Mexico weekly ledger., 1890-10-02
nt nForYmouS FoEl

From the ibrary?" asked Sir George.
Charles hit his lip and remained silent.
would not have spoken to him for a
good deal at that moment. He looked
positively dangerous.
From the library, of course" he said
at last, controlling himself and speaking
with something of his old careless man
ner, laden with the spoils of my mid
night depredations. Parental fondness
will supply all minor details. no doubt;
SO. as the subject is delicate one for
me, will withdraw that it may be dis
cussed more fully in my absence"
stop. Charles!' said Marston; ''the
case is too serious for banter of this
kind. Ny dear boy" he added, kindly,
Il am glad to see you angry, but never
theleSs you must condeScend to explain.
Tho longer you allow suspicion TO rest on
yourself the longer it will be before it
falls on the right person. Come, what
were You doing in the passage at that
time of night?'
Charles was touched, could see. A
very little kindness was too much for
him.
1T is no good, Marston," he said. in
quite different voice; Il am not be-
lieved in this house
He turned away and leant against the
mantel piece, looking into the fire.
Ralph cleared his throat once or twice,
and then suddenly went up to him, and
laid his hand affectionately on his
shoulder.
Fire away, old boy" he said. in a
constrained tone, and he choked again.
Charles turned round and faced his
brother with the saddest smile l ever
saw.
"Well, Ralph" said he. 81 will tell you
everything. and then you can believe me
or not, as you like. | have never told
You lie, have II"
Not often" replied Ralph. unwill-
ingly.
You at least are truth ITSELF" said
Charles, reddening: land if You are bi-
ased in your opinion of me, perhaps it is
more the fault of that exemplary Chris
tan, Aunt Mary, than your own. Ac-
cording to her have told lies enough to
/ float company or carry an election,
and never like to disappoint her expec-
tations of me in that respect; but you
! have never, to my knowledge, deceived,
and am not going to begin now"
| You will be clergyman yet" whis-
| pered the sick parent. There is a good
! living in the family, Charles. l shall
| live to see the Rev. Charles Danvers in
a surplice, preaching his first sermon on
I the Ninth commandment"
! "At any rate he is practicing the fifth
! under difficulties at this moment" said
Marston. as Charles WINGED and turned
his back on the parental sick bed.
Come, my boy, we are losing time
"Will somebody have the goodness to
restrain Middleton if he gets excitedT
said Charles Il am afraid he won't
| like part of what I have got to say"
Nonsense, sir!' replied with warmth.
II hope can restrain myself as well as
any man, even under such provocation
as l have lately received. You may de-
pend on ne, sir, that"-
'.We lose time" said Marston, seating
himself by me and cutting short what
vas saving in an exceedingly brusque
manner. "Come, Charles. you shoult
not be interrupted"
But he was. interrupted him tn
whole time in spite Of continual effort
on the part Of Marston to make me kee
silence. am not the man calmly to lie
pass black insinuations against tha char
acter Of friend. No; stood up fo
him. lam glad to think how stood u
for him, not only metaphorically, but i
the most literal sense Of the term; for
found myself continually getting II
ands Marston as often pulling me dow
again into my chair.
cam to speak, or Is Middleton sal
Charles at last in despair. 81 will do
solo, or I will keep silence; but really
am unequal to duet"
''Sir George" said Marston, Twill yo
have the goodness to desire Col. Middle
ton to be silent or to leave tho room VI
til Charles has finished his story
I was justly annoyed at Marston'
manner Of speaking of me, but as 1 ha
no intention to leave the room and mis-
what was going on l merely bowed i
answer to civil request from Sir Georg
and took up an attitude of dignifed 81
| L L l
vindicating my friend, and after all n
one evidently was accustomed to believ
what Charles said.
"As was saying" he continued, "
, suspected Carr from the first. did nc
, like the look Of him. and I purposel
. pumped Middleton about him last nigh
. at supper"
nearly burst out at the bare idea c
, Charles daring to say he had pumpe
, me; but, as will be seen, he could twis
anything that was said to such an exten
, that it was perfectly useless to contra
dict him any longer. Isaid not a singl
, word and he went OH
"An Middleton told me confirmed IN
in my suspicious. Sir John had bee
, murdered the night before Middleto
sailed for England, a whisper of tn
jewels having no doubt gone abroad
Carr came ON board next day and mad
friends with Middleton Whether h
, had anything to do with the murder c
not God knows! but he found out-na,
Middleton openly told him that he ha
= jewels of great value in his possession
which he carried about on his person
Carr was the only person aware {
that fact What follows? Carr has MID
dleton's address in London. Middleto
=. goes to the house and finds that his si
ter has moved to the next street. Thf
house to which he first went Is broke
, into and the poor woman in it
: murdered or dies Of fright that sam
night. I mention this as coincidenc
number one. The following evenin
> Middleton, having by chance left th
,, jewels at home, dimes and goes to tn
theatre by appointment with Car
/, Unique cab accident occurs, in whic
Middleton is knocked on the head an
rendered unconscious. Coincidence nun
Der two. Miss Middleton's house
broken into that same night on Middl
. toms return to it. Coincidence nu1nbe
!, three. When l put all this together la
night, remembering that Carr, by Mi,
. dleton's own account, was the only PEI
son aware that he had jewels of gre,
value in his keeping, felt absolutel
? certain (as feel stilD that he had a
cepted the invitation and come dow
from London solely for the purpose {
stealing them It was pure conjecture c
my part. and dared say nothing
yond begging Ralph not to leave Il
jewels in the Ibrary-which, howeve
| he did [ went straipht off to nv roo