Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1901-03-28
CHAPTER XVIII.


of Monmouth, all gashed and bleeding,
with crimson glory as Col. Roland
Chester started to make a tour through
the wood. He had been paroled and
feared no rudeness from the American
troops even if he should meet them. The
only weapon the colonel wore was his
sword. He chose path winding through
she wildwood, which brought him to
large, elegant, but gloomy, old house.
While trying to make out which place
it was, he saw old Dobbins, the servant
of Sir John Harcourt, hobbling away
coward the stables, which had been con-
verted into hospital followed by Anne
,Iia who had become a self-constituted
nurse to relieve the suffering of the
wounded.
This is Harcourt Hail." the colonel
murmured. Il have heard much Of 1T
and at last have seen it."
The colonel preferred the solitude of
the forest until the dead and wounded
should be gathered from the CHASTITY
plain. There was a narrow path run
aing through the tanglewood, which had
been made by the pigs and cattle going
TO the brook to drink. At it's end he sud
denly uttered a half-suppressed eXclama-
sion, started and stood still. Standing III
an easy attitude, with his back against
gree, contemplating two dead bodies be-
fore him with an expression of pleasure,
was the man whose presence, of all man
kind. in any place and least Of all in that,
he could least endure-Sir John Har-
court
Before Sir John, and only a few feet
away, lay all that remained of that once
beautiful woman. Ruth Sanford, alias
Nancy Lake; while ten or fifteen PAGES
further at the root of a tree lay another
figure whose red coat indicated the rank
OF a captain in the British army.
1t was very clear to Col. Chester what
was passing in the mind of Sir John. III
the eternal silence of the ghastly corpses
before him lay his safety from exposure.
The secret Of the dead could never be
given up, and it was the fate of war
that had swept off the Hindoo and all
who knew his secret. Sir John never
deemed himself so fortunate as on this
lovely summer morn.
Although Col. Chester's blood SO rose
against this man, and his wrath so stir
red within him that he could have struck
him dead, he put such fierce constraint
without a word or look. He would have
gone on and not turned back if this man
had not himself summoned him to stop,
and that with an assured compassion in
his voice which drove the colonel we'll
nigh mad.
why have you called me?' he de-
manded.
''ro remark" said Sir John Harcourt,
odd chance it is that we should meet
here
1T is a strange chance"
Strange? The most remarkable and
singular thing in the world | never
stroll in the forest in the morning; have
not done 50 for years, and, above all,
aetest scenes of horror such as these.
The within seized me early this morning,
very unaccountably. How very solemn
this is" He pointed as he spoke to
che slain.
Your work, in all probability"
Sir John let fall his glass, inclined his
face towards him with an air of almost
courteous inquiry, and slightly shook his
head as though he was remarEing to him
self Il fear this animal is going mad"
Il say that in all probability this is
your work. repeated the colonel.
Work echoed Sir John, looking smil-
ingly round. mine! | beg your pardon
i really beg your pardon"
1T may not have been your hand that
did it, but you planned for. a part of il.
Around on the other side of the fallen
tree lies the Hindoo; here lies Ruth San
ford alias Nancy Lake. Those two you
supposed held a secret in their breasts
known to no one but yourself and Cap
tain Sanford Judging from the posi-
fion of these, Captain Sanford is the
murderer of this woman, and vengeance
swiftly followed the cowardly act You
can see the whole plan yourself, can you
not? There is much between us, Sir
John much which I know, and you lit
tie dream | know. You had two broth
erS-twins-both older than yourself
Robert and Hugh. Robert, being the
oldest. inherited your fathers estates and
title. He was an army officer, and your
brother Hugh, the second twin, in the
navy. Your brother. Sir Robert, mar
ried my sister, my only living relative
all | had to love. One dark day in my
life. while they were in India, both your
brothers and their wives and one child
died. Hugh and his wife were drowned
in the bay of Calcutta. and Sir Robert
and his wife died from a cobra's bite
One child persisted"
Sir Roberts, my dear colonel, 1 as
sure you it was Sir Roberts"
1T was not
How do you know? You was not
There and l was cried Sir John, his.
eyes opening wide with surprise.
There are those who could speak, Sir
John, if they had lived. You know that
Nancy Lake was the nurse for my sis
ter's child She was in Calcutta at the
time. The horror of the cobra and death
Of her mistress, almost, but not quite
mnseated her brain. You hurried away
TO England with the nurse and placed
her in a madhouse. where she languished