Omaha daily bee., 1896-06-21

aud you can see the nails. But what's this ?
Some one else has been here"
"a woman l cried.
by heaven, you are right Rodney" said
my uncle.
Belcher gave a hearty curse.
He never had a word to say to any girl
in the village. | took particular notice Of
that. And to think Of them coming In like
this at the last moment"
IT'S clear as possible, Tregellis," said the
Hon. Berkeley Craven, who was one OF the
company from the bar parlor. Whoever IL
was came outside the window and tapped.
You see here and here the small feet have
their toes to the house, while the others
are all leading away. She came to summon
him and he followed her.
"Tha is perfectly certain said my uncle.
There's not a moment to be lost. We must
divide and search in different directions, un.
less we can get some clew as to where they
have gone"
There's only this one path out Of the
garden" cried the landlord, leading the
way. 1T opens out into the back lane,
which leads up to the stables. The other
end Of the lane goes out into the side road. ~
The bright yellow glare from a stable
lantern cut a ring suddenly from the dark
ness, and a hostler came l%ounging out Of the
yard.
who's that? p" cried the landlord.
ITS me. master. Bill Shields
How long have you been there, Bill?'
well. master, I've been in an out Of
the stables this hour back. We can't pack
in another 'orse, and there's no use tryin'.
| daren't 'ardly give them their feed, for
II they was to thiCken out Just ever so
little
"See here. Bill, Be careful how you
| answer. for a mistake may cost you your
place. Have you seen any one pass down
the lane?'
There was a fellow in a rabbit-skin cap
some time ago. E was loiterin' about,
until l asked i'm what is business was. for
| didn't care about the looks of i'm. or the
way that e was pcepin' in at the windows.
| turned the stable lantern onto i'm, but e
ducked is face, an | could only swear TO is
red cad"
| cast a quick glance at my uncle, and l
saw that the shadow had deepened upon his
face.
What became of hin? ?" he asked.
"'E slouched away, sir, and l saw the
last of i'm"
You've seen no oRe else? You didn't,
for example. see a woman and a man pass
down the lane together"
mo sir
cor hear anything unusual?'
why, now that you mention it, sir. | did
ear somethin'. but on a night like this,
when all these London blades are in the
village"
What was it, then" cried my uncle, inn
patiently.
wei, sir, II was a KIM OIL q cry Out yum
der, as if some one 'ad got 'imself into
trouble. l thought maybe two sparks We're
fghtin', and | took no particular notice"
Where did it come from?'
From the side road yonder.'
"Was it distant?"
"No. sir. / should say it didn't come
from more'n 200 yards"
"A single cry?"
well, it was a kind of a screech, sir; and
then l card somebody drivin' very ard
down the road. | remember thinkin' that
it was strange that any one should be
driyin' away from Crawley on a great night
like this"
My uncle seized the lantern from the tel
lows hand, and we all trooped behind him
down the lane. At the further end the Ioad
cut it across at right angles. Down TINS
my uncle FASTENED, but hrs. search was not
a long one. for the glazing light fell SUD-
denly upon something's Which brought a
gr1an to my lips and a bitter curse to those
Of Belcher. Along the Unite surface of the
dusty highway there SssEdra%n a 'oLg
| smear of crimson, while beside this orIlaous
| stain there lay a ~murteroes little rocket
b!uJgeon, such as War; asa described IN
the morning.