The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1886-11-18

AND you really rHlleVe lu1b my ulCio
caused you to be spirited away in that fash.
iona Depend upon it, dearest you are en'
tirely deceived. My uncle was innocent"
"Then who could have originated the plotT
"Flinter must have done SO. Let mo tell
YOU oil l know about him He has been EN-.
ployed for nearly eight years at my unclc's
chief station at Wangoora-the place where
we lived. I am told that he had been in
some serious trouble, and that my uncle, who
was usually one OF the kindost as vel as ons
of tho most simple hearted men, befriendcd
him Very soon after he came to the station
as an ordinary shepherd he saved my uncles
life when hc was nearly drowned III crossing
swollen river on our run. That, you may
be sure was never forgotten by my unclo
He very quickly raised him to one Of tho
chief posts on the estate, and at the time that
came to live at Wnngoora, six years ago.
no was tha constant companion OF my uncle
in his journeys and had evidently secured
his confidence"
"But you spoke of him to me as dagger
ous"
"Ye,; no is dangerous and bal too.
very soon discovered that But cannot for
moment imagine that he would have
plotted against his banefactor'S life. lilo
had Everything 10 lose and nothing concelv-
able to gain by M unc es death"
That was perfectly true, and it was the
one great stumbling block in tho way OF my
theory regarding tho murder. Fllnter I'M
doubtedly had nothing to gain by it.
"Daisy," l sal, you must forgive me Tor
questioning you On subject that has long
przzl d NE, but about whcn | saw that you
did not wish to tell me anything. l want to
know all that you c,n tel me about that
man whom saw in the railway station here,
Oh the day we fist .le:. 1t is necessary that
you should tel: M all, my darling"
Sho blushed slightly, and then faint
smile li:hscd up her worn face
"Ah how happy an accident it was that
| lei me to the carriage whera you were
seated that dayl should have been with
out Il friend now but :or that"
SBut about this man-Gregsoa"
HI should have told you all about him If
thcre hal been any opportunity of doing SO
after YOU spoke to me ut the hall For do
| YOU know, that at ono time lie had tried to
make HE believe that lie was i'll love with
me. and when he found that l cared nothing
whatever about him he began to pcrSccute
me i'll Il mean, patty kind OF way, TILL 1
positively became afraid OF him"
"Whers was it that he first began to annoy
you!"
AT Wancoora, about three years ago.
You sec, he was my uncle's confidential
! clerk, and came great deal to the house.
He had lot !hon gwen way, rs Lar no has
done now, to | q habits, and he was great
friend of Dr. Branksono'S l never cared
for hin-in the least" Dear heart! she
looked up ut ME with the happy smile OF q
maiden who tells her story for the first t'mo
| to the man so loves, and for n moment wo
forget all about tho prison bars, and the two
women who sat mutciy watching us ut the
other end of the cell.
"When he found that I did not care for
him he became, rs I said, very disagrccable.
He woud try to warlay mo and hint dread
full things tout having mo III his power,
anil think that very soon he came to hate
ME as much rs he had once profcs'cd TO like
me. Then lie became careless and dlsobe-
dent in his work, and ho quarrelcd with
Flinter and was insolent to Dr. Branksome,
and tho end of it all was that he was dis
missed"
"And what happened then'
"Oh, n great DEAL He profcssed to have
discovered some dreadful plot in which we
we're all engaged for tho purpose OF I'M
posing upon my uncle. laughe Mt him AZ
the time for l knew Of course that there
was no plot of any kind, and little droamc
OF what was coming. But the man became
hateful both to me and my uncle, especially
when wc found that he had actually followed
us to England. have never seen him, how
ever since that day at York"
"Tell me- dearest, who wero the persons
whom ho charged with being In this plot"
"Oh, + believe l was the chief sinner Of all.
He several times met mo when l was alone,
and accused me Of it. Thcn he hat ID Film
ter, and said dreadful things about him. and
oven about Dr. Branksome. But l never
knew what the plot was to which be re-
ferrcd."
Did Dr. Branksomo know what the man
was saying about him"
"Of course he did. Why, I think that,
next to Inc, he hate Dr.. Branksomc tho
mot, and remember his saying once that
be could have sent him to p-nai serritudc If
| he liked"
an Dr.. Branksomo's presence%
ayes"
was startled by what had heard, for
remembered how Branksome had disclaimcd
any knowledge Of the meaning OF Gregsons
language to mo in the railway train when l
had reported it to him Some strange fan
cies stole into my brain.
Tell me, Daisy, what do you think of DR..
Branksome himsclf:'
She gInncc up at me, and that troubled,
doubtful look which had noticed more than
once at Scarborough passed over her face.
~ do rot know how can ana wcr your qrcs-
tion," she said, alter IL pause. and spcaklng
very slowly, rs though weighing al hor
words. Dr. Branksome is wonderful man.
never met any ono like him When l am
with him he caa make me do everything ho
wishcs-or nearly everything. 1t is only
when am away from him that doubt and
fear him."
"Thcn you do doubt and fear him some
times"
YES, when he is not near nc. When ho
Is, hardly seem to have any will OF my
own. 1t is very strange. | cannot explain
Is. Sometimes | ;lin.: he is : very, very'
good man; but there are times when think