Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-12-14

felt an intense sense of Loneliness with, foI
the first time, curious dread Of some i'm
pending evil.
PART II.
On Saturday morning Mrs. Bidulph ex-
claimed as she opened q letter while at
breakfast
"Whv, goodness me, it is from Ellen!
What can have happened?"
Then, after moments silence, while she
glanced rapidly over it, she read aloud:
STEAMSHIP FALCON, Fr1day-DEAR
MAMMA-Just line in haste to tell you
that owing to heavy fog last night our
train was DELAYED for more than three hours
on the way to Liverpool We just missed
the Cunard steamer which left at s So'clock.
We have, however, taken our passage by
the Falcon, from which write. We start
in about half an hour, and expect to be in
New York on Monday week. The Falcon
is very fine vessel, and is quite as good,
think, as any of the Cunard steamers. l
must conclude now, as there is Just time to
send the letter to post. With love to all,
your sffectionate daughter,
ELLEN ASHTON"
"Wbat is the matter with you, John?"
asked Mrs. Bidulph, when she had finished
reading this letter.
Her husband had turned very pale, and
his hand trembled so much that he could
hardly raise his cup to his lips.
Nothing" he said with an effort, after
moments pause. "It's one of those horrid
spasms, but it has gone now. What n
nuisance their train being delayed in that
way"
ttV,,, ,,o,-o- oo,,,r,Io;,o5 ~ ,n,,~,, L.
there must be something wrong with you.
shall send e.. DR.. Graham" exclaimed Mrs.
Bidulph nervously.
"No, no." was the answer; "I'm all right
now; it has quite gone"
BY q strong exercise of self-controI he
managed to sit through the meal and to act
in such 8 way as not to draw any further
attention to himself. When breakfast was
over ne hastily went to his study, where he
paced up and down the room, whispering to
himself every few seconds the words, my
child, my childp Presently there was q
knock at the door, and a servant came into
the room to say that ga Mr.. Denton would
like to see Mr.. Bidulph."
''0h, show him up here at once, please"
be said, as be sank into a chair trembling
all over. "Some DEVILS message, this" he
exclaimed, almost aloud; 81 knew there
was SOmeIQlQS w udt can L0lS lreS0
complication be?"
He had not to wait long to know. In
few seconds Denton came into the room,
much more smartly dressed than he had
formerly been.
Anything the matter? Sit down." said
Bidulph when the door was closed.
Pm afraid there is something the matter,
ard I thought it right to come to you at
once" replied Denton. "Was the address
on the box genuine?"
"Genuinel What do you mean?" ex-
claimed Bidulph.
Il mean, is there such a firm as Brown &
Wilson, the people to whom the box was
cOnsigned?'
"Of course there is. had to insure 1t in
my own name, as all the insurance brokers
know me. And dare not send 1t to q false
address lest it should be discovered that 1
had done So"
"Then we must disappear" said Denton,
calmly,
Disappear? For heavens sake, why?
What has happened? Tell me everything
Speak, speak, for Gods sakel' cried BIZ
dulph, frantically.
"What has happened, am sorry to saw,
is this: That 1 have made a mistake re-
piled Denton, with the utmost elaboration.
''The cork used was of the wrong quality.
It will take the acid not eight, but 20 days
TO eat through it. In the meantime Brown
x Wilson will have received and opened
the box, and the whole thing will be de-
tected. You have every right to blame me
for the mistake, but you would have reason
10 blame NE still more if had not come
like a man to warn you OF it. Goodbv, Mr.,
Bidulphi" and with these words Denton
rose from his seat and left the house.
Whittier he went or what became OF him /
do not know; but his house in MillwaIl was
shut up and deserted when Bi6ulph called
there that afternoon.
Would it be possible for Bidulph bv tax
ing the next steamer to New York to get
there in time to recover the box before twas
opened by Brown & Wilson? 1 merely
moot the question because it might occur to
some reader who is not conversant with
shipping matters. Possibly there might
have been time; but BiGulph knew ii the
box once reached New York its contents
would be discovered, because it would have
to be opened before being cleared from the
Custom House. The only chance, there
FORE he had of avoiding detection, which
would mean penal serVitude for life, was
that the box might still explode while the
Falcon was on her passage. If that should
happen he would be freed from his financial
difficulties, and freed from the terrible fate
that awaited him II the vessel reached her
destination in safety. Thus through many
terrible days was Mr.. Bidulph forced to
hope that by the murder of his dearest child
he might himself escape ruin, execration,
and lifelong Imprisonment.
During the next week Bidulph was
strangely silent and abstracted In his manner.
On the Saturday he drew IRON his banker
s400 in gold and notes, e250 of which he
made up into q small parcel addressed to
Mrs. Bidulph. When Monday came he was
up betimes, and glanced eagerly at the ship
ng news in the morning paper.
mot time yet, though" 7" was his muttsred
expression as he ran his eyes over the
column in which the arrivals and depart
nre OF ships and steamers are announced,
without finding any notice of the Falcon.
On Tuesday and Wednesday there was the
same result But on the Thursday morn
ing, among the arrivals at New York he
read the dreaded words, s. S. Falcon, all
we'll"
Mrs. Bidulph was in her bedroom dress
ing. when her husband came into the room
looking so pale and haggard that she cried
out:
'sOh, John, something dreadful has hap
pened. have felt for the last week that