I know, in a
very curious state of mini at present, and
he might do desperate things in one of those
him recently, and which, I think, are con-
nected with some obscure disease of the
brain. But I should be slow to suppose that
he could ever stoop to that which is neither
more nor less than actual crime. You have
never yourself seen any reason to suppose
that he would be guilty Of such conduct!"
II? Certainly not. In oil my personal
relations with Mr.. Mauleverer, up to the
moment when he wrote the note in which
he dismissed me from his house, I nave had
every reason to feel that he was one of the
kindest of men. But you know that both
you and-and-Daisy lave thought him
greatly changed of late"
"True, truel and it is possible that, after
all, he may have forgotten himself in the
way you supposed; though I still think you
are mistaken"
"As for Flinter," l continued, "mark NV
words, doctorl that man is a villain who is
capable Of anything. l should not care to
trust my life in his hands, and if you are
wise you will cease all connection with him
as soon as possible"
II don't wonder at your expression" re-
| piled Branksome, "but at the same time 1 can
hardly think so badly of Flinter as you nat
urally do. However, l shall examine him
at once, and make him reveal the whole
truth, whatever it may be-"
He was going to leave the saloon for the
purpose of seeing the man from whom 1 had
suffered so much, when I stopped him.
"Forgive mel" l said, but l am quite in
the dark as to where we are. The yacht has
been at sea now for ten days, but for all I
know to the contrary we may still be within
a mile of Scarborough"
"No,we have not bean standing still, ~ he re.
piled, with a smile. W are at this moment
nearing the town Of Bodo, on the coast of
1 NORWAY. lou nave Deen carried away uD
into the Arctic regions during your painful
s%ojourn in the dukes punishment CELL"
He hurriedly left the saloon where Fos-
| dyke remained with ME. The lawyer ex-
planned that the trip to Bodo was II business
one, connected with one of the numerous
European investments of Mauleverer. At
the same time he strongly advised me to
take legal proceedings against Flinter.
There is NOT a jury in England but would
give you swinging damages, he declared.
and l quite agreed with him that the dam.
ages were due to me.
But even as we were talking of this Brank-
some returned. He was pale and his face
wore an expression Of the utmost gravity.
NJ friend, he said, II grieve to have to
say that you were right in your suspicious
Benjamin Flinter has proved to me by dozen.
mentary evidenc. that in treating Won in
this infamous fashion he was nothing more
taan the agent, the tool of our revered friend
Mauleverer. Alas! it is inc~onprehensib,e
that a man whose whole life was once so full
OF goodness should have resorted to lawless,
ness like this. There is only one explanation
lie tapped his forehead significantly as he
uttered the last words.
Continued Nerf Arppk.)