The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1891-08-14


By the twenty-fifth of November you
whether you desire our relations to con-
tinue or not Meanwhile l give you
your salary for that first month. Next
month, if you be not content, we part.
Is that right"
81 have been II poor man most of my
life" said Tom, clearing his throat and
looking steadfastly at the other. cts
no use binding the fact that you are
making me Il wonderful proposition. It's
not ordinary business, and l can't ac-
count for it. If l had saved your life
and you wanted to reward me for it you
couldn't do more. Such an amount of
money isn't Il salary; it's fortune. l
can't earn it; it would be gift, not q
payment. But if you are buying only
my services, and not my soul, I'll accept
it. I'll make NY services as valuable as
can"
eff you have not saved my life, per-
haps you may some time have done for
some one good act for which you were
never recOmpensed," remarked the count
gently. ''And perhaps take this means
of discharging an obligation conferred
upon me by some one whom l was una
BILE to reward at the time. We must
make use of each other in this way. If
besides your services l gain your friend
ship l shall be still your debtor"
The somewhat formal manner of this
speech did not detract from its evident
sincerity. The count took ten one
thousand-dollar bank notes from his
pocketbook and laid them on the desk,
observing, Il cashed a check at the bank
just now-if the notes will not incon-
venience you. Some time today you can
make receipt, and also draw up pa
per to give you my power of attorney,
and, if you like, one embodying our
agreement. And now" he added, as if
to prevent Tom from giving expression
to the feelings that were swelling in his
heart, ''let us return to what | was say
ing. have seen a house that will suit
me. l want you to secure it for me-"
whereabouts is the house, inquired
Tom.
The count described its location.
"Why that's the Harry Trent house,"
Tom exclaimed. Its a good house-I
don't suppose there's better in town:
bnt no one has ever lived in it. Do you
know why"
Its situation pleasedme, and it seemed
to have-What you call elbow room"
1.-The owner, the man who built it,
Harry Trent, was murdered there two or
three years ago. 1t was a famous case.
was retained in it myself. 1t gave the
house bad name. Do you care for that
sort of thing?'
emo" answered the count simply. 81
think have heard of that man." he add
ed, after pause. "Was he not q mer-
chant of diamonds"
"That was the man. Tall, fresh look
ing, with white hair, An agreeable fell
low, believe"
eyes, have met him. Was he not in
Paris in eighteen hundred and sixty
nine? Yes, the emperor was said to do
some business with him. And he was
murdered, you say? And you were of
the counsel?'
81 appeared for the prisoner"
"The man who murdered him, who
was he?'
"Well, my conviction was then, and is
now, that the prisoner was not the man
who murdered him. Appearances were
against him, but believe he was inno-
cent. His name was Keppel Darke, an
artist"
"Did you prove it to the jury"
"No," said Tom with sigh; "they
found him guilty in the second degree.
He was sentenced to imprisonment for
life. They might as well have hanged
him."
"Why do you say that? If he is limo
cent, it is always still possible that it
may be found so; and then, since he still
lives, it can be made good to him."
cit will never be much good to him,
poor boy! He was killed in railway
smash as they were taking him to Sing
Sing. He's out of the question. But I'd
like mighty well to get on the trail of
the real murderer. That would be
worth while still!''
"Have you suspicious on the real one?
81 can't say have. Nobody seems to
have benefited by his death. His widow,
to be sure, got his fortune; but she must
have had the use of it while he was alive.
My idea was that Trent had some in
trigue or other that never was known
about, and that that was the cause Of
his death. But there's no telling"
Had he no relationship triends-to
whom part of his fortune might have
been left?
mo blood relations, as far as is known:
but-well, this was an odd feature Of
the case. There was an old lady and
her daughter in whom he was interested,
and believe they were some sort of dis
tant cousins of his. It was reported
that he thought of marrying the girl; he
was acting as her guardian, and allowed
the two an income out of his own pocket.
But when he died his will gave them
nothing, not even continuance of the
allowance"
''And the will was not contested"
"No. Miss Raven was sensitive IN
der the circumstances and preferred
not"
"But if he left widow how was it
that he expected to marry this young
LADY,"
| "That was a little surnriaa The mar