Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1893-08-04

onel can trust such cuuhtenarce as
that so implicitly I'd as soon trust a
hungry dog With my dinner"
Uls comments were Interrupted by the
sound Of wheels Oh the drive near the
louse, ard he hastencd to look cautiously
from the nearest window.
"Great Scottl there's the thug nowl"
he cried, in irrepreSsiblc amazement.
"Alone, tool Here's a state of thingsl"
He hastened to steady his nerves with
half pint Of Y0uclh, With lively ap-
prehensioh that another touch of the
trehiens was threatened, and then he
took his way to the front door which he
threw wide open just as carriage from
the station rolled up to the steps
"This is Mrs. Moreland's, Sir" an
nounced the driver, as he slipped from
his hox and opened the door of the ve-
hicle. "Evidently, sir, you are ex-
pectedl"
There could be no mistake about the
identity of the passenger, after another
glance At him, as he sprang lightly out
Of the caraiage.
lie was the original of the photograph
tlC1OStQ III lllC NOlOHCI lCbbCl llOlh OUi
cutta.
A single instant only Radd hesitated,
assuring himself what was his best line
of conduct in this emergency, and then
he advanced rapidly to meet the new
conner, extending his hand and forcing
smile TO his features.
81 am sorry, Mr.. Hillington," he said,
"that Mrs. Morcland and her daughter
arc not here at the moment to welcome
you In person, but take great pleasure
in receiving you in their stead. | am
Radd Moreland, Mrs. Morcland's brother
n-law, and Miss Jessie's uncle"
Mr.. HillingtOn smiled his thanks,
showing a double row of faultless teeth,
as he shook the hand offered him, but did
not speak until he had dismissed the
carriage and Radd had assisted him in
carrying into the wide hall of The Elms
several pieces of baggage, which in
eluded a couple of handsome Uncovered
trunks.
"You surprised me, Mr.. Moreland, by
calling me by name at sight," then said
the newcomer, as Radd closed the door;
and | am curious to know how you were
aware of my Identity"
"Wary as thug, too, thought Radd'
"lnd also as suspicious"
But he fastened to reply:
"Oh, we have the Colonefs letters, Mr..
Hillington, and we also have your photo
yraph. which the Colonel inclosed for
ny niece"
"Ah, that's it," returned Hillington.
with barely perceptible accent OF relief,
as he followed Radd to the sitting-room.
"And so the ladies are absent?"
"For a few days-yes, sir"
Hillington looked relieved at the intel
Iigence. He even sighed audibly, as if
dismissing some grave preoccupation
caused by the thought or expectation OF
meeting the mother and daughter.
"The Colonel's letter has only just
reached me-" added Radd, motioning the
newcomer to chair, "and consequently
my niece and her mother are not yet ad-
yiscd of his proposed advent. They have
gone to a summer retreat we nave down
the lake, but l can readily reach them
by mail or telegraph, or | can take you
to them"
"All in due time, Mr.. Moreland," re-
turned HillingtOn. with another invOlun-
tarv sigh of relief. "FOr the moment |
am not sorry that the ladies are absent,
now that YOU are, sir, to receive me III
their stead, as it will be much easier for
me to make known my bad business to
YOU than it would be to break the same
to them!"
"Ah there are bad news, then?" ex-
claimed Radd with a sudden flush OF in
terest and expectancy. 81 suspected as
much, Mr.. Hillngton, from the moment
[ set eyes on you, for the simple reason
that you arrived here alone. The Col
Oncl-"
eyes. the Colonel is in trouble" de-
clared Hillington, in barely audible
tone, and with wary glances around.
"By the way, Mr.. Moreland, are we
quite alone herc?"
"Quite, sir, quite, replied Radd, al
though it cost him something to admit
the fact, so sinister was the impression
the confidential bOOkkeeper had already
made upon him. "Even the chamber
maid and housekeeper are absent, as
they have preceded the ladies to our
island retreat"
"Then | may come to the facts with
out the least hesitation or circumlocu-
ton" declared Hillington, looking re-
lieved at the information impaired to
him. ain word, Mr.. Moreland, the
Colonel is dead"
The announcement not only startled
Radd. but he could net help showing his
agitation as he thought of the far-reach-
ing consequences such fact must neces-
sarilv have upon even his own fortunes
and relations.
"And not only dead but wickedly and
barbarously murdered" added Killing
ton, with on air which might have been
modelled upon that of parrot repeating
a lesson, and which certainly lacked
every element of sympathy and sorrow.
$50 suddenly and strangely murdered
that we did not even have the satisfac-
ton of securing his body for burial"
1t IS doubtful if Radd Moreland, in all
his strange and varying experiences, had
ever received such a shock as was given
him by these revelations.
He dropped into chair with barely
life enough to motion the visitor anew to
do likewise, and sat staring at his
"thug" as wildly as he had so recently
stared at Tippoo and the Bengalese wo-
man and their mysterious master.
"I-I suppose those terrible outcasts
of Calcutta are the murderers OF the
Colonel?" he cried, after gasping for
breath.
"What outcasts?" returned Agnus
Hillington quickly, with glance as
sharp as his voice.
"Those to whom the Colonel referred
in his last letter from Calcutta!"
"Ah, have you that letter handy? And
can see it?"
Certainly"