The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1901-01-26
cHAPTER IL. Continued,

AAs
At 6 o'clock the mex evening I called
Graves into the study.
II want you to take charge of this
packet" I said, and in this envelope
vol will find directions as to what you
are to do with it. If 1 am not home by
'6o'clock tomorrow morning, open the
envelope and do what the enclosed let
ter tells you. If I am back before that
hour, o can return the packet and
envelope unopened. Do you under
stand?"
Eyes, SIR" said he, somewhat aston
ished. and handling h papers deli
cately. IF you're not here, sir, at 6
o'clock tomorrow morning, I'm to open
this envelope, and the paper inside will
tell me what to do with the packet. If
you are here, I am to return them to
you.'
That's it, exactly, Graves. I shan't
: be in to dinner, so tell Mr.. Travers not
to wait for me, and-oh, by the way,
you needn't tell him hat I may be out
Aate to-night-and you're not to say a
Word of what I've asked o to do,
even to your wife"
every good, SIR and, carrying oft
the packet, he left me to prepare my
self for an adventure upon the like Of
which I had never embarked.
I had already written to Nora, and
Enclosed the letter in the packet, and
when, presently, I had donned the old
est suit I could come by, I slipped u
Of the house and started for Conner
mara Cottage.
The night was exactly suited to the
undertaking, for it was so dark that I
could not see a yard before me. The
wind rose at intervals to well-nigh half
4 gale, to sob itself away in a whisper
among the bare tr%ee-tops, and over
head the driving scud had shut out the
stars, while every now and then a few
big drops of rain battered down, as
earnest Of the storm that vas brewing.
The Connemara kennels We're empty,
o that I had no need to beware of the
dog" and without much difficulty l
CROPPED my way to the water butt. and
SO on to the roof, and. counting the
tiles, I found the third one, whice came
away with a little manipulation. TAX
ing advantage of the hubbub raised by
the wind when it was bowling it's loud
est, I removed some others, and
squeezed myself in between the raft
.ers. The loo upon which I trod was
sufficiently firm for me to stand upon
1T, or to move quietly without it giving
or creaking, and when I. had fixed the
tiles as securely as possible, I crept
forward on hands and knees until I felt
the partition.
And I lay there in the black darkness
waiting for the hour of meeting.
I seemed to nave lain there for hours,
and to have gone over at least a hun
dred methods of keeping Nora's father
out Of the trouble, when I heard some
~one softly open a door below. Then
came the sound of a match being
struck, and presently a light tlickered
up, and a few rays fell through the
narrow Sits in the partition. and one
Of these tiny apertures was so close
to my eye that, without moving, l
could see the greater part Of the room
below.
Two men had entered-Maurice
-A'Orville and Courtney.
"Now," said the former, "you are sure
that matters are safely arranged in
sside?"
eyes: everything. I've crept upstairs
and the cooks snoring fit to shake the
rafters."
. ALI SI1S = q NuCCI OOOS3 ooAA
willie. Seems to have a deuce Of a
temper, though I've never come across
her equal at white sauce. Now. do you
stay here, and I'll go and look these
men up. I think we may safely bring
them in all at once.
When he was left alone Courtney
began to walk slowly up and down the
room, in the center of which were five
chairs and a table with writing ma
terials upon 1t. and as he paced to and
fro he gave utterance to his thoughts
in tones that, low as they Were, easily
veached me.
"Why was I eve drawn into this?"
he muttered. ut was his wedding
tongue that led me on, until I'm so
deep in it now that I cant get out Of
ct with my life. But. so help me
Heaven! I won't be q party to assas-
Sination! I'll say my say against hat
this very night-aye, even. II Number
One Is here himself; and IL they kill
Newell, I'd be well out Of 1t II 1t
wasn't for Nora"-and here he looked
up and crossed himself-"though tits
little good the likes Of me can do with
praying, and I consorting with these
aye, it's an ugly word, James Court
ney, even to whisper to yourself-these
murderers. And Maurice is scheming
to get this young Tremayne into the
net, and it's easy to see. though it's
hard to know why, that it's more than
his money he wants; and II the lad
isn't on his guard he'll work his will
on him, and standing BY, that have
broken bread with him. If I could only
warn him some way! Yes. I'll do 1t!
Til be a set-off against-whist! here
they comet"
He sal. down at the table and played
,nervously with n OF. the pens.
The door opened, and four men en-
tered quietly, the three strangers shak-
ing hands with Courtney, and I could
see that the grip they exchanged was
no ordinary one. No words were spok-
en- while they Invested themselves Of
their heavy coats, and as they took
their places at the table I got q good
view Of two Of them. U the third
,seated himself with his back to me, 80
that all / could see Of him was his
broad shoulders. and the thick. full
neck set 80 squarely upon them.
OF the other two. was q man Of
thc most ordinary type. with nothing
very striking In his features. but the
other had d face that. once seem could
Z be forgotten. His short nose ran
wide TO d side. His upper lip war
a1Snr. straight and sharply-cut,, and his
black eyes were cd piercing. and
leaned 70 take IN everything sogcom-
Uleetsly wkhS4heir quick glances. that
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