Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1893-10-26


breakfast time next morning, when he
said to me:
"Merrivale, I'm going up to Columbus
this morning to get from the governor
the necessary papers for Harold's return !
to Bridgton. Last night | hunted up a
magistrate, got a warrant, and this |
morning if the young man woke up
guess he found an officer by his bed wait
ing to arrest him on charge of embez-
cling $1,000 from Ransom Merrivale.
They won't let him get away again be-
fore / return. What's the matter with
you? You look dumfounded?"
$50 am" l replied, "by your unholy
energy in this matter. Why in thunder
couldn't you wait even to know if he was
alive or dead? Why didn't you let me
know what you were mp tor
II couldn't afford to take any chances.
Now, see here have that doctors as
surance he can pull him through and
take it for granted he will. Suppose he
does. What will Mr.. Linden do when
he wakes up and finds somebody has
identified him? Skip again. OF course
he will. But say No I've too much
at stake. That mystery has got to be
cleared up. My daughter Annie-and
she's all I've sot in the world-thinls
Just as much Of that rascal as she ever
did, and I've got to have him straight
ened out definitely one way or another
for her sake. And | should fancy your
interest is a pretty strong one, too, it, as
you have more than limited to me, his
sister will not marry you until he turns
up again. So I'm going to take him
back by the scruff Of the neck with my
own hand if there's no other way, but |
won't trust even my hand when | can
make use of bigger and stronger one
that of the law. | didn't tell you be-
cause | know you have sentimental
nature which is apt to get the better of
your practicality, and meant to protect
myself and you, too, against it. There's
the card. Go and see him while I'm
gone if you choose and sympathize with
him as much as you like, but [ go with
the comforting assurance l shall be able
to put my hand on him all the same
when get back"
| could not get angry at the old fell
low, for his view of the situation was
undeniably practical, but neither could
Iapprove his radical measures, so 1 said
nothing and pocReted the card he gave
me. But when a train had carried him
off toward Columbus did something he
had not thought of. l believe. l tele-
graphed to Celia:
Come immediately. Take first train.
Harold is here. Needs you greatly, Do
not lose minute"
Perhaps repeated my insistance upon
haste more than was necessary, but
have always deemed it best to be SO eX-
plicit in giving directions to a woman
that she shall not imagine herself re-
Quircd to use any judgment of her own.
That dispatch had more effect than an
ticipated Celia and Annie Bunker We're
closer friends than knew Their COM
mon love as sister and sweetheart for
the same man-and he the core Of a
seemingly insolublo mystery - had
brought about bond of more than SIS
terly affection between them. Conse-
quently when | went to the depot to
meet my dear girl | was electrified by
the sight Of Annie in her company
and felicitatod myself not little that
my colleague had not yet returned from
Columbus.
Some good news had for the girls.
DR.. Harris had reported to Inc that,
though Harolds consciousness had not
yet been fully restored his recovery was
assured and in few hours more proba-
bly, his narrow escape from death would
be simply a memory. incidentally |
learned that Il policeman was indeed, as
Mr.. Bunker had declared, sitting by the
young mans bedside to arrest him when
be awoke. to the indignant bewildermcnt
Of worthy Mr.. Trimble.
While taking the girls in carriage to
Mr.. Trimbie's house | narrated the re-
markable circumstances of our discov-
cry. so preparing them against the shock
of finding Harold an invalid. and, last of
all, gave them the gratifying intelligence
have Just repeated from DR.. Harris.
BY that time we had reached our desti-
nation. Mr.. Trimble met us at the door,
and it appeared to me his expression of
angry unprecedented by the officers
unwelcolne presence-had been sup
planted by one Of detection mingled with
disgust When | had introduced him to
Miss Linden and Mis- Bunker, he re-
quested them to be stated in the parlor
and conducted me to another room and
said gloomily:
II guess you've got him right, He has
walked up, and Of all the cheeky cusses
ever met he is the worst. And all the
while he lay there like wax image,
when You and We're talking by his bed
yesterday afternoon he must have known
what was going on. Yes, sir He knew
he was caught and never let on until he
| had rolled it over in his mind and laid
out his new game Oh, | tell you, he is
a deep one! And to think he has been
with me year and Inever suspected it!'
Tell me what makes you think so
now:'
We'll, this morning, when he judged
the time had come to declare himself, he
opened his eyes, stared around and
sprung on US that ancient chestnut,
! s\Nbera am II, inst rs If he hadn't SILENT