Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1897-03-21
none other. killed my guardian! Here
is the proof" and Dora flung the man
uscript on the table.
CHAPTER XIV.
THE STOLEN MANUSCRIPT.

! else explanation
1T is the paper containing the early
life of Mr.. Edermont," she said with a
nod; the manuscript stolen from the
bureau. on account of which we believe
the murder TO have been perpetrated.
I found it in the cottage of Joad.'
a5hNGh M-&-(Lc: shrdlu etaoinn shr
in the cottage of Joad?" echoed Al
/ len. slowly. How did he come by it,
by robbery and murder. He is the
! guilty person
"Dora-are YOU sure? He proved an
alibi. you know.
Il am aware of that. and am aware
also how he proved such alibi 1t is
long story. Allen. shall tell it to you,
and then we will read the manuscript
together
Il am all attention" cried Allen, set
Ting himself on the sofa. Go on you
most wonderful girl.
Il am a most fortunate girl said
| Dora sadly. by my discovery | have
saved you from arrest, and perhaps
condemnation, and myself from mar
rage which revolted me. But what is
! left after all. my dear? Nothing, moth
ing. We can never be anything but
friends to one another, for our lives
have beer ruined by the sins Of other
people. 1t is cruelty hard.
You speak only too truly, Dora, y
said Allen. taking her hand. "And |
can give you no comfort; I can give
myself no consolation. Your fathers
crime has parted us. and we must SUI
! fer vicariOusly for his guilt"
For a moment or so they remained
silent. thinking over the hOpelessness
of their position. But matters were
too important and pressing to admit OF
much time being wasted in useless
| lamentations. Dora was the first to re-
cover her speech. and forthwith related
the events of the day, from the CONVEX
sation of Meg Canoe down TO the visit
10 Carver. Allen interrupted her fire.
quently with explanations Of sur
prise.
You are right, Dora" he cried when
! she had ended How wonderfully
you have worked out the matter!
| Without doubt Joad was hidden in the
house while Lady Burville saw Eder-
mont. After she left he must have
killed his friend and secured the man
uscript. No doubt he hid again when
he heard me coming, and saw me not
in the road as he alleges, but in the
study. Oh, the villain, and he would
have saved his neck at the expense Of
mine"
He had not even that excuse, Al
len; for. owing to his manipulation of
the hall clock, there was absolutely no
suspicion that he was guilty He ac-
cused you to gain me, but now have
caught him in his own trap, and no
doubt Mr.. Carver will have him arrest
ed this night"
4 hope so" said DR.. Scott angrily;
"he is a wicked old rufiiani But
cannot understand why he killed Mr..
EdermOnt?"
The manuscript may inform us,
said Dora, taking it up. Let us read
it at once"
Allen consented eagerly, and Dora,
smoothing the pages, began to read
what may be termed the confession Of
Julian Dargill, alias Edermont. Some
parts of the narrative were concisely
told, others expanded beyond all due
bounds; and as a literary attempt the
story was a failure. But for style or
elegance of language the young couple
cared little. They wished to learn the
truth. and they found it in the hand
writing of the dead man.
My name is Julian Dargill," began
the manuscript abruptly. Il was born
at Christchurch, in Hants, where my
family lived for many generations. My
parents died whilst | was at Oxford
and at the age of twenty found myself
my own master. For ten years l tray
elled in the company Of a young man
whom | had met at the University. He
was not gentleman, but he had a
clever brain, and was an amusing COM
papion, so l paid his expenses for the
pleasure of his conversation and COM
pany. When l returned home | left
MallisOn-fOr such was his name, John
MallisOn-in my London rooms, and
came down TO my house at Christ
church. Here l took up my residence,
and here fell in love with Laura Bur
vile. She was a charming blonde. del
icate and tiny as a fairy, full of life
and yivacity. Her face was singularly
btduNAAuls A4Nl AlSuAt pei anu size
had the gift of bringing sunshine
wherever she went. Needless to say, !
fell deeply in love with her, and would
have made her my wife but for The
foolish behavior of her parents. These
We're religious fanatics of peculiarly
rigid principles, and they disapproved
of my tendency to a gay life How
they came to have so charming a daugh-
ter I could never understand. Miss
Treherne-or shall l call her by the
fonder name of Laura had three
suitOrs-myself, Dr. Scott. a widOwer.
and Captain George Carew, of the mer-
chant service. Scott was a handsome
and clever man, but poor and reckless
in his way of life. His wife had died
when his son Allen was born, and Scott
left the child to be brought up by the
nurse while he went flirting with all
the pretty girls in the country. Mr..
and Mrs. Treherne disapproved of him,
also on account of this behavior. So
far as / saw, neither DR.. Scott nor my
self had any chance of marrying Laura.
for her parents favored the suit of her
third admirer, George Carew | hated
and feared that man. He was a brutal
sailor. with a vindiCtive spirit and an
unusually violent temper. Everybody
yielded to his imperious spirit. and he
rode rOugh-shod over any opposition
that might be mace 20 MS wishes. He
fell in love with Laura, and determined
to marry her. AT my pretensions and
those of Scott he laughed scornfully.
and warned both that he would permit
neither of us 10 interfere with his de
sign. He was cunning enough to in
gratiate himself with the parents of
I ,,,,.. dive 1o rnl;or;o,,r