The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-03-13
CHAPTER XIV

| .
opened its hospitable doors and gateWays
for the entertainment Of man and least.
The eye OF the world was fixed on Upnor
for the moment, and the Upnor tragedy
furnished a daily half column to every
journal in England. Representatives OF the
leading London and provincial newspapers
made the Black Bull their rallying place,
and two boys were specially retained to ride
with Geographic messages from the Bull to
the nearest rail way station. The gentlemen
OF the press, though very friendly with each
other out OF business moments. fought shy
one Of the other whilst at work, aud zach
one prosecuted his inquiries with a solitary
stealth which would have been betting to
a red Indian o the trail.
The local Geographic operator proved I'M
equal to the task imposed upon him, and
was superseded by man specially imported
from London, well-oiled gentleman with
great rope of aluminium watch chain,
who sat night and day clicking at the in
| strument-which was even for those days
old -fashioned-witha an assiduous dexteriJy
almost appalling to his country colleagues in
the service.
The interest Of the case never seemed to
flag for a moment The absolute disappear
ance Of Andre Dom, and the mystery sur
| rounding the motive for his crime kept
everybody concerned on the tenterhooks of
excitement for the first day. Then came
the arrest of Potter, whose action as an &C
! complice-if accomplish he were-was to
the full as mysterious as Dom's own. There
! were wild rumors afioat as TO Potter's hav-
| ing made away with the old Frenchman be-
fore or after the murder of George Red
| wood, and whilst these surmlses were still
burning, Mrs. Potter came to add fuel TO the
| fire by her unexpected advent and by her
| confirmation OF her husbands story with
respect to his Inheritance OF the Reynolds
| farm.
| The excitement reached its hight, how
ever, on the return Of the long-lost John
! Hetheridge, who but newly arrived in Eng
| land alter strange and aforementioned wan
behring's had learned the news of his old
comrades death, and half PROSTATE with
the shock had come down to Upuor TO as
sist in tracking the criminal, and as some
already whispered, to attempt the consola-
ton OF George Redwood's widow.
Hetheridge, like the other visitors to the
place, was quartered at the Black Bull, and
the scene in and about the house was like
that at fair. A third of the Inhabitants
| Of the county visited the place. The lower
rooms, the stable-yard, and the very street
was thronged. The funeral of the muir
dered man was attended by crowds, and
| Hetheridge, solitary in q hired mourning
coach. was the most conspicuous figure in
the assembly. 1t was known that for the
sake OF the widow he had sworn to track
George Redwood's murderer, and he had
declared TO the representatives of the press,
that he was willing, if need were, to spend
| the last penny of his fortune IN that inter
prise. A reward OF $500 was offered al
ready for the detection of the murderer IN
the name of firm of solicitors in the
county town, and everybody was aware
that Hetheridge had inspired theIannounce-
ment and deposited the money in their
hands
In the midst of the whirl of surmise
which filed abe public mind. no touch of
suspicion fell upon him. He had been
known in the village from his infancy, and
not a soul dreamed OF coupling him with the
missing Frenchman who unless he had been
| put away by Potter, was evidently the
| author of the tragedy.
On the day of his arrival at Upnor, Heth-
J eri ige had written brief note TO the agon-
lied widow. 1t ran thus:
"MY DEAR MRS. REDwooD-You will be
| surprised to learn that | am yet alive
returned to England only a few DAYS ago
in time TO learn of the awful event which
has made your life desolate. | am one of
the Oldest OF your friends and l am sure
| you have no warmer wellwisher. Let me
| be of service to you ii can. Yours faith
fully, JOHN HETHERIDGE.
As result of this note it happened that
the final arrangements for the funeral fell
into Hetheridge's hands. They were con-
Quoted with perfect propriety and order,
and it was generally held that the unexpected
aid OF so clear-headed ana buslnesslike
man was sort of providence for Mrs. Red
wood at the moment. She herself was
quite incapable Of taking charge OF affairs,
and for the first day or TWO after tho dis
| covery of the murder had fallen from one
swoon to another until for a time her life
was almost despaired of.
| When once the funeral was over the pub
lie interest began to wane. The police did
! not even make a profession of having a
clew to the whereabouts of Andre Dom, and
| the first magisterial inquiry so shook what
little case there was against Potter, that his
| discharge was looked upon as assured and
| when it finally transpired that every min
ute OF the mans time, from the hour at
which Redwood had left his home until the
| afternoon of next day could be reasonably
accounted for by credible witnesses, he was
/ discharged
His weeks imprisonment had sobered
him, but the suspicion which at first sur
| rounded him had SO confused his mind that
| he was incapable of any effort of memory
Even his recognition of his wife was clouded
by uncertainty, and it was not until she
had got him away to London that he began
| to be quite sure of her identity. She made
repeated inquiries as to the cause of his fail
| ure to join her aboard the ship in which
she sailed from Melbourne but elected res
at last she gave her task up in despair, and
surrendered herself to the belief at the
whole case was shrouded in an impene,
trable mystery
1t was not until month after the funeral
that Hetheridge found audscity enough TO
face the widow in person. He had written
TO advise her of bis coming. and found her
perpared to receive him. She gave him a
sad-mannered and gentle welcome. She
! was mere pale shadow of her former self
thin and listess Her one child, sturdy,
well-grown lad of 6, was at her knee when
| Hetheridge entered the room she sat in.
| The touch Of her hand sent cold shudder
through her visitors frame, and he sat
down confused and silent.
1t is kind OF you to come here, Mr.
Hetheridge," she began. 81 am very glad
to see so old friend ag in. We had heard
that you were dead"
al had narrow escape" he answered,
clumsIly, land for months l had no knowl-
edge or memory of what had happened.
You have no news" he asked, forcing him-
self to the question. THAT horrible French
man has got clean away
"We have no news" she answered,
family.
This is your boy?n he said. "Come here.
my lad" The child obeyed him, and he set
3 hand upon his shoulder aud looked into
his face. His features twitched SO, and he
felt his expression so beyond his own con.
troll that be hid their working behind
handkerchief How like poor George"