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


"The story about this Spaniard, Cuff
fanta, is a strange one." Philip Smerdon
wrote from Occleve Chase to Lord Pen
lyn, who had informed him of the visit
he had received and the revelations made
by the Senior, 'but may as we'll tell you
at once that l don't believe it. although
you say that the lawyers, as well as
Stuart and Dobson, are inclined to do so.
My own opinion is that, though he may
not have killed Mr.. Cundall. he is still. tell
ing you a Ee-for some reason Of his own,
as to the friendship that existed between
them. and he probably thinks that by pre-
tending to be able to find the man, he will
get some money from you. With regard
TO his having been face 10 face with the
murderer why, il SO. does he not say on
what occasion and when? To know his
face as that of the murderer, is to say.
what in palmer words would be, that he
had either known he was about to commit
the act, or that he had witnessed it. 1t
admits of no other Interpretation. and.
consequently. what becomes of his avOw-
ed love for Cundall. IL he knew Of the
contemplated deed and did not prevent it,
or, having witnessed it, did not at once
arrest or kill his aggressor? You may de
pend upon it, my dear Gervase. that this
mans talk is nothing but empty bragga-
docio, with, as said before, the probable
object Of extracting money from you as he
previously extracted it from your brother.
"As to the locking up Of the garden and
allowing no one to enter it, l am inclined
to think that it is simply done with the
object Of making pretense Of mysteri
ously knowing something that no one else
knows. And it is almost silly. for yonr
r.alv f.,h h.. .,l.
ed by the murderer as place to visit, md
what object could he have in SO visiting
it? However, as it is place never useI
i should crafty him in this case. only
would go little farther than he wishes
and never allow 1t to be opened-not eve.
when he desires it,
The letter went on to state that Smer
don was still very busy over the summer
accounts at Occleve Chase, and shou.
remain there some time; he might. how
ever, ne added, shortly run up to town
for a night.
A feeling of disappointment cain. "v"'
Penlyn as he read this letter freA N
friend.
During the two or three days that had
elapsed between writing to, Smerdon and
receiving his answer, he had been buoyed
up with the hope that In Guffanta the
man had been discovered who would be
the means of bringing the assassin to
justice, and this hope had been shared
by all the other men interested in the
same cause.
But he had come, in the course of his
long friendship with Philip Smerdon, to
place such reliance upon his Judgment.
| and TO accept SO thoroughly his ideas, that
the very fact of his doubling the Senor's
statement, and looking upon it as a mere
attempt to extort money from him, almost
led him also to doubt whether, after all.
! he had not too readily believed the Span.
lard.
Yet, he reflected, his actions, as he
stood before him fOretelling the certain
doom of that assassin when once they
| should again be face to face, and his calm
certainty that such would undoubtedly
happen, bore upon them the impress Of
truth.