The morning call., 1892-07-03


would have been easy"
'NbY not have done IL yourSelf?'
Vaughan returned, with deeper scowl.
on were The last man, on your own con-
lesSlon, who saw him alive; you met him
IN lonely spot, and for all We know to the
contrary, he might have come here that
night with fresh proofs against you. Good
ness knows, l believe you innocent; but
the theory Of foul play is dangerous one
for vou.'
tions" George replied. striving in vain to
speak calmly. "It would be equally sensi-
Bile to point to you as the murderer. on
have the place ! held. the place you COW
eted. Before Smithson went TO Amer
lea you and he laid your heads together
to convict me. BY some means or other
Mr.. Foljambe discovers the truth, and by
some means also yon know that he has done
so. Then you follow him, and-well. the
rest is easy. Circumstances soon multiply
themselves suspicion once aroused, Here
is one ready made: Why did you miss
coming here for the first time in three
months on the very night that my late en-
ployer had disappeared?
''This is a poor jest" Vaughan said
hoarsely. u did come"
"Yes, close on II o'clock. Still do but
jest, though you take it so seriously. Still
you insulted me first, and"
With an authoritative wave OF his pipe
stem Benjamin Atwood put an end to the
argument. "lt Is sore subject and gains
nothing by discussion" he observed sentpn-
tiOusly. You are both talking nonsense.
and dangerous nonsense, too. Change the
subject"
But with this expiring effort the flicker
lng conversation went out altogether.
Vaughan rose, and taking up his hat,
wished his friends an early good might as he
passed out, Rose rising to open the door for
his departure In his own masterlY way ne
took her by the shoulder and led her out
into the moonlight. You will forget all
that, he said tercsly. This pain get at
my heart makes me almost mad at times.
Rose, how much longer are you going to
keep me waiting?' He bent down as if to
kiss her. but the girl drew hastily away. A
thin haze crossed the moon and a puff of
wind from the west brushed her cheek. 1t
was as we'll that she did not see the lurid
light In her companions eyes.
Very we'll. he said. Goodnight; ana
remem Der that the time will come when |
shall make you love me-"
Rose felt an almost wild sense Of relief as
her impetuons lover disappeared. She did
not care for him; her heart told her that.
though she shTank from giving pain by
direct refusal. She fingered a moment In
the open, conscious OF a mlder breath in
the air, and listening TO the sough OF the
wind in the woods Presently, as the
clonds seemed TO theken, she felt the rain
spray on her cheeks.
There Is heavy weather on the hills"
Atwood said. as he drew his chair nearer
to the wood-fre. 81 thought it seemed
warmer. Bless me. Is that rain 2" A burst
of wind dashed the sheeted water against
the cas- ement, and caused the feathery
ashes to dance and whirl on the hearth
stone. A sudden change" the old man
continued. There will be no skating on
the Swirle tomorrow. A Eight Of rain
with all this snow, and before morning we
shall see a flood the like of which Portside
people have never witnessed before"
AS the cottage lay still and silent. with tbe
heavy dowDpoar roaring on the roof, the
grOaniHg and cTeaking ice ON the river rose
higher and higher. Morning was still strug-
Cling with night as 4 crash louder than the
rest reused Benjamin Atwood, who hastily
assumed his clothes, and wrapping himself
in heavy macintosh, walked toward the
river. The vast sheet Of ice, like a thing of
life, trembled and vibrated, and then. ike
the roar OF artillery, broke into million
pieces Suddenly released. the rushing food
water rose with marvellous speed, creeping
mp tie banks, till within the hour the eTsi-
while solid plain was creamy seething
mass OF green foam and floating e-fl0es.
Eight feet in al hour" exclaimed Stra-
han, who had also come Oat to watch the
wonderful eight, "and 80 miles of ice to
come down yet. No chance Of that getting
through the P0rtSide stone bridge What
with the rain in the night and the snow on
the Black Mountains, there'll be 20 feet of
hoOd-water, not reckoning the ice at all
As the day went on it seemed probable
that Strahan'S pro heey would be fulfilled.
With alarming rapidity il rose, bearing
great fields Of ice, uatil, almost impercepti-
bly, al first. the current began te slackeu.
while the water itself rose with alarming
Tapidity. The most sinister prophecies had
been fulfilled, and the ice had jammed ab0ut
POTtside bridge.
Along the embankmeDt by Foliambe's
factory the immense mass began 20 collect.
pressing III an inclined plane against the
bank, over which presently the water began
to How into the ravine below. Almost in-
Stanuy the SerTied masses moved with ire
sisuble force against the crumbliEg en-
baDkment; and before the astonished ewes
OF the spectators it seemed 10 meet and
disappear as, a few moments later. the
swollen waters Of the Swirle were thunder
ing down the new channel of the rayiue.
THANK heaven there are 10 houses
theTeW Atwood said fervently, his voice
utterly drowned in the fearsome din. "The
flood will just waste itself on the broad
meadows below Portside without doing
much harm Surely II is wonderful sight
If terrible one"
The SuIlen waters rolled away, and by
the end Of three days a few powders aud
upr0oted trees only remained as evidence
of the great food. The sandy floor of the
ravine was firm and hard when Atwood
and StrahaD, under the direction of Frank
Foljambe, began thoroughly to search thai
wave-wasbed region for the missing manu.
facturer. The whole face Of the gorge was
changed; the bTanbles and bracken had
disappeared, while the huge rocky powders
alone remained. The great stones were
piled up IN fantastic confusion, forming
pyramids and caYerns into which half n
dozen men could creep. Vaughan, looking
mOodily on at the work, seemed uneasy as
Straban turned over the sand under an over
hanging rock where some soft substance
occupied his attention.
"Why waste your tlme?" he asked i'm
patie ntly. Il tell you there is nothing
here"
Strahan did not reply, as he hurriedy
scTaped the sand away under the ledge with
his spade. There was something viaIdinr
there-a scrap of sodden CLOTH the toe of a
boot, and presently the cold elammy sem
blanee OF human hand came in view. An
exclamation of horror and surprise broke
from him, hearing which the rest of the
search-party turned to the spot and care
fully assisted the old man in his melancholy
task.
The corpse was that Of Mr.. Foliambe
without doubt Preserved By the frost
and snow, and protected from the violence
Of the beating waters by the great rock, the
body was singularly free from marks of yio-
lence save that there was liyd mark on
the neck, and the hands were elenched as if
in a cOnvulsi0n OF pain.
81 There has been something more than
misadyentuTe here" the dead mans SON
said, with a shuddering respiration. "And
Thought my father was without an enemy
in the world. See, s0uie OF yen, what is
clasped in the right hand. for 1 dare not
look"
With some difficulty Atwood opened the
stiff fingers. and drew from their clasp
fragment Of torn silk. The pattern was dull
and faded, but as the searcher laid it on his
open palm he gave cry Of astonshment.
"Great heavens. this Is Fanghan's! I" he
cried He was wearing scarf of similar
pattern when be came 10 my house on the
evening of my poor masters Disappearance.
II was all pulled up and disarranged, and
Vaughan was always ridiculonsly neat in
his dress. / remember Rose asking him how
il happened. and he made some excuse,
forppt whatD