Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1900-11-29

man's abilities, and made no secret of
his expectation that he would be high
up on the list Of wranglers. lost no
time in getting to oldburgh, and put
up at the Brunswick, for, failing Mr..
Byrne, might gather good deal OF
information required from the gossip
of the smoking room or billiard saloon,
could but lead 1t in the right chan,
nell. At the very outset I heard 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 a
hale and hearty man. And so found
him when 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 I had come from long distance
to see him. I did not beat about the
bush, but told him that wanted all
the information he could give me rela-
tive to the attack that had been made
upon gentleman some years back. .
do you remember the occurrence"
I asked, describing it more minutely.
"That I do. sir. Sit down for a mo-
ment;" and then there was looking
for spectacles and a hunt for the old
papers, accompanied by a running COM
meht on the good Of keeping printed
matter by'one. He came upon the pa
per at last, and when, with trembling
fingers, had opened it, 1 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 date some
week or so later than the other, gave
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 peculiaritles
were mentioned that could not possibly
be connected with him.
I hardly knew whether to be pleased
or not at the discovery had made, Tor
it brought me face to face with the fact
that the powers of evilsagainst which l
would pit myself Were working in.
much wider field. of action than had
imagired,g 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 the
murder of DIR. James in London, ana
doubtless my father had originally es-
caped by reason of the .precaution he
took upon leaving England. and of as
sociating as little as possible with Eng
disappearing people. 49,.
bush, but told him that I wanted all
the information he could give reiatlVe
to the attack that had been made upon
a gentleman some years BACK.
j; The Byrnes were SO hospltable that
I could not get. away until had helped
them dispose of their midday meal
and when it was finished l was taken
to the spot where the lad, Wine Roa-
duck had lain and watched when the
tramp attacked the gentleman.
"Yon's the spot where the man fell,
said the farmer, "just where you see 4
that stake. We drove it i'll to marx
the place like, and there she's STUCK
ever since"
AS twas certain that it was not my
father who had been attacked the mat
ter had lost part of it's interest for me,
and it was as much for the sake OF
saying something, as for any informal
tino that I might get, that l presently
asked if they had ever heard OF OF
from this Willie Paddock; and scarce
ly needing the answer that nothing
was know as to his whereabouts,
asked what sort of boy he was:
cts a long time since he left us,
said Mr., Byrne, but we have picture
at home with him in it, as he was
then. I mind it was taken month
before he went away. Come pack anu
I'll show it to YOU
And so, back he went, and photo-
graph, rather faded and well-thumpeo'
was produced. 1t was that OF group
and in it was boy, and his features
had come out so plainly that L beggeo
leave to take the photo away with me.
NV idea was to enlarge the face; ana
may mention here, that my father had
fostered my natural aptitude for draw
ing, and had. whenever the opportunity
occurred (such as when we lived In the
suburbs of some large city,. sent me to
the best masters; for, as he argued,
there was no knowing when the accom-
plishnlent might prove of great service.
I took the picture" to the hotel, and
spent nearly the whole day sketching a
life-size face, and I was rewarded for
my pains when Mrs. Byrnes declared
that it was the image of Willie Rud-
dock On the back Of the drawing 1
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
that would have abided with him as he
grew Then began to sketch the face
as I supposed it would be when its
owner was some few years older; and
then drew another, and so on. until l
at last produced the picture of young
man of twenty-three. the age RuddocK
would now be if 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 II
he was still alive and he hadn't written
to Them
I stayed some time in Oldburgh, for,
although the place was very quiet, the
air was bracing, and there were many
pleasant walks in the neighborhood,
over the moorlands and through the
woods and across the breezy links; and
I amused myself, too, by drawing gu.
the landlord and making him tell me
everything about the event that hao
thrown the town into such a state of
excitement twelve years before.