Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1896-09-30

edtisueu only learned OF MS existence
ten days ago. or 1 should have suspected
him before"
"Who was ity' Stuart said. "Tell m
at once"
"Wait yet a moment and listen to me-
As / saw that man enter the house, d
house that /, a stranger, could see was
the mansion of some person of impor
! tance, it came to my mind that this was
the owner, the master Of that house, who
had killed my friend. His reason for do
Ing so l could not guess-it might have
been for the love of a woman, or for
hate, or about money-but that it was SC
was confident. And l said to myself
SO! you cannot escape me! l know your
house, tomorrow / shall know your name
and. if in two or three days the polics
have not got you in their power-I viii
wait that while, for it is better they
should take you than I-then I will kill
you And I went away thinking thus
there was no need to watch more held
him, for he could not escape, I thought
Tn my hand"
But it was not the owner Of the house,
Stuart said, "it was not Lord Penlyn who
killed him. He was away at an hotel al
the time"
Les, ne WdS-tuOuSu Stlil IL WOulu De
possible for him then to have entered his
own hOuse-but his was not the face OF
the man had seen. learned that, to my
amazement, when for the first time
stood before him. But, listen again; In
the morning, at a restaurant / found in
directory, Of which l had learned the
use, that that house was Occleve House
and that Lord Penlyn was the owner of
Ind fhan Co.
onI an hour or So before had found
that Occleve was the right name OF Wal
ter Cundall"
"You had learned that?"
"When 1 lifted Walter in my arms In
the park, felt against his breast a book
half out of his pocket. The murderer had
missed that! l took that book. for even
in my haste and grief thought that in
it might be something that would give
me a clew. But what were really in 1t of
Importance were a certificate of his moth
er's marriage, another Of his own birth.
and letter, years DID, from her to him.
They told me all, and, moreover. they
proved to me. as 1 then thought, that his
murderer lived in the very house and bore
the very name that by right seemed to
be his
They were the certificates he showed
to them on the morning he disclosed him
SELF" Stuart said, ''and he had not re
moved them from his pocketbOok when
he was killed!'
Yes! that he showed to them; you have
said it! 1t was to two OF them that he
showed these papers. And one was the
friend OF the other. he lived with and
upon him, he dares not meet me face to
face, he evades me! he, he is the muir
1erer. He, Philip Smerdon.'
Stuart sprang to his feet.
"Philip Smerdon!' he exclaimed. "No,
no! 1t cannot be!'
1T is, say! 1t is he. OF all others.
who but he could have done this deed !?
Who but he who crept back to Occleve
House having in his pocket the keys
whereby to enter 1t, who but he who
shuns me because it has been told him
that knew the assassin's face! And on
the very night that he is back in London.
sleeping in that house, are not the clothes
that might have led to his identification
removedT"
Stuart paused a moment, deep in
thought, and then he said: at cannot be!
On the day before the murder, In the
morning, he left London for Occleye
House. He must have been there when
1t was committed"
BAH Guffanta said. with a shrug Of
his shoulders, she did not leave London
he only made a pretense Of doing SO. All
been engaged in tracking my poor friend
and at night he killed him" Then he
paused q moment. and when he next
spoke he asked a question.
Where was he going when he left Oc-
,lara Jausa fhia affarnnan in ,ba ,aI
and with his luggage!"
He was going to join his father. he
said" Stuart answered. His father is
health, and, ha wing recovered some money
from his ruined business. he Is going on
the Continent, and Smerdon Is going with
him.
"And to what part of the Continent
are they going!"
II do not know, though he said some
thing about the French coast, and after.
wards, the Tyrol. Why do you ask?"
why do l ask? Why? Because
must go also! have to stand face to face
with him, and be able TO convince myself
that either / have made some strange
mistake, or that l am right"
"And-if you are right?"
'sThen l have to take him to the nearest
magistrate. or, II he resists. to kill him"
You will do that!'
Il will do anything necessary to pre-
vent him ever escaping me again."
They talked on into the night, and
Senior Guffanta extracted from the other
a promise that he would lend him any
assistance in his power. and that. above
all. he would say nothing to Lord Pen
lyn that. by being retold TO Smerdon,
should. If he were actually the murderer,
help him to still longer escape.
Il promise you" Stuart said. "and the
more willingly because l myself would
give him up TO justice if l were sure he
Ia the man. But that. of course, l cannot
be; it is you alone who can identify this
cruel murderer. But, in one thing | am
sure you are wrong.
In what thing?"
"In thinking that Lord Penlyn is in the
slightest way an accomplice. or suspects
Smerdon at all. II he did SO suspect
him. believe that he would himself cause
him to be arrested, even though they are
such friends.
.What motive would Smerdon have to
Kill Walter except to remove him from
the others path! Do you think he would
have done it without consulting Lord
Penlyn?"
Il am certain that if he did do 1t, as
you think
'As 1 am as convinced as that we are
sitting here!"
well, then. l am certain. that Lord
Penlyn knows nothing of 1t. he IL hasty
and impetuous, but he il the soul of
honor
Perhaps" Guffanta said: ''it may be
SO. But 1t is not with him that have
to deal 1t is with the man who struck
the blow. And 1t is him 60 to seek"
How will you find himY
Through you. You will find out for
me where he is gone with his father-if