Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1892-09-20

side Of the house. which fronted west
ward on the road. On the opposite side /
Of the road was a narrow strip of land /
planted with vegetables, and above this
rose the abrupt side Of a hill, assembled /
by a winding path partly hidden by this
trees. / could not see this hill and path /
without leaning out Of the window aud |
looking toward the right; but a consider
able part of it was reflected in my win, !
dow pane mirror and could thus be |
readily observed without rising from |
my chair. Happening then, as said, 10 |
cast my eyes upon this mirror. saw two |
persons standing together on the patti |
upon the hillside and conversing In |
very animated manner
had no difficulty 10 recognizing |
them; they were Mr.. Birchmore and his
valet SO far there was nothing surpris
ing in the spectacle. That whicR did |
surprise and even astonish me. however
was the mutual bearing Of the two men
toward each other.
l have already mentioned the per
emptory tone in which Mr.. Birchmore
uniformly addressed the man Slurk and
the generally overbearing attitude he
assumed toward him. but in the CONVEX
sation now going forward all this was
changed To judge by appearances, 1
should have said that Slurk was the
master and Mr.. Birchmore the valet
The former was gesticulating forcibly
and evidently laying down the law in
very decided and autocratic way His
square, ungainly figure seemed TO dilate
and take on a masterful and almost
hectorBng air; while Mr. Bipchmore
stood with his hands in his coat pocketS
undemonstrative and submissive, appar
emily accepting with meezness all that
the other advanced, and only occasion
ally interpolating n remark or a sugges
ton to which Slurk would pay bat slight
OF impatient attention Both were evl
IDENTIFY talking in a low tone; for. though
they were not more than fifty or sixty
yards from where sat, could not catch
a single word, or even 50 much as an IN
articulate murnur, unless by deliber-
ately Rtraining my ears. But | did not
need nor care 10 hear anything; what
saw was quite enough to startle and
mystity me.
After a few minutes the two inter
locutors moved slowly on up the path
and were soon beyond the field Of my
mirror But the unexpected scene which
had witnessed did not SO soon pass out
Of my mind
l got up from my table and began
walking about the room with the rest
lossness Of one who cannot make his new
facts tally with his preconceived ideas
| Who and what was Slurk. and how had
| he obtained ascendency over a man like
Birchmore; Certainly it could not be a
natural ascendency. Birchmore must
have put himself in the others power
In other words, Slurk must be black
mailing him. And this was the trouble
was it?-this was the mysteryG Ii was
an ugly and awkward business, certain
ly; but the main question remained after
al unanswered. What was It that
Birchmore had done to give Slurk hold
upon him? and had that act, whatever ii
was. compromised his daughter along
with him?
For now that I gathered up In my
memory all the hints and signs which
had come under my notice in relation u
this affair, | could not help thinking that
Hates attitude had in it something sug
gestive Of more than mere filial syinpa
thy with her fathers misfortune. In
that misfortune or disgrace she had a
personal and separate, in addition 70 a
sympathetic, share And yet in what
conceivable way could low william like
Slurk fasten his grip upon pure and
spotless young girl1 And what a hid
eous thought-that such a girl should bS
in any way at his mercy The more
turned the matter over in my mind the
more ugly did It appear. No wondel
that father and daughter had warner
me away.
Some men In my position, having seer
thus far, might have shrunk back anC
given up the enterprise But | was moi
in that category. was more than evel
determined to see the adventure to II
end-nay, TO gain my own end in it too
The conditions of the contest were at al
events narrowing themselves down Z
recognizable form. It was to be tria
Of strength mainly between myself an6
Saskatchewan an educated. plucky
Englishman and base German ruffiaT
between one, moreover, who haS
right. moral and legal, on his side an'
love rs his goal-and one armed onl,
with underhand cunning and terrorism
and aiming at nothing higher than tn
extortion Of money. This was the wa.
read the situation, and iiattered my
self that was equal to the emergency
,, Upon consideration. however. de
cided TO alter my intention OF askinl
Mr.. Birchmore about his valet, It wa
tolerably clear that he was not in a posi-
! ton to give me any information; and
! besides. had already learned everything
except the particulars Those particu
lars. II did not succeed in discovering
them unaided, must be extracted fron
Kate She would not withhold then
from me II questioned her resolutel
and directly enforcing my inquire
with disclosure Of the knowledge hal
already obtained This, then, should b
my next step. | sealed mp my letters
locked them IN my desk and, It bein
, now nearly seven o'clock, went dow
to supper