Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-03-25
CHAPTER XVI

CHAPTER XVI
SUSPICION
Private Edward Leader. batman to Mr..
Jcnes Blresford. of the Blalkshire regi-
meet. sat ia the kitchen Of his masters
quarters boxing and feeling that more
miserable devil than himself did net ex-
ist upon the face of the whole earth that
day.
He was not a young man who had en-
joyed the advantages Of q liberal educa-
ton. in truth. he could Just read and
write sufficiently well to be able TO scrawl
notes to hi, sweet heart and to make out
the aGdres,,'s Oh his masters letters. but
certai.,y EDt sufficiently well 10 trouble
to make himself acquainted with the con
tents Of the cplstles which came TO and
were sent OFF by Mr.. Deresford Had he
been better educated young man he
might have known and felt the wisdom
Of a certain very sensible remark which
comes to Us from the Italian; Tine word
that once escapes the tongue cannot be
recalled, the arrow cannot be detained
which has once s1ed from the bow" but
alas Private Edward Leader was blessed
with no wisdom of that kind. and only
acquired it after the fashion Of most
bunder;cg fools. by the aid Of the expen-
slve school Of sd and bitter experience.
Now that the mischief was done and
the effect Of his babbling tongue had
passed beyOnd his control he saw but too
plainly the extraordinary value of silence;
but it was too late-the mischief was
done-the word had escaped his tongue
the arrow had sped from the bow, and its
progress could not be stopped by him who
had let it fy-no. not even though it
should lodge in the very heart of the one
who i'll all tic wide world least deserved it.
For. during the excitement of that fear
full day on which Capt. Owen was found
still and stark il his own quarters. done
to the death BY the dastardly hand of q
murderer Leader had in talking over the
events of the previous night with his
comrades, let slip that his master and
Capt Owen had had "a shindy" in Mr..
Beresfords quarters immediately before
dinner.
Some at must have 'appened to put
the captain out" said Leader, shaking
his wooden head with a great air of wis
dom, for in general he's such a quiet
sort-ay. dear. was. | mean-pon my
life, it's hard to believe that es really
gone"
And they ad rowr" asked one of the
bystanders.
Yes of course you know, ! wasn't
there in the room. but the captain, c
conc up the stairs and banged into my
masters roon-and then l card Ugh
words. and at las. the captain banged out
again and into his own room
But you don't mean to say. Leader"
| exclaimed another listener. that you
think Mr.. Beresford did it?"
Course not; but it looks rum that they
| should ave igh words that very night"
returned I.eaaer, s.ubbornly.
Naturally, after this, il did not take
very long for q rumor TO spread through
out the barracks that Leader had good
| reason to believe that Mr.. Dcrcsford was
| the murderer of Capt Owen, and when
| the London detective, who came down
from Scotland Yard to watch the case for
| the Owen family. appeared on the scene.
almost the first Information he received
WIS an account of Leaders, remarks. an
| account doctored and heightened in such
| u way that the unfortunate young man
scarcely recognized Lis own story when
| he heard it again.
Poor wretch. when he realized what
| his blabbiEg tongue had done, what mis-
chief he had wrought, he made every eff
fort in his power to minimize the impress
sion which he had given
| My master murder any onei' he ex-
claimed in unmitigated horror, when the
detectives meaning first dawned upon
|
| him. mo, no. master, you re on a wrong
scent this time Mr.. Beresford amt one
of that sort-'e amt capable Of it,
| II don't say he is, my man; but at the
same time I'll trouble you to give me an
account of the row that you say took
| place between the two gentlemen on the
| night Of the murder. said the detective,
calmly
II never told you any row had taken
| 7 H.
attempt to fence the question.
| Il Fever said you did. did r. said the
detective. contemptuously. But you told
it to others, and III trouble you to tell it
to me"
| Then III be id if tell you any.
thing shouted Leader. in blind rage Of
| fury.
And not single word more could the
| detective coax or bully out of him: and
| the immediate result was that Beautiful
| jim was n few hours later arrested on sus-
| picion of being the murderer of Capt
| Owen
| II cannot be said that Jim was half so
seriously disturbed about the matter as
his now abjectly repentant servant was
He felt, with the assured consciousness
of innocence. that the detective had
Numbered. and that close investigation
|
right so far as he was concerned 1t was
bore going off to the county Jail. of
course, but beyond this inconvenience he
| did not mind very much. And before this
had happened Col Darnes had arrived
from Blank hampton, full Of distress at
the terrible tragedy and desperately
| anxious that the offender should be
brought to justice.
| 1t literally took his breath away when
| he returned to the barracks, after trans
acting some business in he town. to find
that Jim Bercsford had been actually or
rested on suspicion of being the culprit
and he iastened off to the prison at once
to try if he could not see him. The gov
ernor raised no objection, and he was at
once usherpd into Beautiful Jim pres
ence.
| Well, Beresford, said he suiting his
voice and manner to the occasion. this is
a very terrible business. =
Il hope it's not necessary for me to pro
test my innocence to you. sir. said jim
| graveiy.
| My dear lad, need not say that moth
inc short Of your own confession could
make ME believe you capable of an act so
cowardly." said the colonel kindly, but
at the same time. Deresford. it would be
satisfaction to me to have your positive
| assurance that all was right between you
| Col. Barnes, said jim, solemnly hold
ing out his hand. II give you my word
on the honor of an officer and gentle
nan. that am absolutely innocent of this
charge. and rs utterly ignorant of the
truth - you can be yourself"
II believe you implicitly" said the
colonel taking the young mans out
stretched hand and gripping it hard
| 1T was the greatest blow to me, Beau
tiful Jim went on. wretchedly. I'm fact.
colonel. could scarcely believe my own
eyes when went in the next morning
ard found him On with shudder. Ito
think it could be poor old Owen, the best
friend | ever had in all nv life-the dear
chap who smoked his last pipe with me
only seven or eight hours before"