The Red Cloud chief., 1898-07-01
CHAPTER ".

Clara Cassilis. which she wore during
the longer and. |, thank GOD, the hap
.,ler portion of her life. Her father,
bernard Huddlestonc, had been a pri-
vate banker in a very large way of
business. Many years before, his af-
fairs becoming disordercd, he had been
led to try dangerous, and at last, Grim
inal, oXpedients to retrieve himself
from ruin. All was In vain; he be-
came more and more, cruelty involved.
and found his honor lost at the same
moment with his fortune.
About this period Northmour had
been counting his daughter with great
assiduity, though with small encOur-
agement, and to him, knowing him
thus disposed in his favor, Bernard
Huddlcstone turned for help in his cX-
tremity. 1t was not merely ruin and
dishonor, nor merely q legal condem-
nation, that the unhappy man had
brought IN his head. 1t seems he could
have gone to prison with a light heart.
What he feared-what kept him awake
night or recalled him from slumber
into ~fren2y-was some secret. sudden
and unlawful attempt upon his life.
Hence, he desired to bury his exist
ence and escape to m CT the islands
in the South Pacific, and it was in
Northmour's yacht, the Red Earl, tat
he designed to go.
The yacht picked them up clandes-
timely upon the coast of Wales, and
had once more deposited them at Ora
den, till she could be reittcd and pro-
visioned for the longer voyage. Nor
could Clara doubt that her hand had
been stipulated as the price of pas
sage. For, although Northmour was
neither unkind nor discourteous. he
had shown himself in several instances
somewhat overbold in speech and man
ner..
/ listened, / need not say, with fixed
attention. and put many questions Us
to the more mysterious part. 1t was III
vain. She had 10 clear idea Of what
the blow was, nor Of how it was ex-
pected to fall. Her fathers alarm was
u%nfeigned and physically prostrating,
and he had thought more than once
of making an unconditional surrender
to the police. But the scheme was
finally abandoned, for he was conyinc-
ed that not even the strength of oul
English prisons could shelter him frorl
his pursuers.
He had had many affairs with Italy
and with Italians resident In London
in tie later years of his business; anf
these last, as Clara fancied, were
onnabnu nnnnapfp1 with tho tnnn, thai
threatened him. He had shown great
terror at the presence of an Italian
seaman on board the Red Earl. ant
had bitterly and repeatedly accused
Northmour in consequence. The lat
ter had protested that Beppo chat was
the seaman's name) was a capital fel
low, and could be trusted 10 the death
but Mr.. Huddlestone had continued
ever since to declare that all was lost
that it was only a question OF days
and that Beppo would be the ruin o.
him yet.
l regarded the whole story as tn,
hallucination of a mind shaken BY
calamity. He had suffered heavy los.
by his Italian transactions; and henc,
the sight of an Italian was hateful t
him, and the principal part in hi!
nightmare would naturally enough b,
played by one of that nation.
In short, and from one thing TO an
other, it was agreed between us tina
/ should set cut at once for the fishe,
village. Graden Wester, as it was cell
ed, look up all the newspapers l coulC
find, and see for myself If there seem
ed any basis of fact for these continued
alarms.
The village is one of the bleakest OIL
that coast, which is saying much
there is a church in a hollow, a mis-
cradle haven in the rocks, where man,
boats have been lost as they returned
from fishing; two or three score o
stone houses arranged along the beacl
and in two streets, one leading from
the harbor, and another striking GU
from 1t at right angles; and at TIT
corner of these two, a very dark an
cheerless tavern, by way of principa
hotel.
| had dressed myself somewhat NOR,
suitably to my station in life. and a
once called upon the minister In hi
little manse beside the grave yard. IL
knew me, although it was more thar
nine years since we had met; an,
when l told him hat ] had been lon
upon a walking tour, and was benin,
with the news, readily lent me an arm
full of newspapers, dating from a mont
back to the day before. With these
sought the tavern, and, ordering som
breakfast, sat down to study the 'Hud
dlestone Failure"
It had been. 1t appeared, a very fla
grant case. Thousands of persons wer
reduced to poverty, and one in partic
ular had blown out his brains as 500
as payment was suspended. ]
. was strange to myself that, while
read these details, | continued rathe
TO sympathize with Mr.. Huddleston
than with his victims. so complete al
ready was the empire of my love 70
my wife. A price was naturally sc