Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1893-02-09

hapS that there hasn't been
day in the last six years when
Uncle Dick wouldn't have given
his right hand to make up his
quarrel with Noll and receive him back
into full favor again, if only Noll would
make the first advances How should
like to see the dear old fellow again!
This Cervantes brings him up so wildly,
to think that he should still keep it
about him! 1t must be for the sake of
old associations. That is so like Nollp'
While these thoughts were passing
through his mind North had taken up
the book again, and he was now slowly
turning the pages, pausing occasionally
to read some marked passage or mar
ginal note ,scrawled in pencil.
AS he did so folded paper futtered
from between the leaves and fell to the
floor. North picked up the paper and
unfolded it. 1t was telegram ad-
dressed to Ollin North. Before he was
conscious of what he was doing Allan
| North had read these words:
"win proves to be forgery. Who is respon-
| sible for this? We look to yourself and Mrs.
| Maynard for explanations. Search for Mrs.
| Dunkirk's niece will be prosecuted. Also
investigation of this forgery. Let us hear from
you at once. HOPKINS s. SHEPHERD"
1t would be impossible to give any
adequate description of North's state of
mind as he read this message, while its
startling significance slowly penetrated
| through the first dazed wonder that it
created. By degrees a clear and definite
idea shaped itself in his mind.
"Well!' he exclaimed aloud, '"if this
isn't the most remarkable coincidence
1 ever heard of! And it plunges me
deeper than ever into embarrassments.
| Mrs. Maynard-surely that is the name;
\ why did it not occur to me at once?
Mrs. Maynard, represented in court by
I Hopkins and Shepherd, of New York, is
the claimant in the Dunkirk will case,
in which my partners, Hunter and
Ketchum, appear as executors and So
| licitors of the estate. /, who have pre-
viously had no connection with the case,
| come here to X-T- as the representa-
| tive of Hunter and Ketchum, to investi-
| gate clew which they hope may lead
| to the discovery of Annie Dupont, the
| sole heir at law; and behold, am mis-
| taken by the claimant for her own
lawyerl Could such combination Of
circumstances occur more than once in
hundred years?"
| Once more he took up the telegram
and read it. In his first hasty perusal
he had overlooked one point which a
second and more careful reading now
brought out with startling prominence.
"'We look to yourself and Mrs.
Maynard he read the sentence aloud
| in puzzled way" for explanations
What does this mean? Can 1t be pos
sible that they suspect Good
heavens! 1t all flashes upon me now!
Why was so blind as not to see it be-
fore2"
Dashing the telegram down on the
desk, he rose to his feet with his face
grown suddenly white, and commenced
to pace rapidly to and fro
Mrs. Maynard, the claimant, Ollin
North, her confidential legal adviser.
| What had been his own previous suspi-
cion concerning these two? Only too well
did he remember 1t now; and he saw it
plainly reflected in that message OF
Hopkins s. Shepherd. In swift rush
of thought Allan North reviewed all
the incidents of the case that had first
led to his suspicion; he took up one by
one tho various links which, though
slight and insignificant in themselves,
yet when sl1illfully united formed a
complete chain Of damaging evidence;
and by the time this swift review was
finished he had surrendered most re-
luctantly to the belief that seemed to
be irresistibly forced upon him
"Can 1t be possible" he asked him,
self, still in a maze of bewildered
thought, of unwilling conviction, "that
Noll has so far forgotten his personal
and professional honor as to descend tc
such deed as this? There is only one
hypothesis upon which l can explain il
at all. He must have been mad-in.
fatuated! A beautiful face has lured
many O man to his ruin, and Noll has
| doubtless been the victim of the artful
wiles that were practiced upon me to
day. So be it! Fate has most strange
ly put it within my power to visit &
just retribution upon her, and l will
exercise that power without mercy.
will deliberately keep up the deception
In which have thus far acquiesced fo1
my own idle amusement, and In the as
sumcd character of my brother ascer
tain how far Mrs Maynard has know
ledge and completely In this forgery
And If find that she Is responsible fol
the wrctched conspiracy, let her be
warer'
There was pitiless anger IN North'i
heart as he spoke these words il
audible soLloquy, and a pitiless ex
:, preston on his stern, set face. He die
not for ono moment question the cor
rectness of his suspicious, the justice o.
his conclusions; he felt an inward con
viction of their truth which was to hi
, mind confirmation strong as proofs O
holy writ" The thought of the crime t.
which he believed that his brother ha1
been lured, the exposure and disgrace
, that threatened him, the stigma tina
, would thenceforth rest upon the fami
ly name, was maddening to him Ant
, thus his resolution was formed; h,
would take advantage of the peculia
circumstances In which an exceptiona
5 turn Of fortune had placed him. to lear1
| the whole truth concerning the forgery
and if possible divert public suspicion
5 and discovery from his brother, for tn
, | sake Of the innocent ones who woult
( suffer If his crime became known
81 This resolution probably was no
} taken on the loftiest of moral grounds