The Springdale news., 1889-01-18


 CHAPTER x.--6sosTlNuED.
 ucoo,.c,e I7os+o, ,,ou are a fool of the first ,,aonitnde and I1fterly refuse to say GnU ,bfna to vo,, After such a speech as you ha,.o fa,,,,,sd me with, I won't ask where vou got your very important information in ,,eeard to myself, nor even give you the satisfaction of saying whether it is true or not You can go to the devil, but, if l make up my mind to marry your sister, neither you, nor Tom Wilson, nor any other low bred farmer will stop me; understand that!a
 s'yillain" cried George, then you defy me to my face and are cur enough 10 threaten a sisters ruin and shame before her very brotherl Gentlemdn' Bah Dog, l will tear your black heart out!" and George made lunge for Perciyars throat when suddenly there rang out the report of a pistol-shot and Georges arm fell motionless to his side, while he himself sank to the ground
 At first Percival felt sure that he was shot, for the reader must understand that he had no pistol or firearms of any kind upon his person at the time. But he soon satisfied himself that he was unhurt, and then, as he saw Foster stretched lifeless on the ground, he thought that George must have drawn on him and by accident shot himself. He looked carefully around but there was no weapon in the seemingly, dead mans hands nor yet anywhere near " hat was the meaning of tl he hallooed, but no one answered Matters looked serious Harkl men with lanterns coming from Eos ter's house, no doubt alarmed by the sound of the shot. They would certainly arrest him-the circumsta tantial evidence would be so very strong. He certainly did not shoot I l.. of any kind as to who did shoot him, much less state the reason for such deed. Mo ments were flying. Even if he were acquitted by the magistrate or by the judge and jury, it would be very awkward to be arrested even and have to give an account of himself. An There was Fosters horse the very thingl He would ride it to Lon don and there resume his right name and take the chances 9f his wife ever hearing of him. No sooner thought than acted upon, and when the farm hands found poor George Foster, weltering in his blood on the high way, Pcrcival was nearly half-a-mie on the London road. They carried the wounded man flor he was not dead1 into his house, and, fortunately, there was staying at the "Feathersn for the night d Fenborough surgeon, who was soon at hand, The wound was serious but not fatal, and after dressing it the doctor told Mrs. Wilson and Rachel, who were to be the nurses, that in q few weeks all would De well.
 When, after riding brisk1y for nearly three miles, Perciyal reincd III his horse, and listening heard no sound of footsteps following he thought himself well out of his serape. The fact was. his troubles were only just commencing. Up to this time Percival had certainly acted the part of consummate scoundrel, but he was free from the stain of murder, and although suspicion might fall upon him on account of his sudden departure, no one had seen him in George Fosters company that day and no reasonable accusation could be lad agaInst him He was fast regaining his old nonchalant air when he reached the point where the Stagborough road diverges from the main road which passes on through Weirdale to London. The spot is very lonely; no houses are within sight at midday, and now it was winters night and exceptionally dark As Percival heard the footsteps of t horse comlng up at slow trot, even he began to feel little nervous. Certainly the knights of the road were al most entirely an institution of a past gener- ation, and yet he had that very night passed an old giboet with the bones of dead aud gone highwayman clanking in its chains, which grlm reminder did not serve 10 strengthen his nerves at ali. Possibly this lonely road was selected by the few remain ing knightly cut-throats as a fitting place to ayenge the fate of their predecessors Percival put his hand in his breast aud as surcd himself that he was in safe possession of stiletto which he had purchased in Italy, and pressing his knees to his horse the latter broke into q canter.
 But the horseman going the other way was not to be passed so easily, for, looking well into Percval's face as he came up to him, he wheeled his horse around and riding up to Pereivals side laid his hand upon the latter's bridle Percival turned to get a look at the mans face and was horror struck. He half expected to see masked highwayman, but he did not calculate upon meeting an apparitlon.
 Yet there, riding with him under these strange and unpleasant circumstances was his evil genius Randolph or his ghost! Percival was tongue-tied for q moment or two, and when he regained his power of speech his first words were:"Whero is my your wife, man!a
 -Four wife, Sir James, eoolly replied Randolph (for he it assurediy wast, "is in good health and at her rooms in the Gray'a Inn Road, London. She will be pleased to see you, Sir James.
 "Ah, rascal exclaimed the now reaiiY alarmed baronet, II unders'and you. oa sSaaye taken full advantage ot ny ioi4s III