The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1897-05-28

Yell bribe aud jamie Duncan, will
ye? Yell tilt yelser Lack in yer chair
in mans ain hoose an pit price Oil
tEe held O his frien'r Lat me tell ye
ance for a, Master Attorney. we ddna
bid high cneuch - there's ma gowa
rnench anang the hale scramlin o. We
to buy ;,ne hair o Johnnie Kerlgrows
heid. q We ken that. We nuld smooth
faced dell? TAX yer dnur face oot o
the Enose. before I'm forgettn I'm Il
man o peace an Chreestan!"
Sharpless was shrewd enough TO see
that he had hopelessly ruined his case
with the irate Scot. and he was wise
enough to know that he would prob
ably make matters worse by attempt
ing TO explain. He got away as soon
as he could, followed TO the threshold
by the angry farmer, who continued to
Lreak the Walls of his wrath over the
lawyers head as long as the latter was
within hearing. After Sharpless had
driven away, Duncan found that an en-
plosion of anger does not always clear
the mental atmosphere; and at Il time
when he felt the pressing need of Il cool
head and deliberate judgment, he could
do nothing but walk the floor ard call
down anatAcmas upon the heal of the
offender. Believing no word Of Sharp
less story, he yet hadsa vague fear that
something was amss with Thorndyke:
and he was glad enough when, late in
the afternoon, Protheroe rode up to
the farmhouse. Duncan's first ques-
tion was of Philip.
81 supposed he was here; he hasn't
been in town for two days. I came by
the hotel and brought these letters,
thinking that he might want them"
A great fear seized upon Duncan.
"Robbie, man, are ye sure he didna go
10 New York this morn?"
81 don't think he did. They said at
the hotel that he hadn't been in since
day before yesterday, and they'd know
It if he started on journey this morn
ing. Let me see those letters; no, he
hasn't been there; most of these are
postmarked yesterday"
Duncan's fear was dispelled, but
new one came quickly to take its place,
and he began another battle with his
invincible caution. Meanwhile Proth-
eroe improved the silent interval by
trying to learn from Elsie's face what
she thought or cared about Thorndyke's
disappearance. Much, every way, he
concluded, when Duncan spoke again.
"Robbe, lad, the times come
when I'm in sair need O. good counsel.
Ye Wilma lat yer place max ye boggle
over bit O. advice?"
with the town company, you
mean? l discharged myself this morn
ing; but if hadn't it would make no
difference where could be of service
to you"
"The guide Lord be thankit!" ev-
claimed Duncan, fervcntly; and then he
proceeded to relate in their proper or
der the incidents in the history of Kill
grows wrong and Thorndyke's quest.
ending with an account of the attor-
ney's visit to the farmhouse. Protheroe
listened attentively, and he was ready
with his answer when Duncan finished.
"Sharpless lied" he said. "Thorn-
dyke wouldn't turn the case over to the
company, nor would he abandon it just
as he had got the whip hand of his OPP
ponents. They've spirited him out of
the way so they can scare Kilgrow into
cheap settlement; and Sharpless came
to you because he didn't know where
10 find the old mountaineer."
Protheroe spoke to Duncan, but he
kept his eyes fixed upon the face of the
young girl, who sat eagerly listening.
He was trying another experiment in
physiognomy, and the result was not
altogether comforting.
aye dinna think they'd harm the lad,
do YEP"
Il imagine it would depend upon cir
cumstances. The object would be 10
get rid of him until they could treat
with Kilgrow. You know Thorndyke
better than 1 do; would he be likely to
go peaceably?"
Duncan shook his head gravely. "Nn,
I'm thinllin' he wouldna do that; he'd
be mair than likely to gle 'em deal O.
trouble"
The experiment was u cruel one but
Protheroe continued it unpityingly.
in that case you can judge for yourself
by what was done day before yestcr-
day. Sharpless is thoroughly unscru-
nul0us; and Thorndyke could send him
to the penitentiary. It's kidnapping at
the best, and it may be something much
worse"
The engineer found the result of his
experiment and his own punishment in
the expression of horror that crept
over Elsie's face when his inference be-
came plain. 1t hurt him more than he
cared to admit.
All through the long summer, while
Philip and Elsie were apparently jour
neying hand in hand along the road in
which he had unseltishly set their feet,
Protheroe had hugged his ideal, play
ing the heroic parr of the high-minded
lover who generously effaces himself
in order that the object of his affections
may be free to walk in a path of her
own choosing. 1t was an unjoyous
task, this that he had set himself, and
he was humiliated by the conviction,
repeated aah emphasized every time he
saw Elsie, that it gained nothing in
gladsomeness with the lapse of time.
In such case, absence seemed to be the
proper emollient; but when Duncan
asked his help. he said nothing about
going away, and Entered heartily into