The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1886-06-04
THE MIDLAND JOURNAL,

There Is u great crowd in the kitchen all
the village, he thinks. Every one Is eager i'll
question or answer, accordln, to the amount
of information he or she possesses. Old
hathaway tells Docto. Jones all ne knows OF
TIE unalr, Srayely and conclsciy lie Is 1t
decent looking Old man, III II miIlerS dusty
white dress He is the only person present
who can give any information on the sus ject,
and what he can give is not much. He was
coming home from the Palliser Arms at
about ten o'clock, when, in passing through
the corner of the plantation ut about hun
dred yards distance from the mill his little
terrier discovered the body, lying close to
the path. He dragged it our-lt was lying
partly under some blackberry brambles-and
struck match to see the face. He recog-
nlzed Robert North at once. He left the
body and ran on to the house. There was
nobody there but his daughter and the old
woman, their servant. The cid woman ran
off to the village to tell the gamekeeper
Grant, or to get the apothecary, he did not
know which. He himself ran up to KING
court for Doctor Jones' The village peopd
had come during his absence, and carried the
body into the mill. The body was quite cold
when he had found it, and there was blood
on the face.
This is the substance of Trathaway's re-
port. Hereward listens-there Is gaping
circle of listeners round them. They cannot
hear the exciting details too often, it appears.
A group of old women near the fire join in
ut intervals with groans and ordinations of
compassion, and wonder, and horror, as the
case may be.
The youngma was stranger in the place,
and he appears to have more friends now
that he is dead than he had while living
But there is no one to suffer acutely for his
loss. At least no one present appears to be
In such grief as to prevent full enjoyment
| of the melancholy business. Hereward looks
round for Anne Grace Hathaway, but she is
not in the room. He wonders vaguely
whether she is sorry, but no one mentions
her name in connection with that of the dead
man.
Doctor Jones makes mis- way into an inner
room, and Hereward, looking over the heads
of the people through the open door, sees a
group gathered round table. He can SEQ
some object lying on the table, but the peo-
pie are crowded so closely together that
he cannot distinguish anything plainly.
The conversation in the kitchen goes on,
loud and eager, and he hears it without it's
making any impression upon his brain.
ellis lordship will be furious when he
hears this!" one man says excitedly. He'll
put spring guns and man-traps all over the
place. Serve them right too, the blood
thirsty villains !"
''He was brave lad to venture among
them, remarks another, shaking his head
''He told me he was never bit afraid of
them. They wouldn't shoot ut him again,
he said, and if they did it would only be to
brighten him. He did not believe they'd
take his life"
''He made mistake then poor chap! I
wonder when they shot him? 1t was early
for poarchers to be hanging about the plan
tatlons They're daring lot that's what
they are! l hope his lordship will clear the
place of them, for they're no credit to it or
TO u.s."
eff the fellow who did this job is caught,
he'll swing for it, the first speakers asserts,
decidedly.
Hereward shivers little, and puts his hand
into the pocket of his great-coat to find the
handkerchief that ought to be there It is
not there and he unbuttons the great-coat to
get at the pocket of the coat beneath. His
forehead is hot, and he passes the handker.
chief over it. There is very troubled look
on his face
''Did the Doctor say where he was hit ?" o
newcomer asks, bustling into the circle
''In the head-the top of his head is blown
clean off. They found his own gun lying
right in the middle of the path, near pool
of blood. Whoever did the deed managed it
badly. If they tried to hide the body at all,
why didn't they do it? A child would have
discovered it, much less dog"
The dog-a little wiry- haired terrier-who
had played such an important part in the
evenings transactions, is lying on the hearth
before the fire. Hereward looks at him, and
the dog wags his tail. Children and dogs,
and women, always like Hereward, often
without encouragement on his part. But he
frowns down the dogs conciliatory looks,
farming his back upon him.
Il wonder who'll get the place ?" lad re-
marks from the chimney corner.
81 wouldn't take a present of it." several
voices answer at once. II don't think thereu
be many putting in for the situation. Its
three or four keepers there ought to be, and
not one. Sure old Grant is Us good Us no.
body, or as bad The poachers will think
they'll have it all their own way now, aud
there will be no standing them.
Doctor Jones comes out into the kitchen
presently, and speaks to Hathaway for lit
tie while apart The old miller shakes his
head two or three times and then the little
Doctor goes upstairs He is absent only
few minutes and then he takes Hereward's
arm and they leave the mill together.
The poor girl is in terrible state" are
the first words he speaks
lis she y Hereward asks he has expected
to hear this
Terrible. the Doctor repeats and then
they walk ON silently, each buried in his own
thoughts