The Farmington times and herald. (Farmington, St. Francois Co., Mo.) 1902-1905, 1902-11-13

who has led such a vigorous life as
your uncle has done"
/ could almost have declan'd that
she shuddered Of my words. Did she
know more about her uncle and bis
past life than she liked TO think
about? | remembered one or two
expressions he had lot fall In his ex-
element when he had been talking
to ME, aud how ] had commented
upon them as being strange words
20 come from the lips of mission
airy. 1 had often wondered whether
the story he had told me about iheis
life In China, and HAyle's connection
with IL, had been a trHe one. The
tenaciousnesn with which n China
man clinRs TO the religion of his fore
fathers Is proverbial, and could not
remember having ever heard that
mandarin. or an official Of high rank
had been converted 10 the Christian
faith. Even II he had, IL struck me
"a being highly Improbable that he
would have been the posseSsnr 81
such princely treasure, aud, even sup.
posing that to be true, that he
would, at his death. leave II g. such
q man Rs KitwateT. No. | fRncird "
we could only get Mt the truth ot the
story. VIC should find that IL was
good deal more picturesque. not 20
use n hATRher term. than we imag-
ined. For q moment ] had almost
been tempted 20 believe that the
stones were Hayle's property. np,i
that these two men were conducting
their crusade with the intention Of
robbing him of them. Yet. on
maturrr reflection, thiE did not fit In.
There waa the fact that they had Ger.
tainly bern mutillated as they de.
scribed. and also their hatred of
Hayle to be weighed in one balance.
while HAyle's manifest fear OF them
could be set in the other.
III ! am not mistaken that Is your
step, Mr.. Fairfax" said the blind
man, stopping suddenly In his walk,
and turning his slehtless face In my
direction. ats wonderful how the
loss Of ones sight sharpens ones
ears. ! suppose you met Margaret
on the road?'
II met Miss Kitwatcr in the
churchyard. | replied.
"A very good meeting place" h.
chuckled. sarconically. ITS where
most OF us meet each other sooner
or later. Upon my word. think the
dead are luckier than the living. In
any case they are more fortunate
than poor devils like Codd and my
self But ! am keeping you stand.
Ing, won't you sit down somewhere
and tell me your news? have been
almost counting the minutes for your
arrival. know you would not be
here to-day unless you had some.
thing important TO communicate TO
me. You have found Haylc?"
lie asked the question with fever
Ish eagerneas. as II he hoped within
a few hours 90 be clutchlng at the
others throat. could SEE that his
niece noticed 1t too, and that she re-
eoiled a little from him in conse.
Ia'hCr- fhUANbpoh SIT 10 NOFk ana
told them OF all that had happened
since had last seen them. described
my lucky meeting with Hayle ut
Chsring Cross, my chase after him
across London, the trick he had
played me at Foxweii's hotel, and mv
consequent fruitless journey 10
Southampton.
"And he managed 10 escape you
after ALL" said Kitwater. THAT man
would oatwit the master Of all liars
himaef. He IL out of England by
this time. and we shah lose him"
"Hs has not escaped me-" I re
piled. quietly. ~ know where he Is.
and have got a man On his track"
Then where iss h&f" asked Kit
water. "If you know where he is.
you ought to be with him yourself