The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1898-08-06

almost In silence. The porter at the hotei
Informed him that the detective had been
there that morning. and would probabl
call the next, but his coming and going
were extremely uncertain. Egerton had
( therefore left q note for him.
When they reached Eastport the we'll
known common was half hidden by thick
sheets Of rain sweeping before a wild
southeaster, while the heavy, leaden-col-
ored, threa tening waves Numbered along
the beach.
Neither uttered the thoughts which the
sight Of the familiar place conjured up
in both. Once a sigh SO deep as to be al
most a moan, broke from Egerton, and
he said in hoarse tone: What an end
ing to it air.
After short halt at the hotel they
drove to the office Of the lawyer who had
been instructed to act for Col. Callander.
should his offer of reward produce any
result.
Mr.. Briggs was a short dumpy man,
with whiskers meeting under his chin.
and round, jovial face. He rolled some
what in his walk-indeed, gave strangers
the impression of being a sea going So
licitor.
He was little exalted in his own es
TEEN by being mixed up with such swells
as Standish and Egerton, and by the sort
of halo the whole business had cast
around him. Re received them cordially.
VERY glad 20 see you, gentlemen. The
man-Tom Ritson-ab0ut whom | wrote,
has not come yet, but he will be here
presently. l cont know that what he has
to tell is Of much Importance. Step into
my private Office"
AS he threw an inner door open,
sailor OF ordinary type presented himself
at the entrance of the office.
"Oh. there you are. Ritson. Come
along"
They all went into the private ROOM
where Standish at once took a chair Egg
erton remained standing, and the lawyer
retreated to his usual fortress, the arm
chair behind his knee hole table
The sailor, holding his cap In both
hands somewhat nervously, but with an
air of some importance, kept rather close
TO the door
Come, Rtson," said the lawyer, tell
these gentlemen your story"
Ritson shifted from one foot to the
other. We'll, sir" he began, 'this was
the way Of it. You see, I'm an Eastport
man, and l shipped aboard the Macedo
MIA, one OF the Commercial Steam Navi-
CATION Company's ships, in London Dock
in September last. We put in here for a
day and night, and l had leave to go
and see some Of my friends as live out
Westdene way, but l was to be at my
post at seven next morning, as We were
to sail with the tide"
Egerton muttered halfinarticulate ex
81 a ny Of mr. n Il
aloud, Come, get on, my man"
Il must tell you it all from beginning
to end he said, ''or l can't do it no way"
Give him his head" murmured Stand
ish in a low tone.
80" continued Ritson ''as nv aunt's
husband was jovial, hospitable chap, i
thought I'd not stay there all night, for
maybe I'd drink a drop too much and
ovcrsleep myself. We sat talkin' and
chattin' till past midnight. Then l says
good-by and started to walk into East
port l had had drop but only drop
/ knew what l was about. 1t was dark
when | set out, but by an by the moon
rose, and by the time struck the top Of
the common there was plenty OF light,
though every now and gain a big cloud
would come sailing across the moon
When l got alongside a pretty bit of
house, the first you come to after crossing
the sand-hills from Westdene, l thought
how quiet and comforta bic everything
looked, and thought there was a faint
glmmer of light in one OF the lower win
dows, nigh the near end Of the house
While was looking and thinking a figure
comes out Of a gate at the side Of the
house, carrying a short ladder on his
hn, Ia nd or ~
one arm round it, through the rungs, as
il thinking what he'd do next. There was
something SO quiet and steadfast in his
WY that 1t never struck me he could be
after any mischief, though it did seem
bit queer his being there with a ladder at
that hour. Just then the Eas tport clocks
chimed out three qua rters-I guessed it
must be quarter TO two, aud that had
best make for the town as fast as
could. When got a few PAGES off turn
cd and looked back, but not a sign Of the
man or the ladder could l see. l got into
the old Mermaid Tavern, and to bed
Next morning we sailed"
do you remember the date Of this oc
currence!" asked Briggs.
II do, sir. 1t was the twenty second Of
September and the birthday OF nv aunt's
youngest boy, so we drank an extra glass
Of grog to his health OF course | thought
no more about it. We had an uncommon
rough passage across the bay. and were
obliged to put into Gibraltar to retit
Then we went on to ConstantinopIe. from
that to Port Said, and back, and I was
left behind in hospital. Altogether / have
been over six months out Of England, for
| came home third officer Of a small
sailing ship, and it was a terrible slow
tub"
when did you land herc?' asked
Standish
-Four days 60, sir. Then hea I'd of the
murder, and TIE reward. so | came along
here to tell what l had seen that night
and you can take it all for what it is
WORTH
What was the man hke-the man you
saw with the ladder" continued Stand
ish
"A tall, straight kind Of q chap, about
- He paused and gazei hard at Egg
erton. About that gentieman's height
and build"
Egerton drew himself up to his full
stature and looked straight ut the speaker
with stern, set expression, as if nerving
himself 10 face some imminent danger.
Look well, he said. Much may de
pend on the apparent height and size of
the -gure you saw.
Yes" returned Ritson, slowly. He
was about your height, but little broad
or, il seems to me now"
How was he dressed ?" asked Standish.
In longish jacket something like a
seaman's jacket; but what l noticed most
WAS that he had neither hat nor cap on
Clothes and hair an all looked dark. OF
course | could not see very clear-the
light was shifty, and there was the gar
den and strip Of common between me and
him"
Did he look like a seafaring mann
asked Briggs.
We'll. sir, he warn't unlike one. You
see l didn't take time to look much, for
rs | said before. it didn't strike me as he
hadn't right TO be there--he moved de-
Hberate like"
or sounds ~ or--