Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1889-11-09

Of MS adventure at Dunraven, beginning
with his instructions 10 the men he left
at the gate. and ending with old Matt
lands ''vooning; and about an hour after
he had finished he saw the adjutant with
small escort ride away down the valley,
and rightly conjectured that the colonel
had sent letter TO Dunraven inquiring
into tho ,use Of tho assaults on two
members Of his command. Battalion
drill kept him occupied all the morning;
q garrison court convened at noon and
sat until skirmish drill began at 8 p. M;
and so IL happened that not until near
parade did he hnd moments time TO
himself. He longed to see Mrs Law.
renee and question her as to the nature
Of the "Dunraven stories" she had mem
toned; for what had been a matter OF
indifference to him then had suddenly
become Of vivid interest There were
ladies sitting on tho Lawrences' gallery,
he could plainly see, a. the cavalry Off.
GERS came tramping In from afternoon
stables, but he could not hope to ask or
henr anything about Q matter 40 near
his heart in the presence Of 80 many
sympathetic and interested listeners. He
kept away towards his own gate, there
fore, until he saw that there leaning on
the gate post. and apparently awaiting
him, stood DIR. Quin.
Perry would gladly have avoided the
doctor, the antagonism he was beginning
to feel for him was of character that
would hardly brook concealment. Cor
dial and joyous In manner as he was to
almost every man, woman and child he
met, IL was all the more noticeable that
to tho very few whom no held in dislike
or distrust his bearing was cold and re-
pellent in the last degree. Something
told him the doctor was there to speak
to him about their chance meeting at
Dunra,en. He did not want to speak to
him at all, lust now. Yet how could he
hope TO have these matters explained
without a meeting and talk? While
the officers strollcd over and stopped,
most of them, In front Of the group Of
ladies at Lawrence's, Perry stalked
straight across the parade and the boun-
dary road, with his blue eyes fixed on
the doctors face.
The latter was studying him as he
came, and doubtless read that expression
of GOODNESS and distrust; possibly he re-
sented 1t. At all events, something
prompted him to speak in tone less
cordial than he had ever employed to-
wards Perry youngster whom I
thoroughly approve Of" as he said be-
fore he had known him a week. Still
leaning on the gate post, and resting his
head on his hand, the doctor began:
"Mr. Perry, have been to see you
twice today, but could not find you, and
wanted to speak with you on matter
of some Importance.
"You could have found mo on drill or
the court, if anything immediate was
needed. havo been nowhere else, ex-
cept to stables" said Perry, shortly.
''It was personal matter--a some
what embarrassing one-and thought
best to see you alone"
"Well, hero l am, DR.. Quin; drive
ahead and let us have It,"
81 wanted to ask you If, while you
were at the ranch last night, you saw
anything of a large signet ring, with a
81 did not, unless you mean the one
Mr.. Maitland wore"
1.-THE very onel You noticed that, did
you"
81 noticed no had something of the
kind on his left hand when he came
down"
"And il was nowhere to be found after
you went away. You may remember
you were chatting and slapping that hand,
and j thought you might have accident
ally removed it at that time"
THE reflection is not II pleasant one,
Dr. Quin" said Perry, with an angry
light in the blue eyes.
pardon me, Mr.. Perry; put 1t awk-
wardly, but mean no reflection what.
ever. Miss Maitland mentioned your eff
forts to restore the old gentleman TO con-
sciousncss, and together we searched the
sofa and the floor after we had put him
safely to bed and discovered the loss of
the ring. 1t is one to which he attaches
peculiar value, and its loss has preyed
upon him. While / know very well you
could not have the ring, was asked to
ascertain if you remembered seeing it,,
and so establish the truth of Mr.. Matt
lands belief that it was on his finger
when he went to that room"
1T was; but do not recollect its be-
ing on his hand after he was carried to
the sofa. 1t would surely have attracted
my attention while chatting it,"
''The parlor, hall and piazza have been
swept and searched, am told by this
note" and the doctor indicated little
missive he held in his hand, whereat
Perry's face did not brighten, "and with
no success. l was asked to inquire Of
you, and if it has annoyed you, as l in
fer by your manner, pray let that be
my apology. Then am to say you saw
it when Mr.. Maitland entered the room,
but not again?"
Precisely; unless you choose to add
to your correspondent that tho next
time am associated with missing prop
erty at Dunraven would prefer to be
questioned direct, and not through a
third party"
A quiet smile shone for an instant on
the doctors grave face:
Il fear that have not accomplished
my mission very automatically, Mr..
Perry, and am sorry to have vexed you.
The colonel tells me, by the way, that I
ought to say to you that the reason /
was SO long in reaching your party last
night was that I was detained attending
to another case--one of our own men,
Good evening, SIR" And, raising his
forage cap, the doctor walked slowly
and with dignity away, leaving Perry
too surprised to speak.
''The colonel told him to tell me-" was
Perrys wondering soliloquy at last.
"Then suppose he must have told the
chief some story to account for his being