The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1888-08-03
"Believe me, began, II shall never for

"Believe me-" began, ~ shall never for
"Not word about it, he said, "as you
value my friendship. The time may come
when ! shall myself reopen the subject,
though think not-I think not Until then
let it, beg Of you. drop"
very divided attention. did not regret my
candor, though there were moments-when
was discussing my mutton chop, for ex-
ample, in my own special snug corner, not
unaccompanied by good tankard of stout
In which felt more courageous, II not more
skeptical Granted the existence Of ghostly
visitant, might one not in time become ac-
customed to til What positive harm could
anything Of the kind do onel But across
even these faint efforts at reasoning came
the vision Of the wife and children scared
into sickness or something worse, and / felt
that, in any case, had acted for the best.
found my host even more cheerful and
loquacious than was his wont that evening.
He ordered the old Dutchman. who COM
bined with other duties those of butler. to
bring up some champagne and tossed 1t
Off, while no Hospitality pressed it upon
me, with freedom which surprised me. It
was this, imagined, which led him to talk,
In Dragging and boastful tone not habitual
to him, Of the wealth which had rewarded
the labor OF his earlier years, and of sundry
past achievements of industry and applica-
ton of which he had never before made men.
ton. The more he drank the faster he
talked, and l was not surprised when his
self laudation took another and more Of
fensive form, and he began TO enlarge upon
his own strength of mind and purpose as
opposed to the weakness and mental deficiency
or those with whom he came in contact It
would have been the easiest thing in the
world to pick quarrel with him, but was
sincerely grateful to him for one thing, and
for another was satisfied he had taken more
than was good for him. I was not sorry,
however, when as 10 o'clock struck-tbe
solitary game of cribbage, for which the
long monologue to which he had treated me
had left time, coming to an end simultane-
ously-he suggested that should retire early
and make long night of it.
You look as If you had not slept for .
week, " he added complimentary, land my
pipe is good enough company for me-better
than most: You'll find everything ready for
you upstairs"
heard and obeyed, and that night slept
like top, SO soundly, indeed, that when the
old servant came to call me in the morning
was only awakened to the fact of his
presence by an agitated appeal to me to
arouse myself. The scared expression Of the
mans face, and the concern and trepidation
to which it bore evidence, effectually re-
in bed eagerly demanding what was amiss.
The master" he gasped OUT what has
come to the master? He is not in his room
he has not slept in it. He is nowhere in the
about the place. What can
have come to hing
His wife was close at his heels, echoing the
inquiry with look in her face not less
anxious and perturbed than his own, but in
which there mingled strange suspicious
ness, which even in the shock of the an
which had just been made to
me could not but mark and resent. ''How
in heavens name should / knowg" de-
manded angrily. "How long is it since you
missed him, and where have you looked for
hims He was having pipe in the dining
room when came up last night.
You must have seen him later than that. He
went round with you last thing, suppose,
as he did the night before-as l understand
him he always didr'
mot always. If he gets any sleep in the
daytime worth speaking of, he won't go up
at his usual time He'll 60 round by himself
then later on, but do my duty by the house
and by him just the same. did it last
night. l saw to the doors and shutters as
usual, and put up the chain and bolted and
barred the hall door-I could not have slept
in my bed else-and this morning found the
chain down and the bolts drawn. Lisa here
would have had me go straight to the police
to set them to find him, but thought there
might have been something in his talk last
night might put us on the track I've been
with him these forty years and I've never
seen him as l saw him last night. He is not
used to strangers, and he is too old to change
his ways. He was wandering about yester-
lay, and talking to himself-Lisa heard.him,
and If any harm has come to him its the
worry and excitement will have done it." the
Did man wound up viciously.
Before went to the police would send
10 your masters other house." l said
quietly. There had come back upon
my AN mind J., as l listened to him very
wildly the half yelled taunts and
light before, and, with the recollection of
them, there flashed upon it the possibility
hat wrathful and disappointed at my fail
Ire, he had resolved to face the mystery,
it might be, himself. I was not
however, for the effect of the sug-
yestion upon the old couple. They stood, as
t were, transfxed, exchanging look full Of
error and apprehension.
THE other house" they murmured "Gone
20 the other housed"
The woman was the first to recover herself
i don't believe you, master! You're trying
% brighten us. Don't listen to him, Jan. He
inows better than that Mynheer Andrew has
zone there, and SO do we"
1T is there l shall go to look for him, at
my rate,"I replied. "As to you, you can
'lease yourselves, SO long as you leave me to
urn out and get into my clothes"
made no long business of my toilet, being,
s may be supposed, anything but easy or
lappy in my mind. Rather to my surprise, af-
er the tone she had adopted to me upstairs,
ound Lisa waiting below to insist upon my
wallowing some hot coffee before left the
ouse, and to tell me that Jan had preceded
ne to the Cedars.
~ was hasty just now" she said, land I
SIX your pardon, but l would sooner have
ound the master dead in his bed than that
g should be where you say he is. Better
cad in his right mind-a thousand times
etter-than alive with us here, out of it:
nd out of it he will ha' been before ever he
rent to the old house. You don't know
here's nobody knows but us three-there are
hose that have seen, but they don't under
land. tell you l would sooner never saw
i'm again-though God knows how it would
g with us without him--than that he should
9 found So"
1t was with this comforting assurance that
set forth. There was no time for THOUGHT:
hat was required of me was action, and /
id not let the grass grow under NV feet.
let the old Dutchman just outside the gate
the Cedars. Nothing had been seen or
card of Mr.. Van Deckermann there He
ad been satisfied it would be SO. but as for
le-
81 am not satisfied yet" | said. 81 shall
OF be satisfied until l have been over the
OuSe. You can come back with ma or NOT