Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1890-03-27

aversion to the chance companionship
proffersd-
With an unsuspicious ain, but secretly
wary Of the others every movement, Jas
per trudged along at his side, asking nu-
merous questions pertaining to the coun-
try through which they were passing, and
receiving monosyllabic responses, for the
main part. until they reached the main
street Of Highcombe. Here he came to a
pause, in the determination Of giving the
fellow a friendly hint at parting.
BE ye gooin' so soon, maister?' said
the pretended lout, with q sudden and
unexpected display Of interest. -Ye seem
to be from furrin PARTS. Might q Ak ye
may be, an wheer froom, maister?"
TO be sure you may. my mani" replied
the returned wanderer, sying him keen
ly. Il am from California, latterly, where
il was more than once my luck to deal
with would-be detectives, both profession
al and amateur. Your present line of ac-
ton would by no means do you credit in
that country"
"a doant oonderstand We, maister, {"
was the Rrunted response. accompanied
by clovnish scratch of the head.
-Oh, yes, you dol I don't know what
your real character may be, but I do
know that your whiskers are false, your
face and hands imbrowned artificially,
and your rough clothes and brogans but
assumed for the time being. So you had
better keep right ON toward Gilbert Mar
loves house, for which you are headed,
and report to your employers the little
you've been able to extract from dogging
my movements all the morning. May 1t
do you as much good as your cowardly
lurkings and spyings in Boncourt's gar
den last night"
Wormer burst into a . broad rustic
laugh, but still cIung to his assumed
character, which, perhaps, he was too
mortified and humiliated to relinquish on
the spot.
-Lor', but hoo ye do mistake maisteri"
he exclaimed. I'm moo moor a spyin'
creature than your sen. True emo, o. do
knaw the gret hoose o. the banker, o g
who doant in Highcombe's PARTS, but a
niver dremmed O. Rooin' theer, master,
but foorthsr doom the roadway"
All the same, since that will take you
to old Croak's Office, said Jasper.
lie then turned impatiently away, while
the discounted spy was left to seek his
employers ut his leisure; though not
to give them the least inkling of his i'll
success in masquerading, we may be sure
of that.
As for Jasper Mariowe, satisfied that
his further movements would be freed of
espionage, at least for an hour or 30, he
moved off through the suburbs of the
town, with o directness of action be-
tokening him to have yet an object in
view other than that in which he had thus
far failed.
His air was, nevertheless, that Of man
who is saddened and depressed. II
might well be SO with him; for even there
in his native England, amid the scenes
of his youth and early manhood, he felt
like stranger in strange land. He
dared not make himself known to the
many friends and acquaintances he had
once had; for now, without the proofs OF
his sinnocence--dispossessed OF that little
bit of writing, which might almost be
said to have vanished into air, he would
be either ignored, or contemptuously rec
ognized as one whose name was forever
and foully darkened among men.
Worse fate than contumely might be in
store for him, for he felt sure that, In
having incurred the lasting alarm and
resentment Of men like Gilbert Marlowe
and Lawyer Croak, there was now moth
ing that they would stop at in order to
get rid Of him and purchase the con-
seriousness of safety for themselves.
He could only watch and wait and
hope; he could for the present only
strive to be strong and alert in his suffer.
ings. They might conquer in the end
they might run him to earth at last, bu
he would contest with them inch by inch
To this determination he had finally
come, and it nerved him for the struggle