Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-05-11

to die, and she brought the child with her. Z"
s.That was just it, !" said the sexton.
The detective fingered some time longer
without adding materially to the stock oi
his information. But he had obtained pos
session of body of facts which he was not
slow in weaving into working hypothesis
on which he depended for solution oi
Leyton's strange conduct; and slipping q
half crown into the sexton's hands he took
his way down the churchyard path inward
ly chuckling.
After the bar was closed that evening at
the Golden Lion, Doggett held long con-
versation with old John Lovatt. The
gossipy old Boniface proved an easy man
to draw in the hands of skillful examiner
like Doggett, and before the two parted for
the night honest John, who dearly loved to
hear himself talk, had completely un-
bosomed himself of all he knew. He added
some unimportant details to the sexton s
account, but of most interest to Doggett was
to hear the story of Martin Robson's finan-
cial difficulties, and how he had emanci-
pated himself at the price of his daughter s
happiness, and how, in John Lovatt's own
words, 'sTom Leyton went on terribly and
swore he'd be revenged."
DR.. Osborne rose the next morning re-
freshed after sound healthy sleep. He
had taken great fancy to Doggett, and
somehow the detectives presence acted upon
him like charm, soothing his mind and
tranquilizing his nerves. He was now in
formed of the particulars which Doggett
had CLEANED, and declared himself ready to
leave Chelderton at once and accompany the
officer in his next step-to discover the
movements of Mrs. Englefeld when she
was in search of change of scene with her
sick husband.
"Mind I do not say that it is all plain
sailing even now" said Doggett warningly,
in tone that indicated anxiety lest his
theory of the proceedings of Leyton and his
wife should raise premature hopes in Os-
borne's mind. ''She will probably prove a
difficult woman to follow up, but sooner or
later 1 undertake to conduct you to your
fathers grave and restore your child to
you"
".
The next day Doggett made for the pretty
little village of Sonning, that nestles so
cozily by the banks of the Thames quiet
little place, dear alike to the oarsman and
the disciples OF Isaac Walton, who love ''the
gentle craft"
But, as Doggett had forewarned his COM
panion, it was anything but plain sailing.
The villagers remembered 'old Mr.. Osborne
and his pretty little grandchild very we'll,
but none of them could throw any light on
the manner of their departure, nor even, ex-
cept in the vaguest way, recall the date. No
one appeared to have known that the resi-
dents at Rose Cottage had taken their de-
parture, until q notice board, fastened to
the garden gate, announced to the chance
waytarer that the cottage in which George
Osborne had established his father and child,
before setting out for the East. was ''To Be
Let, Furnished"
'Who is the landlord and where does he
live?" inquired Doggett of a group of vii
layers, whose curisosity, once aroused BY
the inquiries afoot, was not easy to be
alloyed.
"Oh, he is Mister Green, and lives in
Reading replied the village oracle. ''He
is something in the Quitting line. . And
with this information Doggett was COM
PEELED to be content.
Mr.: Green, who turned out to be an un-
dertaker, was found at last; but his informa-
ton rather tended to add to the mystery
which surrounded the departure of Mr..
Osborne with his grandchild from Sonning.
Mr.. Green had o great aversion to being
pinned down tosa date-it might he Feb
ruary, but he would not be sure. for il might
turn out to be March-and he could not
speak to the year-it might be two years
since, or it might be three, he could not be
particular-but at some time unspeciied
between January and December two Or three
years back Mr.. Green had letter. The
purport of the letter was to tender six
months rent for Green's acceptance, three
months for the quarter next falling due, and
three months tor the quarter after that in
lieu of notice.
Mr.. Green could not remember whether
the letter was signed or unsigned, but he did
that it said that Mr.. Osborne had
no further use for the cottage.
Anything more?" asked Doggett. tDon't
you keep rent book? and would not ref
erence to that help you to fix the date?''
But no, Mr.. Green did not keep q rent
book. He collected the rents himself, and
none Of his tenants were ever allowed to get
into arrears. IT they get behind, then