The Dupuyer acantha. [volume] (Dupuyer, Mont.) 1894-1904, 1895-12-05

tAaN q oith
not break into or out of, for the matter
of that
But to business" continued Hardy.
What l have got to do won't take
long. as removing a leaf of a register
can't occupy much time. 1t seems tt
me the real difficulty is, how are we to
get ut it,"
Nothing easier If you go to work
the right way. l always choose a
night when the organist is practicing.
l then slip ill.,, and the rest follows in
due course
well, l don't care how it is done,
thatS your plan of operations,
is it?' / thought to myself as l left
the carriage and hurried back to Miss
Wetherby, who was anxiously await
ing my return. Unable to restrain ny
excitement, / seized both her hands,
eXclaiming:
ALLOW me to congratulate the Mis-
trcss Of Wethcrby. l have learned
everything you wanted to know. and
that from the lips of Hardy himself.
Tho old lady you propose to visit is
dead. so now l would suggest thai we
at once proceed to Aston, in the par
iSh church of which is the register,
n contains what you want" | hen
tcld her what Hardy was contemplate
ing, aud pointed out to err thar. with
the va hours start that we should
have. we ought to he prepared for
him at all points.
On arriving at York. Hardy and his
companion left the train. and went at
once into the city, and Miss Wetherby
and | started for Aston. which was
reached in about half an hour. The
first thing we did. was to go to the
nnVIBn gfnttnV, n-I - - A.
case before The superintendent, he put
on his hat and requested us to accom-
pany him to the rectOry. On sending
in his card, we were Mt once shown
into the library, the rector appearing
shortly after. In n few words the Of
nicer put him i'm possession of the facts
OF the case, II requested his kind as
slstnnce. This was readily promised,
II then the superintendent proceed
ed to lay his plans before him.
"Thc first thing" he said, twill be to
furnish Miss Wetherby with the copy
from the register that she requires.
Next we must get the organist to have
a practice from s until 8. The rest of
the arrangements l will see to-"
regards he organist," replied
the rector, II shall have to consult my
daughter, who holds that appointment.
1t will be rather a trying position for
a young lady to be sitting there alone,
knowing what is going on below"
Il will sit with her. said Miss
Wetherby. IF l may be allowed, as it
is only fair that l should share the
annoyance and danger, if there are to
he any,"
"The very thing" said the superin-
tendent, land then you can let your
friend know when to cease playing,
which will be soon after the men
nave entered. AS regards Hardy's
companion" he continued, addressing
the rector, 81 strongly suspect he is
DO other than Bill the Turnkey as he
Is called, who is wanted for other rob-
berries"
A little before 8. we were all in our
places, Miss Wetherby and her friend
being in the ryan loft, while the SUI
perintendent, his men and myself
were hidden away in and about the
vestry. Before long we had almost
forgotten the object of our being so
strangely brought together, as we lis
tenedt to the magnificent rendering Of
Mozart's Requiem, for the rector's
daughter was no ordinary musician.
Soon, however our attention was at
tracted to stealthy footsteps coming
up the gravel path, and presently the
door opened and Hardy and his com
panion crept in and hid themselves in
one of the pews. Shortly after the Or
gan ceased, and the aides came down
and left the church. locking us all in,
in accordance with the superintendent
direction.
Just about midnight the two men
made their way cautiously to the YES
try. which was locked. 1t did not
take long for so expert q craftsman
as Bill the Turnkey to open the door,
and after n similar process had been
gone through with the cupboard, the
parish register lay befrre them.
"Well, while you're CROPPING your
way through that musty old book, I'll
just look round and see what I can
pick up. l hate being idle. l do"
$50 this is the register said Hardy,
"and upon a simple entry in it's pages
depends the future ownership of
Wetherby, Now for it.
Eighteen hundred and seventeen.
That won't do. Nineteen, that's near
er. Twenty, twenty-One. That's the
year. Month, February, All! here it
is!''
"Halloa." shouted Bill, as he sudden
ly found himself hurled to the ground
by the superintendent who lost no
time in securing him. At the same
time the %constables and l rushed upon
Hardy, who, snatching a pistol from
his breast, fired, ~haphazard, among us,
the bullet finding a resting place in
my right lung. 1t was long after 1
heard the sequel to the nights adven-
ture, which may be summed up in a
few words. Hardy and his companion
were tried, convicted and sentenced to
long terms of penal servitude, and
Miss Wetherby became the acknowl-
edged owner of the Wetherby estate.
But it was many weeks before her
feet crossed the Threshold of Wether-
by Hall.
As for my unfortunate self, | was
taken to a hotel, where for a long time
my health was ~despaired Of. In vain
seemed the doctors constant attention,
aided though it was by the tender
nursing of gentle Una. At length a
day came. and with it the crisis of
my fate. Una sat by my bedside, her
!. hand in mine. for there was no at
tempt at %concealing our feelings to-
ward each other now. I just recollect
saying:
"'Tis hard to part. dear Una
"Oh. don't die" she exclaimed pas
!, sionately; live live for my sake"
: And did, too. for here ] am. Squire
, of Wetherby. And if further rroof