The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-09-14
CHAPTER x.

Two ladies were just sitting down to sup
per when Robert Harbut burst in upon
them.
ssDear me, Robert, how you startled one"
Miss Peyton said, as he suddenly opened the
door and ran in.
Don't sit down, Miss Peyton; for good
ness sake don't sit down, or ] know l shall
be obliged to keep my news until you have
finished supper, and to do so would be fatal
to me-"
sWhat is your news. Roberts" Miss Lei
cesuer asked. quickly, while Constance
looked anxiously at him.
s'Mv news is this-I have got a clew."
An exclamation of surprise and pleasure
broke from his hearers.
at was quite accidental" he went on;
s'but have learnt by most singular
chance who the man was who accompanied
Mr.. and Mrs. Corbyn ON the continent. l
have not got his name, but that will be easy
TO discover, for / have learnt that he
served as Mr.. Corbyn's scout at Oxford; SO
should say there will be no difficulty
whatever in getting his name from the col
lege books"
but how did you find that outq' Miss
Peyton asked.
"By the extraordinary piece of luck of
coming across probably the only man who
could give me the information" and Rob-
ert then repeated the story he heard.
"That is singular, indeed" Miss Peyton
said when he had finished; downright
providential. Now we have only TO find
out the mans name, and then to find him. "
1.-THE second part of the affair will be
more difficult than the firot," Robert said
"HOwever, | imagine that most of the
scouts are natives of Oxford; their fathers
have been scouts before them, or in some
way connected with the college, so we may
hope that if we do not find the man him
self living there now, we may find some of
i his people and learn where he now is if
alive. / say if alive, Miss Corbyn, because
you know we have agreed that as this took
/ place some eighteen or nineteen years ago
Il the man may not DO alive now, and it is as
we'll not to start by being too sanguine. as
otherwise we might have a severe disap-
poiutment."
81 am almost convinced that he is alive, "
Miss Peyton said; 81 don't think you would
ever have heard OF him in this strange way
4 if he hadn't been alive. And now let us
change the subject and have supper. I am
afraid that we shall find Mr.. Aliens dishes
none the better for standing SO long"
The meal was very cheerful one. Rob-
H ert harbut and Hilda were in high spirits.
Il Miss Peyton, although she had forbidden
4 any allusion to the subject, was evidently
L full Of it. Constance, though the happiest
II Of the party, was the most silent. She had
II lately herself began to give up hope. She
was ready, had there been anything to
h search for, to have devoted her life to the
pursuit, but when there was no clew 10 fol
low up, no clew however faint as to the di.
rection in which the search should lie
nothing apparently to do until chance
threw something in her way, she had felt
absolutely powerless. Now, the very vague
hope with which they had come down tc
Bath had been Unexpectedly realized. and
there was again something to work for. and
ciew to be followed up. 1t might end in
nothing, but at least it led somewhere fo,
the present. 1t was like track to trav-
eler lost on a moor. 1t might run in any
direction. 1t might end abruptly at a de.
serted sheepfold, it might lead to shelte,
ana rescue at any rate, it was something to
follow and gave ground for renewed hope
and confidence.
Now, my dears, we can renew the sub
lect," Miss Peyton said. at last 81 think,
to begin with, we ought to move a vote OF
thanks TO Robert for having thus sue.
ceedlng In discovering such an important
point"
but 1T was accident, pure accident.
aunt hilda said; 1--WE must not puff him
up WIN premature praise, it will be quite
tlme TO do that when he has made some.
thing out of the discovery
i don't think that is tair," Constance
sald, MI. Harbut has exactly carried out
MSS feytons instructions. He was to
lIroouce the subject as often as he could
oTuer that from some chance word he
niguC oDtaln clew. This he has effected
Seyonu our hopes and entirely agree with
Miss Peyton.n 80 wv "A'N
, hen as we are two to one,n that lady
riedn J AA'OAon o' Gal
90 lar" Robert Harbut said. cit has
= ro uen matter OF pure chance, but you must
tenri,Ia g ohat even the most practiced de-
- sotiFe cannot invent clew, he must wait
u1iI one presents itself, and then it is his
BUSINESS 10 carry it on. In this case the first
pelaVlohS are simple and obvious. shall
IlUIroW morning take the train to Didcot
Da a.L Inen up to Oxford. l shall find out the
f Glle 10 Oh tne man who attended Mr.. and
i IT. AR Giolovh on their travels and, if posi-
= s' discover whether his family live at or
q ear az oxford, and if SO shall then learn from
;ne man Is alive, and if SO where he is
g. IL ne is dead and has left a widow
"A H. a Ne useful to find her; he would proba-
" r. Law, lave told her the story and from her
ne+an 10y earn something which will help us
H. thot For example, if he had told
N
re Sne church at Folkstone, that would
y $est ,e nn our case greatly, for the really
III point is that we arc not in position
W. I've thls marriage took place there,
nnto oHa' the missing leaf in the register
con-. THIS marriage. 1 do not say that
SIJF1 would accept the evidence, but it
an. ioTsi, strength our moral position prodi-
eEo and might perhaps enable us to
ms ~ sS d satisfactory compromise"
and nmr should be ready to make any sort of
low ~ promise, Constance said, "as far as
in e sSs are concerned. providing they
arr a1tI ~ that my mother was lawfully
read Van SHOULD think" Miss Peyton said, THAT
~, e eu On on the evidence that you have now.
0u' might admit that if it would cost them
ONE ifhaHs' though am certain that woman
,ay la.s aS would not give way single point
,1rR II 0Vosne We're forced to-"
plai Gu see, Miss Peyton, as 1 have already
a eotin to Miss Corbyn, the difficulty in
nee oine anything in the form of a com
etb 1se Is almost if not quite insuperable.
q nd +s. Oh the principals can do more than
rsce nsenseives; the estate is entailed on the
q heir-male or female--and an entail