The National tribune., 1901-04-25

which had been, creaklng out Its suHer
ings ever since his ponderous corporoslt!
had subsidized into it. =,
The other looked quizzingly at him. "
should not have said you were cut ou
for a detective, Mr.. Smith" ,
'rThe notion that lean hounds tn
best tracker isn't always true.
l'You're right, Mr.. Smith," chucklet
yandevere. as he opened the door fo
Higbee and they shook hands. "Say, doe
anyone know anything about the histor!
Of this Hosmer before he joined the 'Bos
tons? 1t is said he came out to the pTac
tice- ground one day and asked If the!
didn't want pitcher. For lark tns
Captain told him to get into the box. Ht
pitched five innings, and though ht
seemed a little shy at first, they say the!
never had had such man before. vi
course, he was no greenhorn, but the ques
ton is, where did ne come from! My I'M
preston is there was something crooked
about the business from the beginning.
IAN in good time, Jedge; all in good
time I'll answer them questions for you.
.'Hope you WILL" returned Nandevere
almost spitefully: but you can't do 1t py
just looking mysterious. l haven't any
more faith in you than if you weren
half so big"
Higbee greeted this uproariously. Shak,
ing hands again, he stepped out onto the
lawyers porch. Say. Jedge, | wish
you'd have these steps fixed SOS won't
Rave to lOIu my Dre1Jn WIel L SVihS UP
with Hosmer," he called back.
Make your mind easy. I'm going TO
rebuild next year," was the retort.
DR.. Ashbel was on the boat by when
Higbee returned. The dominic looked
worn. Drawing aside Higbee, whose
disguise" size and widely self-advertlsed
connection with the Sears case had COM
bined to make him a very conspicuous
figure in the vicinity, he said dejectedly:
81 had q long talk with Bettson this
morning. He says we must get Margaret
away. and you must help US. She has
faith in you. You were the only one to
see the connection between our poor boy
and Hosmer. Dear, dear, if he had not
had such a rigid sense of honor, and felt
bound to fulfill his engagements at any
price, even to risking his life second
time on the lake, when he had already
barely escaped with it once DIR. Ash
bells voice broke, and ne half-turned away.
"Poor boy, what q terrible loss for US
allr
Higbee was silent. The two men stood
by the rail, and DR.. Ashbel, gazing down
at the green water as it rushed by the
side streaked with fine lines of foam, won.
dered shrinkingly what secret it might
hide, right there, there below their feet
The steamer whistled for the Point
Chautauqua Landing. Higbee turned
with a start. as if he had remembered
something he wanted to say, but had for
gotten.
"Oh. Dr. Ashbel, you will have an en-
gagement tomorrow afternoonW The
minister shook his head. mo? Well, be
somewhere around The Grand at )
o'clock. won't you? Yes? Don't forget,
please" Dr. Ashbel nodded, for his heart
was too. heavy with sadness for every
day words. As the boat warped up to the
dock, Higbee stepped nimbly off, leaving
the other to follow as he pleased.
The worthy ex-Constables head was in
the clouds as he came into the hotel again
late that morning. He did not know that
Dame Fortune, who had been courtlns
him so assiduously for month past, had
given him a slip which proved her to be
the jade some people called her.
The same morning, after her usual
walk in the grove near the hotel, when
Mrs. Ashbel came IN to see MaTgaret, lt
was to learn that Mrs. Keep had already
come and gone.
s'Your mother tore up her willr' gasped
the little lady after a few words from the
girl, who was half-laughing and half-cry-
ing at the same time. And going to
everybody thought She stopped, Mrs.
Keeps astounding double move almost
paralyzing her tongue.
"Gilbert often spoke of Mr.. Bettson
marrying mamma l wish he could be
here. 1t will be hard for me with him
has come out so well except-him" She
choked. but continued in voice whose
very steadiness betrayed the strain she
was under, "Do you know that | am
lady Of independent fortune now? Mr..
Bettson explained everything this morn
ing. You know he would never tell US
anything about Miss Greenlee's will, and
that borrid letter that 1 found. 1t seems
that accident made Gilbert fulfill all the
conditions Of that secret trust-and half
her money goes TO each Of US, unincum-
bered."
Ashbel, still little dazed by recent events.
But it is only dust and ashes without
himl II / was not sure he would come
back / should go wild. 1t was lack of
money that made him make that engage
ment. which took him away from me into
the night and the storm. And now-now,
when there is enough, more than enough.
he will come back, he will, he mustl
Night after night lately have heard him
calling me .Maggiei MaggieP over and
over again. The cry is so helpless, so
pitiful. / wake up calling Gilbert, here
I am? with my hands stretched out to
find him in the darkness. He is alive, l
know it: but he cannot come back. Some
thing prevents him and he cannot let us
know. And all this good fortune waiting,
and mamma ready to forgive him. Why,
IL he had told me about that secret trust,
and thought it good fun; but he didn't,
and now I must find him! Nobody else
can, not even Mr.. Higbee. Nobody can
End him but me. He keeps calling to me,
Maggie, Maggiep"
Wringing her hands In a sort of despair,
she rose and fitted restlessly about the
room. Mrs. Ashbel watched her with
sinking heart. Hasn't Mr.. Bettson
found anything new?" she asked. half
consciously keeping up tho pretense Of
hope they had never relaxed before Mar
garet. The girl turned on her almost
fercely:
Anything new? Has he found any
thing yetT' she demanded, shrilly. ''0h,
Gilbert, Gilbert. / shall go mad If you
do net come soon, soonp'
'"rhere, there. my darling, control your
self" said Mrs. Ashbel, getting up and
clasping her in her arms. You have
been so brave. Don't give up now. He
viii come back all right-that is, / hope
he WILL" she added to herself, prayerfuliy
"Control myself Haven't l controlled
myself? Haven't / been patient? But
cannot be any longer! l must go,
must DO something, or | shall 90 wildr'
Her pallid features, drawn with agony,
the dark circles around her eyes, whose
pupils distended with nervousness gave
her face a strange, unearthly expression.
frightened Mrs. Ashbel. Unless we get
her away she will go crazy" she thought,
terrified. Wouldn't you like TO 90 for
little drive, Margaret?' she asked, tim
idly. Julius has found a new road with
lovely Bit of birch-woods on it. The
l.. III