Iuka reporter. (Iuka, Miss.) 1888-1894, 1889-11-07
CHAPTER xxvI-continued.


Jooelyn was within. He was seated ia
the large easy chair in which Grandfather
Dixon had been found murdered, with his
head bowed upon his crossed arms, which
were resting upon the writing table before
him; and, by a strange and startling COIN
cadence, his revery or lit Of detection had
caused him to sink into much the same at.
titude in which the body Of the unfortu-
nate gentleman had been found q the
morning Of the murder.
SO, 1 muttered. you have come back
TO brave It out at The Aspens in the old
disguise, have you? Nevertheless. YOU
give evidence Of remorse and fe0r already
at work in your evil breast; and better. far
better for you would it have been to have
followed the fugitive steps of the woman
who, perhaps, has been your partner
through it all"
I retraced my steps, and posted Hank
and Lannigan near the two large drawing
room windows that looked out toward the
main road with such instructions az
thought necessary to re-enforce such an ex-
ira precaution.
As did SO, raised myself on tiptoe
and took peep into the drawing room. It
was well-lighted and warmed, and could
see that Doc was already bringing the COM
pany into it, as had been agreed,
In fact, while was looking the whole
household, with the exception Of the stew
ard, gathered one after another into the
room, not neglecting the most insignificant
servant.
SO much the better" thought, and.
entering by the front door, / interchanged
few words with Doc, and then knocked
at the library door.
In answer to a surly Come in" from the
interior. entered, hat in hand, with an
assumption of bonhomie and unsuspicious
heartiness that must have quieted his dis
trust at the outset, for he accepted my prof.
fered hand without hesitation, and replied
by one of his close-lipped, secretive smiles
to my happy greeting.
Miss Lulu is returned; we've brought
her back" exclaimed, with much exuber-
ance Of feeling.
mol What? when? how? You don't say
so!' he stammered.
Sure as you live De Marchmont had
her tucked away in an old rattletrap up in
Westchester; we've just brought her away
De Marchmont fed, though; probably gone
west by rail; sure to be nabbed in time.
Miggles cut and ran, too; you'd hardly be-
lieve 1t, but she somehow got into his en-
ploy just after you bounced her out of The
Aspens. But come; the young lady is
with her friends in the drawing room, and
says you must assist at welcoming her
home. Come alongl"
And SO / mttled on, with good deal
more OF the Same sort until the man was
completely deceived by my manner, and SUI
fered me to slip his arm through mine and
draw him along the passage toward the
drawing-room.
l have always observed that even the
shrewdest and most cunning villains are apt
to be easily outwitted in the end much in
this fashion. 1t is as though certain ia
tally controlled them, and blinded them to
their own peril at the moment when they
Imagine themselves strongest, but when, in
reality, the hidden tolls Of Destiny, as if
IN obedience to the promptings of outraged
morality, are closing around them with re-
lentless certainty.
think the villain in this case must have
had premonition of what was in store for
him the moment ushered him over the
threshold of the large, brightly lighted
room, and he saw the character of the SOL
emn- faced gathering that was already as
sembled there, for he suddenly loosed his
clutch upon my arm and made a motion to
withdraw. But he at once saw that he had
been misled too far to recede, and, collect
ing himself. advanced to meet Lulu with
an air Of hypocritical greeting.
She recoiled, however, shuddering from
his touch. Then as he stood, hesitatine
and uneasy, in the center of the room,
suddenly drew forth Mr.. Bernard Dixon,
who had stood, partly concealed from view,
behind his son, and said:
Here 10 another person who would like
to renew your acquaintance, Mr.. Jocelyn."
be started back in amazement and alarm,
for, notwithstanding the remarkable re-
habilitation in the direction Of respecta-
bility and even gentlemanliness that had
been effected by the barber and tailor in
the whilom sailor tramp's personal appear
ance, he was still easily recognizable for
what he had been and what he had assumed.
| Bernard-Bernard Dixon!" exclaimed
the steward, quickly recovering his self.
possession and putting on a grieve6 and
alarmed expression. Can it be possible?
Do you know the risk you inctr?"
| why, look you, sir" cried, waving the
rest to silence, and addressing the steward
In an altered voice. What possible risk
could wealthy gentleman like Mr.. Bernard
Dixon run at the accusation of such an nm
principled, murderous wretch as your"
What do You mean? Are you mnd?" he
! exclaimed. starting back
Not nearly so mad as you, to run your
neck into the hangman's moose as you have
| done, cried. No, Montague de March,
mont, your madness is only equaled by
your crime. Fool and desperate in one,
you have sported with dangerous fortune
so long and SO wildly that at last she filings
you, helpless, at the scatfolds foot Your
fate is upon you'll"
Again these wild, those preposterous
chargesl" he muttered. beginning to side
toward the door.
interrupted him BY suddenly grasping
him with grip that be could not shake of,
at the same time tearing from his head the
bushy, cunningly oontriyed gray wig that at
his will had hid so long the close curling,
jet blnck locks Of q much younger SEM
blancs Of humanity. Then, wishing to
analyze thoroughly disguise which had
cheated me so well and SO long. l seized
his whiskers. not at the chin or throat. but
at one side--where there was neither
goatee nor under furze of natural beard to
mingle with the false, such as had met and
puzzled my unmasking intention upon
previous occasion and, with one smart
jerk, denuded his entire face Of its COW
ering.
Montague de Marchmont stood revealed
before us!
What have you to say for YOURSELF"
Numbered.