The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1888-05-31
UNDER A CLOUD
CLEARING HIMSELF.
The Thrilling and Absorbing Story
Of q Great Crime.
M JENNIE DAVIS BURTON,
Aurnon or " HER LrrE's SECRET" ANr
OrnEn SronrEs.

AUTHOR OF HER LrFE's SECRET" AND
OrnEn EroRrEs.
Copyrighted, 1883, BY tie A. NJ Kellogg Newspaper
Company. Az RiOhfs Reserced.
CHAPTER XIV.
A NOTE OF WARMING.
What had Lyman Childer in common with
those two meni How was it that he should
bo shaking hands with the thief who was
caught in the very act Of plundering his
house but few weeks beforel
They were unanswerable questions. Tho
distrust which Norris had felt once before
was back again with o now force. He
shrank from the dark speculations which
forced themselves into his mind. What
over motives had brought Childer to such
nm association with those two frequenters
OF Mike Maloncy's establishment, Norris
felt that he was not the one to pry into
them. Better, oven, that Abraham Stone
should continue to evade justice, than that
act of his should disclose unsuspected depths
that would end in sorrow and humiliation
to her toward whom his heart yearned in
that moment with a wonderful mingling Of
pity and tendcrness-so young, SO bright,
sOinnocent, so joyous. Let Lyman Childor
beware Of his deeds, TINT the shadow Of his
evil should not fall upon her.
OOrt VI WUuCcrluB Wu6t COulu ta1kc OuE
straight-laced young partner into that She
bang, ohs What would you give me to tell
youi I'd ought to be able to strike good
bargain seeing the interest you seem to
talrc in him."
Norris faced about with ON irrepressiblo
start. He had heard no step, but Hiram
lnRot stood at his elbow, his face we'll
guarded by cap and collar, his shaggy over
coat white with the falling snow, his atti-
tudc ono Of easy assurance, as he laid his
hand Familiarity upon tho others arm.
/" 4 reckon you've been making o mount
ain out Of mole-hill," he added, with an
amused laugh. "Confess now that you've
been suspecting our friend Lyman Of
something little short Of murder or arson.
Soy what would he think If ho'd soon you
como out Of tho crib over theres I'm not
asking your business, but you see it might
have On ugly look"
Have you been watching mo, sir."
I'll swear I haven't. Never was moro
surprised than when sow you dodge over
here and go to peelking into our friends
business. That's the why it looks to mo,
whether you like it or not.''
Do vow know his business thcre?" ques-
toned Norris, sharply. Ingot gavo his
shoulders significant shrug.
"Think could make close guess ut It.
But como, II you're done playing spy let
US move on. Tho officer that belongs to this
beat will be along pretty soon, and get It
into his head that there's mischief between
~. It's an easy thing to mako mistakes Of
that sort If one judges by appearances"
At another time Norris would have re-
scnted tho book-keeper's offlcious compan-
i0nship, but for once the latter came as o
relief to his own troubled thoughts.
hu S,a rvloI x,o,, <.,,, <w,yotx, ryv,;1
der's conduct to me-" he exclaimed, i'm
pulsively. ut seems scarcely honorable
to try to fathom it In this way, but how can
Ihelp having my doubtsi Did you see him
shake hands with those two menl Do you
know that ono of them was Abraham Stonel
II want to be Lyman Childer's friend,
Heaven knows, though am afraid he does
not care much for my friendship; yet how
can I help suspecting villainy Of some
sort"
Itwas minute or moro before the other
answered him.
"You're right. There is villainy, and It's
10 get to tho bottom Of it that Lyman has
knucklcd down to going hand-in-glove with
two rascals. You think he ought to turn
the fellow Stone over for house-breaking,
but toll you, there is mighty sight big
ger game behind tho scenes than that
'Toin't for me to say what. Lyman hasn't
took me into his confidence, but he ought
to, for I'll swear that we're both on tho
same lay. You amt 90 sharp.witted as you
ought to be II you don't get the idea I'm
driving at"
"You mean that, knowing Stone to have
been implicated In the express robbery, ho
would rather FIX that upon him than the
smaller crimel"
"Just So Giving him ropo to hang him
SELF, don't you sect And there's the rest
Of tho gang to be got OF through him."
"But don't see why Childer should be
on their track, }" cried Norris, in preplexity.
His own loss was not an important one
He refused to take any steps when the
matter was fresher than 1t is now"
"How do you know he didi May be he
only refused to 20 to work with you, and
it's likely he had his reasons for 1t. Idare
say, now, you can't see why should be
after them, either. Sayl did you ever At
that bit Of scalp into its right placei : felt
like that scratch on my head was afire
when see that thing mounted under your
microscope"
Norris was taken perfectly aback. He
did not know what to make of the mans
assurance. Was 1t possible that he had
been mistaken after oil, and that Ingot was
only the good-natured, meddling busybody