Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1888-05-04
CHAPTER V

lcrricrcs' sudden departure was more for
| tunatc than his usual cquvocatons While
it disappointed and slightly mortified her.
it did not seem to her inconsistent with
what she already knew Of him "Said his
uoctor had ordered him to quit town UNI
| der an hour, owing to II comm attack Of
hay fever, and he had friend from fur
rim parts waitin' him at the Springs.
ltosey," explained Mott, hesitating be
tween his desire to avoid lis daughters,
eyes and his wish to observe here countc.
nance,
"Was he worse mean did he lool.
badly, fathers inquired Roscy thought
fully.
81 reckon not eXackly bad Kinder
looked cz if he mout be worse soon Of he
didn't hump hissclf."
"Did you see HMM his room" asked
Roscy anNiously. Upon the nnswcr 10
this simple question depended the future
confidential relations Of father and
daughter. If her father had himself de-
tccted the means by which his lodrcr OK
listed she felt that her own obligations to
secrecy had been removed; But Mr..
Mott answer disposed of this vain hone.
1t was response after his usual fashion
to the question he imagined she artfullv
wished to ask, /. e. if he had discovered
their rendezvous Of the previous ni.;ht.
This it was part Of his peculiar dellcacv
to ignore. Yet his rerly showed that he
mad been unconscious of the one miserable
secret that he might have read easily.
u was there an hour or so-hln an /
me alonc-discussn' trade. reckon he,
got a good thing outer that curled horse
hair, for see he's got in an invoice o.
cushions. I've stored them al in the for
rard bulkhead until he sends for EN-. %
Sir. Renshaw hez taken the loft"
But although Mr.. Rcnshaw had taken
the loft, he did not seem in haste to occupy
1t. He spent part of the morning in UNI
easily pacing his room, in occasional sal
lies into the street from which he pul
poselessly returned, and once or twice in
distant and furtive contemplation cf
Rosey at work in the galley. This las,
| observation was not unnoticed by the
astutc Mott who at once conceived that he
was nourishing a secret and hopeless pas-
1t was not his duty to warn the yo,ln,r
man of her preoccup:ed affections. But
Mr., Renshaw's tirul disappearance OBLIGED
him to WITHHOLD his confidence till mora
| ing.
This time Mr.. Eenahaw left the ship
with the evident determination of some
settled purpose. He walked rapidly until
he reached the counting house of Mr..
Sleight, when he was at once shown into a
! private office. In few moments Mr..
| Sleight, a brusque but passionless man.
| joined him.
"Well,' said Sleight, closing the door
carefully What news?'
"None," said ReAshaw bluntly "Loo%
here, Sleight," he added, turning to him
suddenly, Let me out of this game. |
| don't like it."
Does that mean you've found moth
ing?" asked Sleight, sarcastically.
1T means that | haven't looked for
| anything, and that l don't intend to with
out the full knowledge Of that Id fool
who owns the ship"
"Iou've changed your mind since You
wrote that letter. said Scight cooliy.
producing from drawer the note already
known to the reader. Renshaw mcchun-
| iCally extended his hand to take it, Nlr
Sleight dropped the letter back into the
drawer, which he quietly locked The a},-
parently simple act dyed Mr.. Renshaw's
cheek with color, but ii vanished quickly.
and with il any token of his previous en-
| barrassment. He looked at Sleight with
| tho convinced air of Il resolute man who
had AT last taken disagrecabe step, but
was willing to stand by the consequences.
Il have changed my mind,n he SAID
coolly. Il found out that it was one thing
to 60 down there as skilled prospectoy
might go to examine u mine that was to
be valued according to his report of the in
dications, but that it was entirely another
thing to go and play the spy in poor
devils house in order to buy something he
didn't know he was selling, and wouldn' [
sell if he did"
"And something that the man he bought
Of didn't think of selling; something he
himself never paid for, and never expect
ed to buy sneercd SleiLht
"But something that we expect to buy
| rum our hloNleuIc OF al TINS, ana IL l.
that which makes all the difference
"But you knew all this before
Il never saw it in this light before
never thought of it until | was living
there face to face with the old fool | was
Intending to overreach. never was sure
Of it until this morning, when he actually
turned out one of his dodgers that l might
have the very room l required to play Oh
our little game in comfortably. When he
did that | made up my mind to drop the
whole thing, and I'm here 10 do it,"
And let somebody else take the re
| sponsibility--witht the pcrcentagc--unless
you've also felt it your duty to warn Mott
too" said Sleight with a sneer
| You only dare say that TO me, Sleight, ~
said Renshaw quietly, "because you have
in that drawer an equal evidence of m!
folly and my confidence; but if you are
wise you will not presume too far on
either, Let us see how we stand