Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1899-11-02

"Really, now, don't you see, he never
recognized me- but I'm cousin, sir,
and | fawncy I'll shake things up bit
presently. There are one or two others
in this noighborhood sir and you may
be sure we shall contest the will.
"That is, if it's not satisfactory to
your ideas, I presumey'
"Prccisely. What's the law, now, if
that old miser, Marsden, has left all his
dust to the youngster and it's proved
that the youngster murdered him
What's the law"
Don't you think, Mr.. y
"Silas Gosnell sir-Silas Gosnell."
"Well, don't you think, Mr.. Gosnell,
II would be much wiser to wait until
young Mr.. Marsden is accused before
you make quite so much use of his
1ame in connection with the murderY'
Il fawncy that perhaps you re right.
But what the law anywayT'
I'm sure | don't know Darrent
responded sharply as they made for the
bank on the Norcombe side.
IAN right steady does it. Don't get
warm, young man." Mr.. Gosnell or
served as he unfastened his skates.
"Still, | fawncy Scotland Yard man
would know the law backward.
VERY probably so, Mr.. Gosncll, "
replied Darrcnt He would know it,
as you say, backward. "
Are you strolling my way, old
chapW
Il think not and yet, on second
thought, | think | will
Right. Will you have drink"
ono, thanks"
"Sure?'
"No thanks"
81 fawncy you re right. Poison your
self is no figure of speech if you drink
the stuff they sell in Norcombe."
Herbert Darrent walked with his
strange acquaintance through the vii
lage, anxious to gain what news he
could, if any, of the relatives CT the
late Josiah Marsden, and before they
parted at the door of the Palace hotel
he had learned that Marsden's remain
ing cousins We're Andrew Marsden,
farmer, living few miles west of Nor
combe and Arthur Ridgeway, the man
ager Of a theater in Barnstuple.
Silas Gosnell was a man that Darrent
felt he would very much like TO study,
but time would not permit. He could
only label him as a harmless idiot and
then forget him, although he did ask
himself once or twice during the day,
as the thought REQUIRED to him, why
Gosnell's : insanity had taken such a pc
culiar turn.
After bidding goodby tc his compan-
ion Darrent walked down to the police
station, but there was no reply to his
telegram, and il was not until noon next
day that he received lengthy dispatch
from Chicago in answer to his own.
Thanks to his promptitude of action,
the authorities had experienced little
difficulty in tracing Astray Marsden.
He had gone by the first train from
Barnstaple to Chicago as Darrent had
expected he would had taken "A cab at
the station and was driven to the Royal
hotel, where he was now staying under
his own name.
Hum muttered Darrent as he read
the message. scot good aiibi | sup
pose - He glanced at his watch. He
could drive over and catch the after
noon train from Barnstaple, get to Chi
cago, see young Marsden and be back
again the next night, and while at
Barnstaple he might be able to have "a
few words with one of the other cous-
ms Arthur Ridgeway.
A couple of hours later Darrent was
strolling down High street, Barnstaple,
looking for the Gaiety theater, which,
after a lengthy search, he discovered in
not very lively quarter of the town
and from a variegated placard on the
wall CLEANED the information that MIR.
Arthur Ridgeway was the actor man
ager, Another highly colored poster
representing gentleman in deep blue
frocb coat and pink trousers, with an
unaccountably amiahle smile upon his
features, being dropped into an enOr-
nous caldron Of some steaming liquid
by another and less amiable gentleman,
who, i'll pleasing contrast to his untor-
tunate victim, was attlrod in PINK
frock coat and blue trousers, announced
to all and sundry that there would be
played that evening and for the rest Of
the week the stirring melodrama, emit
tied 1.-The Factory Man Revenge, in
which were introduced real steam
hammer weighing hundred tons and
real caldron of real molten metal,
'the most thrilling scene, the poster
asserted lever seen on any stage,
which Darrent was quite ready to be-
lieve,
Making his way down a grimy court,
at the entrance of which II lamp in a
wire cage bore the legend Stage Door,
Darrent found a veritable picture gal
lery of posters representing the villain,
always in the same pink coat and the
same blue trousers, putting the gentle
I man whose taste in clothes was exactly
vice versa through variety o: original
and excruciating fortunes, Mt which tn
bland gentleman continued TO beam an
smile, evidently with an Unborn knowl