Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1897-01-13
CHAPTER NNNI.

Hanbury had, during the past few days
I carefully avoided meeting friends or ac-
| luaintances. He went near no club and
! kept in the house a good deal. When he
! went abroad he drove. He did not wish
/ to be asked questions of the most ORD
nary kind respecting the Ashtons.
That morning he had seen ia news
| paper that Mr., Mrs. and Miss Ashton
! were Leaving for tour abroad. That
was all the paragraph said.
| At the very moment Harbury was
speaking to Oscar Leigh the Ashton tam
lily were leaving the city. When Dora
Ashton sat that afternoon in her own
room, after writing to her lover, she
knew the engagement was at an end, and
realized the knowledge. But she had not
said anything of it. When she got his
answer all was over beyond any chance
whatever. He had apologized amply for
his offense and accepted her decision.
His letter had bracing effect upon
her. She had been perfectly sincere i'll
writing her letter, and she had never
wavered in her resolution of breaking off
the engagement, yet deep down in her
nature was formless hope, which she
would not acknowledge TO herself for a
moment, that he might disregard her re-
quest and insist upon her re-considera-
ton. But with the advent of his letter
that hope vanished wholly, and she felt
more firm and secure The letter had
been a tonic. If he were so easily dis
missed, he had not been very much in
earnest.
John Hanbury thought that now, all
being over with Leigh, he was bound in
common rectitude to disclose the source
of the gold which Leigh had intended
passing off as the result of his imaginary
discovery in chemistry or alchemy. The
simplest course would be to go to the
police and tell all he knew. He was not
aL.-.vus to pass through streets in which
he was known, and he was glad of any
thing to do. How better could he en-
play an hour than by trying to find out
if any such man as Timmons existed :?
He did not like the whole thing. but he
coulL not rest easy while he had the
name of a man whom Leigh said dealt
largely in the fruit Of robberies and thefts
At all events, supposing the whole story
told him by the dwarf was fiction, no
harm could come of a visit to Timmons
He jumped into a cab and was rapidly
driven to the address Leigh had given
him. Yes, sure enough, there was the
name and the place, John Timmons
Marine Store Dealer" But how did one
get in. supposing one wanted to get in?
The place was all shut up, and he could
see no door.
A man was busy with one of the many
up-ended carts. He had the wheel off and
was leisurely greasing the axletree.
HAS Mr.. Timmons left this place,
please" he asked of the man.
81 think SO. Ay, he has"
do you know how long?'
"a few days. Since Monday. I think.
Anyway, the place hasn't been open since
Monday, and hear that he is gone since
Saturday night"
Have you any notion where he's
gomez"
/. The man stopped greasing. the wheel
and looked up curiously. Are you from
the police, too?"
mo. am not. Have people been here
from the police"
"Ay. And if you was in with Timmons
and that crew, you'd better show a clean
pair of heels. There's something wrong
about dwarf or cripple that's missed:
burned up In fire. Timmons and a
burglar was seen hanging about that
place, and they do say that if they're
catched they'll be hanging about some
where else. So if you're in with that
lot, you'd better clear out too. They say
Timmons has got out of the country"
The man resumed his work upon the axle
Hanbury thanked him and turned away.
He had nothing to do here. The police
ho1 I'M fiop already