Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1889-05-02
"a TALISMAM.' %
by HON. MRS. MI.
CHAPTER III.

lure the one inscribed uJ inc DOJLOm
of the paper; yet he knew fully that
he had never written such document,
never sent any cheque 80 the bank
within the last month.
This is forgery" he said firmly,
indicating the paper still held in the
officers hand. Il denounce it as such
without the slightest hesitation.
never wrote one word upon that
paper"
You can say all that ut the trial,
sir" was the sceptical reply. You'll
have every chance of explaining thorc,
of course. Meantime my duty is"
He made "a significant stop forward.
who was the bearer of this note?
who received the cash? Whom?
How?" Leigh demanded sternly.
The officer made n gesture as much as
to say, "You know all this much better
than ;" but he answered:
"a footman in livery presented
cheque and note-the carriage to
which he belonged was waiting u few
yards from the park. You see in
your note Mr.. Leigh, you request that
the whole sum may be paid in gold,
and that struck the cashier as a little
queer; but thinking the man was your
own servant, and knowing the note
was genuine one in your handwriting
he cashed the cheque as requested.
Afterwards, when enquiries wore made
ne found the servants livery was Mr..
Beauchamp's, not yours; but the foot
man, on being privately questioned,
said that you were certainly in his
mistress's carriage at that time. He
had opened the door for you to get
into the carriage before he drove to
the bank, AID just gave the bag OF
money into the carriage window into
your hands us soon as he had got it. y
Leigh had staggered back and stood
white and silent, with a look Of hor-
ror in his eyes which his companions
took for certain sign Of guilt.
Rousing himself with an effort,
however. Leigh questioned in voice
unlike his own, hoarse and strained
and harsh:
odd the man sec me take it?"
''He couldn't say for certain, | be-
lAONOf blCAO "tAo IL VI NioAl JuOb bilClCt
and he had to jump quick back upon
his box, 10 get out of the way of an
other carriage; but he knowed you
were there. Then they drove back to
pick up Miss Beauchamp, who had just
got down Mt shop near; and the foot
man supposes that when his young
lady got in you got out as he did not
see you when they reached home.
When was it, you ask? Yesterday
morning-no earlier!"
A broken inarticulate exclamation
fell from Eberhard's lips; the look OF
incredulous, Over-powering, unbear-
able horror in his eyes deepened, his
features grew more CHASTITY, more
haggard; he seemed paralyzed for the
moment, and the practiced eyes of his
arresters construed each sign into one
OF confessed guilt.
"You must come along with us now,
sir" One of them advanced and
grasped his arm. BEST come quietly,
rs l said before, and we will call no at
tention to ii. )"
"You dare touch me, impairment
curl"
Like q lion rousing from torpor,
the soldier shook off the presumptous
arm, then with one well-dirocted blow
from the shoulder he laid his captor
fiat upon the floor.
The second man made dive at him
but Sims thought proper to interfere
now, and caught the man by the shout
der, as he shouted:
Make haste, Mr.. Leigh"
And Leigh dashed from the room,
and down the stairs, and out across the
barrack-yard, and into the street; but
as he ran, feet, strong, ng-breathed,
active as stag, he heard behind him
tho sounds OF pursuit.
With such n start as he had gained
Eberhard Leigh distanced his pursuers
with ease. He heard behind him their
shouts as naturally their number
swelled, and a veritable chase began
but he laughed 10 himself as, far ahead
of them all, he darted down n stable
yard, and there waited, quietly recov-
ering breath, until he saw them all
sweep By. Then, doubling, ho came
out OF the darkness, turned. and
walked along, by short cuts he knew,
swiftly but quietly in the direction OF
the Beauchamps' house.
As he dashed from his own room he
had the presence of mind 10 snatch up
his hat, and the night was fortunately
a dry one; his boots bore no traces of
mud-his appearance showed no sign
of anything unusual as he gained
the Observation-Disclosures house and
easily made his way up the crowded
stairs, greeting friends and acquaint-
ances as he passed them.
But one person alone he had como
TO see-one face alone he searched for,
scanning the dazzling throng with his
steel-like grey eyes until they fell upon
Elvira, the belle.