The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1900-12-01

his expectation that he would be high
up on the list Of wranglers. I lost nc
time in getting to Oldburgh, and I put
UP at the Brunswick, for, failing Mr.
.Byrne, I might gather q good deal Of
information required from h gossip
Of the smoking room or billiard saloon
could I but lead 1t ! n the right chan,
mel. At the very outset ! q good
news, for the man who waited on me
at dinner told me that Mr.. Byrne was
still at the farm, and that he was 9
hale and hearty man. And SO I found
him when I called upon him next day,
and the good yoeman blood that ran In
his veins showed itself in the warm
welcome he gave me when ! told him
that 1 had come from a long distance
to see him. I did not beat about the
bush, but told him that I wanted all
the information he could give me rela-
tive to the attack that had been made
upon a gentleman some. years back.
"Do you remember the occurrence?"
I asked, describing 1t more infinitely.
"That I do, sir. Sit down for a mo-
ment;" and then there was a looking
for spectacles and a hunt for the old
papers, accompanied by a running COM
ment on the good of keeping printed
matter by one. He came upon the pa
per at last, and when. with trembling
fingers, I had opened 1t, I found that
it had FIRST seen the light somewhere
about the time that my father had
come for me to take me abroad. A
second newspaper, bearing a date some
week or so later than the other. gave a
fuller description of the gentleman at
tackled than that which I had alreay
read, and I was convinced that this
description could in no way apply to
my father, for certain peculiarities
were mentioned that could not possibly
be connected with him.
I hardly knew whether to be pleased
or not at the discovery I had made, Tor
It brought me face to face with the TACT
that the powers Of evil against which I
would pit myself were working IN q
much wider field of action than I had
imagined, since It was now clear that
the lives of others beside that OF my
father were aimed at. To begin with.
here was the attack at Oldburg on an
unknown man; then there was n
murder of DR.. James n London, ana
my father had originally es-
caped by reason Of the precaut1on ne
took upon leaving England, n OF as
socfatfne as little as possible with Eng
fish -speakfng people.
hush. but told him that I n all
the information he could give relative
70 the attack that had been made upon
a. gentleman some years PACK.
The Dvrnes were SO hospitable that
? could not get away until I had helped
them dispose of their midday meal,
and when It was finished ! was taken
to the spot where the lad. Willie Roa-
duck had lain and watched when tne
tramp attacked the gentleman.
"Yon,s the spot where the man Eel"
said the farmer, '.just where you see
that stake. We drove 1t IN 10 marx
the place like, and there she's STUCK
ever SINCE"
AS I Yves certain that 1t was not my
father who had been attacked the mat
ter had lost part Of its interest for me.
It was as much for h axe OF
saving something, as for n informa-
tfno that I might get, that I presently
asked If they had ever heard OF OF
from this Willie Paddock; ana scarce-
Nv needing the answer that notnlng
was krow as to his whereabouts !
asked what sort Of a boy he was.
..1t's a long time since he left u.s.
ia Mr.. Byrne, but we have q picture
at home with him in it, as ne was
then. I mind it was taken a mo n.n
before he went away. Come oacA "no
I'll show It to you"
And SO, back he went, n q pnoto-
graph, rather faded and well-thumoeo'
was produced. 1T was that Of a group
ana I'm It was a boy, and his features
had come out SO plainly that l begged
leave to take the photo away with me-.
NV idea was to enlarge the face; n I
NAV mention here, that my father hao
fostered my natural aptitude for draw
and had, whenever the opportunity
occurred fsuch as when we lived In the
suburbs Of SOM large city,, sent me to
the best masters; for, as he argued.
there was no knowing when the accom-
plishment might prove of great service.
took the picture to the hotel, ana
spent nearly the whole day sketching q
life-size face, and I was rewarded for
pains when Mrs. Byrnes declared
that it was the image Of Willie Rud-
dock. On the back Of h drawing !
made notes of such particulars as the
color of the lads hair and eyes; his
height and build when they had last
seen him, and any striking peculiarities
tia would have abided with him as he
grew. Then I began to sketch the face
as I supposed 1t would De when its
owr.er was some few years older; and
then I drew another, and so on, untllSls
at last produced the picture OF q young
mansof twenty-three,. the age
would now be II he were living, though
Of this both Mr.. and Mrs. Byrne were
doubtful, .for the boy was main fond
Of them, and it Jared to be. strange IT
he was still alive and he hadn't written
to them"
I stayed some time in Oldburgh, Tor,
although the place was very quiet, the
air was bracing, and there were many
pleasant; walks In the neighborhood'
over the moorlands and through h
woods and across the breezy links; and
I amused myself. too, by drawing on.
the landlord and making him tell me
everything about the event that 2
thrown the town into such q state OF
excitement twelve years before.
The end Of September found us once
more. rat work, and I shall pass over
the events Of the winter, merely re-
marking that ! never heard anything
Of my father. though Tor this I was
somewhat prepared by his letter.
Mr.. Travers' nephew did not come
down at christina, though he was ex-