The advocate., 1895-07-03

batting his eyes"
Gertrude is petrifed with amszement. Bread
monggter, with his mouth open leans toward Loretta
till he almost falls from his chair.
"His forehead goes up and down, sometimes
seeming to disappear entirely. have never seen
such an odd, eVil-looking man. His limbs are
crooked bowed. He has gun in his hands. He
stands over the old gentleman, who now TO be
dead. The horse, apparently frightened, just
vanishing over the top of the hill. The eViooking
man kneels by the body, lays down his gun and puts
his hand over the old gentleman's heart. Seel He
tears open the old gentlemsn's coat and takes some
thing from his pocket
Breadmongster is in agony because he dare not
swear or he will spoil the most important part Of the
revelation. Gertrude and Reuben are spell-bOund;
the Hermit's eyes are closed Nothing but the sup
pressed breathing of the amazed spectators dsturbs
the absolute silence.
she searches for more papers, but seems satisfied
Now he holds them in his hands and counts them
one, two, three four, five. They are nearly of the
same size. They look ike-now see clearly. They
are bills like have seen my father pay. The evil
looking man RISES picks up his gun, and starts for
the wood again, looking back at the body with such
wicked, hideous smile or grin. l see him in the
wood. He takes out pocket-beok and lays it on
the ground. He is looking at the papers carefully
again. He seems to hear noise Of someone COM
ing and he starts up and hurrieS on, forgetting his
pocket book and putting the papers in his pocket as
he goes further into the wood"
She was silent, but her eyes were still closed, and
they waited.
''It has grown dark Men with torches come down
the hill the horse went over and they are searching
They find the body. They lift it up. Under it they
find the letter the old gentleman had been reading,
and one of the men puts it in his pocket"
'Marvelousr" fairly yelled BreadmongSter, who
could contain himself no longer. "Why, sir, it is
the very eye of Godl What a revelationl He's the
scoundre; that deVil-headed Dobbins RakestrsW
murdered Hotchkiss, sir. Never paid him any
money, sir Killed him to get the bills so it wouldn't
be found out he couldn't pay them. That's the
secret of it, sir"
! Loretta had wakened with start and shudder
at the rst sound of the lawyers voice. and was sgi
tated like one who had just been witnessing some
tragic deed.
"But" said Reuben, show account for that note
J to Sydney Stone being in Hotchkss' posseSSionp
"Jed Higgins had given it to him, sir. He was
undoubtedly trying to recall the handwriting when
Rakestraw shot him from behind tree-the coward
Now we have an hypothesis to work on, sir. The
young lady, Miss Liburne, has let us see the whole
deed, as If we had been present. Wonderful, sir,
! wonderful
Reuben asked: "WiI the count permit Miss Lii
} burne to"
/ ''No, sir We must find the evidence somehow
, We mast do it. We know what to prove now. But
J not word of all this to any living soul but our
selves. We shall save Sydney sir. We know how,
at least"
' "Oh, will Sydney be clearedP CertainP" asked
Gertrude with hopeful anxiety, which was highly
q improper in the affsnced BRIDE of another man.
Q The Hermit, who had been silent, spoke
"That note was, of course, stolen from that table
q where had left it SO Sydney would see it immedi
/ ately upon opening the door, which was left un
:. fastened. have been thinking who could have
Q stolen it,"
"Didn't the thief leave lock of his hair, sir that