Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-09-19
CHAPTER K. BuSINESS AND PIEASIIRD.

friendly call on you, but got tired waiting and was coming away when i heard the rum pus. Blest if it don't seem as if Providence was setting me to keep sort of q watch over you, so hang fast to your guardian angel, my boy-you're doing pretty well and now, here we are!"
 The police had not responded to tho call for them, and there was nothing for Norris to do but to accept the aid proffered him. His landlady opened the door, and started back at seeing his white face. She cast a quick, suspicious glance at his companion, and uttered a scream as Norris reeled and sank into one of the hall chairs, his head falling back.
 "Stop that and bring mo some water," ordered Ingot, sharply. He fumblcd for his own pocket-flask and put it to the young mans lips. By the time Mrs. Bates got back with the water Norris was showing signs of returning consciousness; in mo- ment more he satup
 ''It's the loss of blood, suppose" he seid, faintly.
 'sBleedinga Why, so you are This coat sleeve is soaked. Scissors" to the land lady. "Got any one to send for doctora Oh, you can telephone. Well, that's better. I'll manage to stop the bleeding little till he gets here."
 He applied ligature above the wound, drew it tight, and afterward helped tho young man up to his room.
 II wouldn't advise you to move moro than is necessary said he, "but you may as well get there one time as another. 1 wonder the rascals wasted that cut on your arm; spose you were able to help yourself little, thoughs'
 "Yes, it was aimed at my heart They meant to finish mc''
 "Pshaw, now! What for, do you supposea Robbery!''
 'I do not know. I have not had time to think. It was certainly not worth their l while if that was their object" Well, don't talll," cautioned 1ngot, but Norris was bent upon aScertaining all the facts. His pocket-boolz was gone; his watch, an inexpensive silver one, was safe | in his pocket; his neclztie was torn and the pin missing.
 ''Were going regularly through you when l frightened them off," observed Ingot, at | this summing up. "Here is your doctor. I'll just wait for what he says. and then 1 take myself off,"
 He was as good as his word, after render l ing some assistance to the physician in | dressing the wound Afterward, Norris was given composing draught and left in 1 the charge of Mrs. Bates, but some worry | ing thought had come to keep sleep from l his eyes.
 l Ibid that gentleman wait long, Mrs. l Batess'
 l "Yes, sir. Two hours, quite. That Sally ] showed him up, and 1 never knoWed it till he was going out. just run up then to see | as all your things was safe, not knowing g what he might be, and it give mo such a turn to see him come in afterWard with you that | way"
 l ''He was here in my room.'' "Yes, sir, which 1 told Sally she never oughter do, but he asked to come right up and some girls is that dumb. They're the l Worrit of one's life, Mir. Bergman, that's l sure."
 | What had Hiram Ingot been doing in his l room for two hours, Norris wondered, as hc l lay with his eyes closed. He could not get l over the impression that there was some- | thing sinister hidden beneath this would-be | friendliness of the book-l1eeper. He was ! glad he had been carrying that fugitive scrap of paper in his pocket-bool,, which had been stolen from him. He was willing to l bear his own loss, which was not great, | rather than it should fall in the hands of l one whom he felt to be secret enemy of l the Childers.
 Ho was restless and feVerish tho next l day, and though he rose and dressed with l the assistance of the chore-boy, he was glad l enough to talko to 6 lounge, where he put in | two or three days of such misery as men experience when kept indoors, without being so desperately i'll as to take their l thoughts from outdoor things.
 Uncle Amos came, determined to carry him home to the cottage, and was only de- l tered by tho doctors declaration that he was better off without q change.
 AS Norris persisted that he was in TO need of nursing beyond tho care he got from Mrs. Bates, the elder Bergman came l and went daily until his nephew began to mend. There had been something on Uncle Amos mind meanwhile, but now he got it off.
 "Didn't say you would get on tho right | tracks Have you any more confidence now in the future have marked out for you,
 Norrisi don't despair of seeing you as high as Pinkerton yet. This attack shows that you have made progress, at any rate."
 ''In what way, Uncle AmosF'
 'By making the rascals so afraid of you | that they're willing to run the risk of an
 attempt to put you out of the way. Of
 course, it was the express robbers who
 made the assault on you. They know you re
 on their track; they havc made up their
 minds that you're a dangerous enemy, SC
 took that means of getting rid of you, but
 they're not apt to try it over again, for they
 know that thls will put you on your guard
 You're not as keen as l think you if you
 don't follow this business up and make it a
 step toward unraveling that mystery"
 His uncle's view of the case did not seem
 wholly improbable to Norris after he had
 turned it over in his mind. Though his part
 in apprehending Abraham Stone had come
 about through accident, it might seem te
 the gang to have been the result of sue
 cessful espionage. This would be probable
 if there was collision between them and
 Ingot Norris was inclined to think tha,
 the latter had played part when he came
 upon the scene with the policeman that
 night; he had gone the length of imagining
 that Ingot might have been Stone's com
 panion, on the lookout for papers," while
 the coarser ruffian covered his movements
 by stripping the house of its valuables.
 Against this was the fact that there was
 certainly no collusion between the mer
 who had attempted his life and the book
 keeper.
 Thinking of it made his head ache, ant
 he turned his face to the wall, trying to put
 the whole matter out of his mind. H. To be contlnue..