Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1889-01-10
graphic blank on which was written tho

| think we have you out of the way"
. Roger continued he, calling the valet,
| "deliver this at the telegraph office, and
/ then hire horse and buggy at some livery
! stable Be sure and secure q strong horse
and buggy with rubber apron for wet
weather.
In perhaps half an hour the sound Of APP
| preaching wheels was hoard, and Roger
| quickly announced himself< Finding the
| vehicle suited for the service which he de-
sired to impose upon it, Fairfax called the
/ three men together, saying;
go to some inn for the night At eight
| o'clock tomorrow morning take the dill
| geltce that leaves here, and passes x. cross.
road-onlv a short distance from our desti-
nation. Roger, YOU know the way from
there to the village, and the point beyond
where you went with Mr.. Oxford yesterday
near where the brook crosses the road at
the pool You understands
II do sir = said Roger knowingly.
ivory well, then, you all understand. Put
| all your bundles in the carriage and go of
for good sleep"
The three servants were quickly on their
way to the village, Roger proving himself
perfectly invulnerable when bombarded
with questions by the two excited and Curl
GUS scamen.
Dick and Fairfax, meanwhile, were on
their way to the village of Y, thirty miles
distant At half-past three o'clock in the
morning they were approaching the we'll
| known town, and the east was beginning to
show faint signs OF light.
Fairfax urged to a rapid pace the horse
that quickly carried them through the slum-
bering place. He made brief pause at the
inn of Landlord Baudray. They drove di-
the fatofal pool and led the horse into the
midst Of a neighboring grove where it was
1 quite evident no one would stray, otherwise
than by the merest accident
Turning to Dick, Fairfax heaved sigh.
with the after lomark:
'.NIy friend, all is complete-eterg thing
Only the intervention of Heaven, now, can
defeat my plans"
Then, for the first time, Oxford's curl
| osity as to the schemes of his friend were
satisfied.
He had made up his mind, whatever might
be their character, not 10 beJray the slight
/ est emotion on learning them, and to do him
Justice, outwardly he eyinced no sign of the
dismay that overwhelmed him as he listened
to the outrageous project of his mad friend.
Although his heart sank within him, he
made no remark at first. Fairfax watched
him lSeenly, to observe the effect of his own
words.
Finally, with a gravity wholly unwonted
and an impressive seriousness, all the more
effective because unusual, Oxford turned to
Fairfax, and said:
II promised to be with you in whatever
you undertook ] win keep my word if you
insist upon 1t. II is not too late, even yet, for
Al. E..
self, think it unnecessary, extremely i'm
practicable and dangerous, and, frankly,
/ idiotic as wen as wicked"
Not line moved in his hearers impressive
countenance.
That extraordinary individual had consid-
cred the entire matter in all its actual and
/ possible relations and contingencies; had
become excited TO an unnatural and ex-
tremely unreasonable pitch Of mind, and
was resolved that nothing should deter him
from his undertaking.
Although somewhat startled at the sound
advice and solemn words of the hitherto
lght-hearted Richard, and realizing, for a
moment, the folly Of his prospective deed
and the long list Of misfortunes and evils
that might follow in its train, he Immediate
ly steeled himself against the weakness of
the moment, and was once more the man of
unswerving purpose and iron will
This man, Dick, must be won again.
am fast losing my hold upon =! I'm and must
regain it and make it stronger. No half
hearted work win suffice at this late date, .
was his silent self-reasoning.
Beginning in that plausible, seductive and
irresistibly attractive manner of his, he
gradually overcame Dicks conscientious
scruples; dulled his common-sense, appealed
TO his adventurous spirit, and thus began to
arouse his Tagging interest in the matter.
Oxford, poor fellow although realizing
that his friend was about to embark upon a
very crazy and cowardly enterprise, was
yet unable TO resist the extraordinary influ-
ence which this strange man welded over
him, and, step by step, yielded to the mighty
viii of the latter; until, once more, Fairfax
had a most Jealous advocate in Richard
About noon, with lazy cape, Fairfax re-
marlSed.
. Let US go out and watch for those
heavy villains They must be near at
hand"
There soon appeared three strange men,
carclessly sauntcring down the road Sc
completely had they disguised them
selves that the two watchers were uncer-
tain as to their identity. However, as they
approached nearer, it was not difficult to
recognize the tones of each voice.
Tho arch-conspirator took tho two seamen
aside and enlightened them as to the part
they were to play. They appeared to be
wide-awake characters, capable Of hazard
Gus feat Of any kind. They readily entered
into the spirit of the occasion and consid-
cred the affair as jolly kind of lax.
Meanwhile Richard who had been thor.
oughly instructed-in mysterious and melo-
dramatic tones, was initiating his valet into
the nature of the duties which were to fall
upon him.
After some time spent in writing, Fairfax
examined the vehicle and found it in excel
lent condition. The harness also seemed
strong. One trace was a little worn, and,
with AN extra tug, might give way. A
piece of stout cord quickly remedied this
defect The horse appeared to have entirely
i recovered from his long journey Of the
night before.
One thing the anxious observer did moi
like. A heavy black bank of clouds was
rising in the southwest-a low, dilatory
mass Of vapor that clearly betokened an APP
preaching storm. Still, he thought il would
scarcely Interfere with the fulfllment of his
expectations and plans.
He went to the roadside to watch. Be
tween three and four, nc saw, away in the
distance. up the road, a carriage approach
ing. 1t contained Dimitri and Catherine e,
route, no doubt, to make preparations for Ma
talie, who then could not be far behind them
His heart began to quicken its beats
when he distinguished horse gallop
ing down the highway. Although strain