Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1893-03-16
CHAPTER XIII.
A CLUE.

Defiant, self assured, and craven. tear
Rui by turns, he had lived through
1h1Sa forty-eight hours with the lament
lug dread of man towering over a pow
der mine, watching the course of events,
hopjng for developments that would
show the cards running his way, and
wondering what the end would be.
So fur as the bank itself was con-
cerned, the law very speedily acted. The
BOOKS showed accuracy and system, it's
management, entire honesty. To all
seeming, dead Abel Merwyn had specu-
lated rashlY, had bindfolded his subor-
dfuates to the fact, and when the crash
came had lett them to face the crisis.
There were some discrepancies in the
accounts that needed explaining, but
Ghe old clerk John Wharton, who kept
9tle books OF the concern, was not called
on TO elucidate them. SO violent had he
become, that he had to be forcibly re-
strained, and the evening before he was
confined in tho county asylum, hope
less, mental wreck
Arnold Dacre had sought a score Of
interviews with him, HAD seized upon
numerous pretences to linger near him,
10 question him, Ina half-lucid moment
he had caught the name Couples" from
Wharton's lips, mixed with some unin-
1elttRible iargon concerning the pack
age. If clue it was, it was frail one,
out Dacrc resolved to trace it down.
OF Flora Merwyn and her rescucr, not
~ word Or q trace had Dacre CLEANED.
&c began to believe that the convict had
1Ied the country with the woman he
loved. To openly battle Dacre meant
rcGaptUrc, and he would scarcely risk
shat, and, in this way OF thinking, Dacre
st the end Of two days, decided that it
w00td be safe TO remain ut Ridgeicd,
sind prosecute his search for the precious
missing package.
The dead banker had been buried.
All RidGelield was talking about the
ST., NgN disappearance OF Flora, and the
Old h0usclleeper was fairly frantic about
her. DaCre ventured no theory or eX-
pg&uation, but whom the intelligence was
brought to the little village that Ray
Webster had escaped from the pcniten-
1iayy, il was generally decided that Flora
had heartlossly abandoned her dead
ia cher, and, with what money she could
Gud, had Joined her lover, and fled to some
distant land When it was learned
Iatcr that her personal fortune in the
city had been Withdrawn from invest
uncut the week previously people be-
3icvcd this explanation Of her absence
an0re readily than over.
II was just at dusk the evening after
Che departure of his tool and ally for the
iusane asylum, th~t Arnold Dacre pre-
scented himself at the door of Wharton's
former lodgings.
"'Have YOU the key of Wharton's
room" he asked of the landlady.
Eyes, sir" she replied
<tJ fbouubt ca VIII Won DlnoSp lot mo
have them?"
'<He has left nothing there"
Dacro knew this. He himself had SUI
perntended the packing of the trunk of
mis- unfortunate victim, in q vain search
for the missing package.
''That is true" he vouchsafed, but |
am in hopes Of finding some trace Of cor
Gaiu papers belonging TO the bank Secretcd
shout the room. The KEYS, please
0uce in the room Dacre began a per-
sistent and a thorough quest Some
wbGrC the package had been sccreted.
Where? He tore up the carpet, he
Gclved In the CRATE, he ripped open tho
bedding, he explored every nook and cor
ner of that many-cornered room.
Its no uscn' he groaned, sinking to a
chair, and moppng his dripping brow
escsolately What can he have done
with it, for certainly it is not here?"
Tap-tap-tap,
Faint, spasmodlc, the startling sum-
ql1ons fell on the door, Dacre walked
~ it,
+'Who is there?"
''Nr. Wharton, please let me in!'
pauted weak, wavering voice.
who is t?' demanded Dacre, still
bent on parleying with q possible in
Sruder.
'%Cupples-Tom Cupples OH it's
come again-help-hel--"
The voice died away suddenly. Arnold
D0cre started as from an electric shock
Cupples! that was the name John
Wharton had employed in his incsherent
cravings and in connection with the miss
Tug package, too.
Dacre had sought for the man, had
learned of his fidelity to the old clerk.
aud Of his mysterious disappearance.
These facts, taken in connection with
his strange disappearance, his evident
ignorance Of the absence of Wharton,
smaCked of suspicion. With fateful
auguvies at SOUL Arnold Dacro quickly
>npened the door
Come in"
4 huddled mass lying across the TIRES
aoid looked up at him with pleading
eyes
''Why, what's tho matter here?' de-
tuauded Dacre, harshly.
"ilelp me" the words were scarcely
audible tumble.
''Help you. are you hurt?"
a5us the man, sinking back more help
tesslv than ever, was silent Dacre es-
saved 10 drag him across the room, and
as he placed him on the couch he OBJ
served that hands and feet were flexible
aud inert, that his head hung stupidity,
while his jaws were distended as if he
had lost Nil control Of the muscles on one
side of his face
care you sick?" he persisted, "Are
you hurt?"
mo" gasped the other family, par
aivxed! | had it-had it before. On the
road it overlook me--then here Three
times and out-watar.'
With pain he spoke the words. Dacre
understood So,ns powerful excitement