The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-02-14

owing gradually accustomed u tle
change. be came u think that Il wu Id need
a keen eye directed AZ him with a spectral
purpose 10 detec, John Heth-ridge in 9
man be looked az.
Having breakfasted, he paid his hill and
walked out into the street. and having
wandered unfortunately MP and down
awhile, bought some few gtic.es IN the way
Of baggage and provision, and bargained
for horse and saddle. His equipment be
ing completed, be rode Of iowa Mel
bourne leaving @ message and a written adj
dress for an imaginary parsonage who
might make inquiries after William Fair
brother. de was careful not 70 leave this
address in hi own hand and pretended au
injury 10 his fingers as an excuse for
troubling the landlord. On his Journey
down country be was fated more than once
10 hear the story OF bis own disappearance.
That man should wander into the bush
aud be lost there forever to all human ken,
was unnappily too common a thing to eK-
cite IN itself mucn interest. But in this
case the illhap was supposed 70 have be-
fallen a prominent citizen aad a man of
wealth. In one little hostelry he heard q
man who prOfsssed TO have known him init.
mately, estimating his fortune at two mil
lions sterling, and sOlemnly declaring that
ne could vouch for this wild shot at ven
turs, as fact. The first mention of him.
self made him shy and nervous, but by and
by he grew accustomed to the sensation. and
was interested to hear strangers discussing
his affairs the fashion in which the disaster
had happened and the probability Of his
having left an heir behind him. 1t was
naturally interesting to speculate on ths
destiny Of 50 large a fortune as the lost
man was popularity supposed to have ac-
CURED Even had Imagination kept within
the mark, as it So rarely does in kindred
cases, the disposal Of the missing mau's
fortune might still have afforded fruitful
theme Of interest and speculation. He was
currently believed to be without kindred
aud he heard bets Offered and taken to the
effect that all bis belongings would be i'm
pounded to the crown.
This set him thiaking at his wRriest how
to conceal his identity aud yet to obtain
possession of his fortune. He forged
scheme on schepe and found none to satisfy
him, until at last an inspiration occurred u
him when be was Within single day of his
journeys end. Ee provided himself with
pen, Ink and paper, locked himself IN his
own bedroom aui wrote what follows
II, the undersigned, John Hetheridge, be-
ing at this time Of sound mind and body,
do hereby will aud bequeath all moneys and
properties whatsoever If which | may die
possessed TO the infant child, Ellice Hether-
idge, now in charge of the Rev. Jordan
Farrell, M. A, clerk in holy orders, at this
time incumbent at the parish church OF
st. John, Wellsted, in the county of Essex,
Eng. direct that within a month of my
death the administration of my affairs
shall rest in the hands of George McFar-
lane, merchant, of Collins street, Mel
burne, and James Fisher Wilker-
son, accountant of Elizabeth, street. Mel
bourne. l direct. further, that the admin
lstration shall. at their discretion, realize ali
properties, securities, stocks and shares
and shall fund Tha Nuh0ia Of II
thus acquired in the consolidated per
cents. in England for the use and benefit of
the afOrenamed Ellice Hstaeridge The
aforename Ellice Hetneridge shall be en-
titled to 800 per annuhI until she reaches
the age OF 10 years, from then
until the age OF IS she shall be
entitled TO the use of 4200 per an
mum, and on arriving at the age of Is
years she shall enjoy the free and complete
control OF whatsoever properties she may
inherit from them. l direct further that
my administrators shall pay themselves
El,O)0 each from my estate before disp1sing
of the residue in the per cents. as already
directed.
''(Signed) JOHN HETHERIDGE."
He antedated this document by three
months, and read it and reread it carefully.
The more legal sounding phrases had a rel
ish for him, and he read them in especial
WIFI u lcO4lLk VI pTlub anu ba lsIdcDlOn. lie
had often heard that il was madness for q
laymal to make his own will, but the keen-
est examination he could make detected no
flaw or possibility of dispute as the mean
ing OF the document. John Hetheridge
might effac5 himself for half a sore of
years If the awful purpose which lay at the
root OF every thought and action should so
long detain him. aud yet when the time
should have expired might return and
claim his own.
His way lay clear and broad before him
now. and the safe vengeance for VIII CHI he
had burned SO long was in his grasp. He
could have George Redwood's lie a d go
scot free. There was no fault IN the plan
which filled his mind, no pOss bility of the
detection of his purposed crime. The seem
ing disaster which had led to the current
belief in his death seemed a sort of diabolic
providence. The chance Of self-effacement
gave his old enemy into his hands without
hope n remedy.
On the evening Of the next day he reached
Melbourne, and confident as he was of the
disguise his altered aspect afforded him, he
did not dare to enter the streets before dusk
or to approach his own house until the
pace was shrouded in darkness. Having
made sure that thu coast was clsar, he
scaled the low wall at the back and stealing
along the pathway with all the watchtui
tre.nUr and preca ltion IF a thief he applied
his private latch key, opened the or,
closed it hehild him, with the funniest and
III st stealthy click AID made his way on
tiptOe to his own study.
Twice or thrice he paused and listened
and was sure the house was deserted He
had prowled round and about it more than
once before his entry and had seen no light
or trace of habltation.
Suddenly his knee struck a chair which
grated with loud noise on the mosaic If
the floor and in his nervous terror he shook
and sweated at this as if he had known the
house to be full of listening ears and HIM
self TO have been the lurking thief he
seemed. He had been guilty of no crime as
yet or SD ldow Of u crime, but every
thought and act led him one step toward
murder, aud the guilt Of the deel was In
mis- nerves already. lie heard, or thought
he heard. a stealthy padding noise behi d
him, and in the very apt of turning found
himself gripped 10y both arms in grasp so
strong that he knew instinctiVely he could
not escape from it.
What's your little game, matey9" said a
| voice he knew. you come along here into
the light, will you. Let's have look at
you. Lucky happened to have walked in
this minute. Come, now, who are yous
What's your little gamem
Speaking thus with an angry banter in
the tone, his captor thrust him roughly
along the )rridor down a side passage into
the servants pantry, where single candle
burn d dimly on the dresser.
Sam Potter, for the captor WAS no other
than he. released his prisoner aad set his
back against the door.
"Now, matey,n lie said, regarding