The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1886-06-11
CHAPTER XIII,

CHAPTER XIII.
Hercward and his friend sit up in the
smol1ing-room till very late hour that even
ing. They have so much to talk about, and
they have had as yet no opportunity Of a
hte-0-tete.
81 met Heriot in town few days ago. as
told you, Blount remarks, standing on the
rug Il never saw a fellow so pulled down
in my life. He told me he had Just returned
from Paris that morning What ails him ?"
perhaps he had suffered from s,a-sick-
ness in crossing the Channel" Hereward
answers, filling his pipe.
''He has aged ten years since I saw him
last. He must be living very fast, if he isn't
going into decline. Why isn't he grinding
for this exam. ?"
81 cannot tell you. He ran up to town
for q week about a month ago, and has never
come back since"
Hooked it because of the reading eh ?"
Scarcely. Did he mention any possible
date for his return?"
'No; 1 thought should have found him
here last night He did not mention Kings
court at all, except in answer to my question.
dare say you are not sorry to lose your
pupil?"
81 cannot remain on here doing nothing, I"
Hereward answers gravely. cit is awkward
for me. would have gone up to town long
ago, only"
"Only you preferred staying. Hereward,
wasn't l q true prophet?"
GAS how? " Hereward asks
"Ah, you know very well But that was
q bad business about the gamekeeper. What
was his name? Oh, yes, of course, Robert
North? Was nothing more found out about
it?"
Nothing but what you have heard"
asked Heriot about it, but he could
tell me nothing. He seems greatly annoyed
about the affair, and could hardly bear to
speak of it. / did not like to press it, in
fact. suppose all owners of estates feel
sore on the subject of poachers. The poor
fellow had a sweetheart too, l hear"
''Yes, the girl you saw down at the river to-
day."
"Phew! So you are trying to console
her, eh?"
"No. Blount advise you not to make
me angry. What demon possessed you to
say what you did to-day?
"What did say? Oh, about Hero and
Leander! Why, thought that was particu-
larry neat. But wasn't it IN designation.
upon your honor"
Certainly it was not. did not speak to
the girl ut all"
mo, really! Well, I'm open to conviction.
But you must allow that it looked very sus.
picious. And SO that's the girl. But had
she really anything to do with the matter ?"
''Not if there were poachers in the case, {"
Hereward answers carelesSly
"No; that's just what thought. But do
you know that there is report going about
that it was not poaching aifray ut all? I
met Cartwright just as crossed the bridge
on his way from the railway-station. He
stopped his dog-cart to speak to me with
very unusual graciousness And he SAYS that
it Is his firm conviction that it was not done
by poachers at oil. "
Hereward's face turns quite white. He
gets up and stands by the chimney-piece,
and, resting his elbow upon it, looks down
into the fire with )ut a word, Blount is bus
lily filling his pipe for the second time, and
does not observe the change in his friends
face.
Cartwright says, that, as magistrate, he
feels 1T his duty to get to the bottom of the
affair He does not hesitate to call it muir
der, with maIice prepense.
And who does he think committed the
murder 2" Hereward asks quietly.
''He would not mention any name or names,
but he insinuated that he could put his fin
ger on the very man. wonder who it can
be! OF course Cartwright would not say so
much unless he had very good grounds for
his suspicious
"And what motive does he assign to the
murderer ?"- Hereward hest ties before he
sp1aks the terrible word.
Love, OF course, or jealousy, rather He
maintains that North either shot hims slf in
fit of jealousy, or that some one else shot him
for the same reason. Had the girl any other
lovers ?"
Hereward does not Immediately answer
this question. He looks into the fire with a
very troubled expression,
''She was very pretty girl, and greatly
admired, he says, at last. She may have
had twenty lovers for aught know. She