The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-03-29
PUBLISHED BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT.
BY WILLIAM lie eUEUx,
COPYRIGHTED, 1897, BY WILLIAM LIE QUEUx.

pewters, and as I entered looked up ant
| touched his hat
"Wen, Denman," I said. 'sYou DOM
seem to grow very much older, eh?"
The man, whose hair and beard wer,
closely cropped, and whose furroWed fac
had habit of twitching when he spoke
grinned as he answered:
''No, sir. People tells me bear my ag'
wonderful well. But won't you come
into the parlour. sir?"
Declining, I told him to get me some
thing to drink, and when he brought i
question ed him as to the latest news il
the village. Denman was an inveteratt
gossip, and in his constant drives in the
rioketty and antiQuated vehicle known al
1.-THE fly" to villages and towns in the
vicinity, had knack of picking up al
the news and scandal, which he retailec
at night for the delectation of customers
at the Sussex Arms.
81 dunno as anything very startling
has happened lately in Warnham. The
tumble sale came off at the schools last
Tuesday fortnight, and there's cricket
match up at the Lodge next Saturday.
Some gentlemen are coming down from
London to play"
Anything else?"
Denrnan removed his hat and cratcheo
his head.
ooh. yes,' he said, suddenly. "You
knows Mr. Macandrew. what's steward
for Mr.. Thornbury? Well, last Monday
week an old gentleman called at his
house up street and asked to see him.
His wife asked him into the parlor. and
Mr.. Macandrew went in. Are you Mr..
Macandrew?' says the old gent. I am,
says MIR. Macandrew. We'll. 1 should've
ave known you says the old man. And
it turned out afterward that this old man
was actually Mr.. Macandrew' father,
who's lived ever so many years in
America and hasn't seen MIR. Macandrew
since he wor boy. did laugh when
heard it.
visitors down from London?' inquired,
for sometimes people took the houses OF
the bstter-class villagers furnished for
the season.
''We had lively young gent staying
here in the inn for tour days last week.
He was friend of somebody up at the
Hall, think. for he was there good
deal. He came from London. wonder
whether you'd know him."
"What was his Dame?"
Funny name,' Denman said, grimm
ing. "Ogle, Mr.. ORle. -
HOglel" I gasped. "What was his
Christian name?''
dudley, fancy it was"
dudley Ogle," l repeated, remember
ing that be had been absent from Shep-
perton for four days, and had told me he
had been in Ipswich visiting some friends
"And he has been here?"
eyes, sir We made him as comfortable
as we could, and think he enjoy ed his
self.''
"But what did he do; why was he down
here?" 1 inquired eagerly.
"Do you know him, sir? jolly gentle
man isn't hep Up to all manners o.
4u;a L~o a1x ohaff ha rirla >,
Eyes, L knew him. Denman," an
swered, gravely. "Tell me, as far as you
know, his object in coming to Warnham.
I'm very interested in his doings'
GAS far as I know, sir, he came to see
somebody up at the Hall. ] drove him.
about good deal. over to Ockley, toCow-
fold, and out to Handcross. and took
him into Horsham every day"
"Do you know who was his friend at
the Hall?''
"No, l don't, sir. He never spoke
about it, but I did have my suspicious, %
he answered, smiling.
"Ohl what were they?" asked.
'sI fancy he came to see Lucy Dryden,
the housekeeper's daughter. She's good
locking girl, you know" and the old
man wfnked knowingly.
what made you think that, eh?"
"Well, from something I was told, he
replied, mysteriously. "He was seen
walking with young lady across the
Park one night, and card as 'ow it was
Mrs. Bryden'c daughter But next day l
ad surprise. A young lady called here
for him, and she was dressed exactly as
the young woman who had been in the
Park with him was. But 1T wasn't Mrs.
Bryden's daughter.
"Then who was it?''
81 heard him call her Ella. She came
from London"
"Ella?'' I gasped. "What the deuce do
you mean, Denman? What sort Of girl
was she? A ladyP"
"Yes, sir, quite lady. She was
was that she had on splendid diamond
bracelet. 1t was beauty"
ga diamond brnceletW 1 echoed.
There was no doubt that Ella had aotus /
" been to Warnham without my knowl-
edge, for the bracelet that the oldRostler,
in reply to my eager questions, described
accurately, was the one l had given her:
Where did they go?" / demanded, in sur
prise.
"She came about mid day, and they
both went for a walk towards Broad
bridge Heath. They were gone I should
reckon about three hours, and when they
returned it was evident from her eyes
that she'd been crying"
"Cryingl Had Ogle been talking to
her angrily, do you think?"
mo. I don't believe SO. They re-
NAMED here and had some tea together
in the parIor. and then I drove EN- to
Horsham, and they caught the 6.25 to
London"
was silent There was some remark
able unfathomable mystery in this.
"Now, Denman," said at Inst. 81
know you've got a sharp pair of ears
n nf
yours. Did you overhear their converse
tion while driving them to Horsham?"
Again the old man removed his battered
hat and calmly scratched his head.
"Well, sir, to tell you the truth, I did
ear II few words he answered. 81
'eard the young lady say as low she wor
powerless. He seemed to be begging of
her to do something which Mortified her
heard her ask him in whisper wheth-
er he thought they would be discovered,
and he laughed at her fear, and said, IF
you don't do it, you know the conse-