The Saint Paul globe., 1899-03-19

in dark cloak, might have been seen steal
ing away from the farm and taking the foot
Fath leading towards the swamp.
IL was Huldah who stole along quickly ana
CauCously by the pale moonlight, and, spite
ol her WEAKNESS, it was long past midnight
when she crept, like a guilty thing, in at
the back door of the farmhouse and up to
her room again, drenched with dew and
trembling with fatigue cold and nervous
ness.
A few days passed by and no news of
Guarda reached Esmeralda nor the Beam
lshes' and old Chris, although he was fully
aware how much Devos Guarda disliked to
De followed, watched, or interfered with,
started off to Buffalo in search of his boss.
Inc Old man had known Devos from a
chlld, and his father before him. and spite
OF al! Abe and others said, in his own mind
ne Ielt certain that something had happened
10 Ills master, and resolved to find out what
1t was, cost him what it might.
Huldah had repeated to him her tale of
Guarda'S intention to go to Buffalo and he
thought that, in connection with the fact of
the harvest being a more than usually good
one, 1T was quite probable he had done so.
One day, soon after his departure, as
granny and Huldah were seated in the Stoop
after tea, Abe accompanied by one of the
Harvey boys, rode up Abe held something
under his arm and looked puzzled and seri-
Gus, whilst Dick Harvey was laughing, ges-
ticulating, and talking volubly.
When Hudahs eyes fell on her uncle her
heart gave great throb, then seemed al
most to stop beating and for an instant she
passing around her.
Abe jumped off his horse quickly, and,
followed by Dick Harvey, came towards the
two women.
What have you got there, Abe? gun!
Been shooting?" asked granny. How are
you, Dick? Mother pretty well?''
Pretty WE'LL Mrs. Beamish, for her. re-
piled the young fellow. ME and Mr. Beam
ish have come home from Green's together,
and passing along through the. swamp,
1--WE found this here rifle a-lying in the
long grass said Abe, trying, as Huldah per-
ceived to speak carelesSly.
Yes; Mr. Beamish saw it first, half in
and half out of the mud The marsh is very
dry just now-never it SO dry, l reckon
or it would have been buried in the mud.
How it got where we found it Heaven only
can say. Mostly there's standing ground
where it lay for yards and yards-nothing
but soft black mud and green tuSSocks; but
it's"
IT'S Brian Beresford's Winchester" said
Abe, in odd voice; its got his name on
the stock. However it got where 1 found it
don't know
Nor t., said the boy. "Well, Brian will be
glad to see it again anyhow, 1 reckon. What!
you've sent all his traps off to Europe?
Don't he ever reckon to come back here,
then? That's unucky.'
."This can follow the others, I guess said
Huldah we've no right to keep it here
Why. mol suppose not, Miss Huldah."
replied Dick Harvey. "A very good rifle it
be; loaded, too, it is, all but one chamber.
It'll want a good cleaning; it's got awful
rusty, and"
I'll clean it," said Huldah, with sudden
eagerness, trying to take the rifle from her
uncle's hand.
mo, no." replied Abe, holding it firmly.
That's no work Ior you, Huldah; I'll see
to that
But Miss Huldah's good shot, and un-
derstands a rifle WE'LL" said Dick. well,
Mrs Beamish, I'll be going. Good night.
Farewell, Miss Huldah!''
He mounted his horse quickly and Abe,
Brans rifle still in his hand, quilted the
stoop, looking anxious and troubled.
I'D give hundred dollars he muttered,
'to know how that rifle got where L found
it. Pshaw! I'm fool. Most likely Brian
himself. Yet what could Brian have been
doing where I discovered it? There's very
few besides knows the trail across that
part of the swamp. Dick doesn't, that's sure
enough, by what he said tonight"
CHAPTER VIII.
The prolonged absence of Devos Guarda
from his farm was now the great subject of
talk in and around Cliffville. Old Chris.
after weeks search, had returned from
Buffalo with no news of his master and a
belief that the well-to-do young American
had been the victim if foul play and had
come to a sudden and violent end began to
spread rapidly.
Abe and Mrs Beamish who firmly believed
that Huldah was breaking her heart over the
loss of her lover tried their best to keep
these sinister rumors from her ears, and the
neighbors, knowing how things had stood
between the young people forbore to talk of
Devos and his disappearance in her pres
ence-she herself shrank from mentioning
his name, and rarely, if ever did SO, so that
she remained in partial ignorance of the
rumors about him that were rife.
Chris Saunders, however, was determined
to discover the whereabouts of his boss
Search parties were organized, the country