The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1902-01-09
CHAPTER ",

SuiS was my Wue SlOry, as drew
It from her among tears and sobs. Her
name was Clara Huddlestone; IL sound
ed very beautiful in my ears, but not
so beautiful as that other name of
Clara Cassilis, which she wore during
the longer and. /, thank God athe hap
pier portion of her life. Her father,
bernard Huddlestone, had been a pri-
waite banker in a very large way Of
business. Many years before. his af-
fairs becoming disordered, he had been
led to try dangerous, and at last, Grim
inal, expedients to retrieve himself
from ruin. All was in vain; he be-
came more and more. cruelty involved,
and found his honor lost at the same
moment with his fortune.
About this period Northmour had
been. counting his daughter with great
assiduity, though with small encour-
agement, and to him, knowing him
thus disposed in bis favor. Bernard
Huddlestone turned for help in his ex-
tremity. II was not merely ruin and
'dishonor nor merely legal condem-
nation, that the unhappy man had
brought on his head. Ii seems he could
have gone to prison with a light heart
What he feared--what kept him awake
at night or recalled him from slumber
into frenzy-was some secret, sudden
and unlawful attempt upon his life.
Hence, he desired to bury his exist.
ence and escape to- one of the islands
In the South Pacific. and it was in
Northmour's yacht, the Red Earl, that
he designed to go.
The yacht picked them up clandes-
timely upon the coast OF Wales, and
had once more deposited them at Ora
den, till she could be refitted and pro-
visioned for the longer voyage. Nor
could Clara doubt that her hand had
been stipulated as the price of pas
sage. For, although Northmour was
neither unkind nor discourteous, he
had shown himself in several instances
somewhat overbold in speech and man
ner.
listened, need not say, with fixed
attention, and put many questions as
to the more mysterious part. 1t was in
vain. She had no clear idea of what
the blow was, nor of how it was ex-
pected to fall. Her fathers alarm was
unfeigned and physically prostrating,
and he had thought more than once
of making an unconditional surrender
to the police. But the Gcheme was
finally abandoned, for he was convinc-
ed that not even the strength of our
English prisons could shelter him from
his pursuers.
He had had many affairs with Italy,
and with Italians resident in London,
in the later years of his business; and
these last, as Clara fancied, were
somehow connected with the doom that
threatened him. He had shown great
terror at the presence of an Italian
seaman on board the Red Earl, and
had bitterly and repeatedly accused
Northmour in consequence. The lat
ter had protested that Beppo that was
the seaman's name) was a capital fell
low, and could be trusted to the death:
but Mr.. Huddlestone had continued
ever since to declare that all was lost,
that ii was only a question of days,
and that Beppo would be the ruin of
him yet.
1 regarded the whole story as the
shallucination of a mind shaken by
calamity. He had suffered heavy loss
by his Italian transactions; and hence
the sight of an Italian was hateful to
him, and the principal part in his
nightmare would naturally enough be
played by one OF that nation.
In short, and from one thing to an
other, 1t was agreed between us that
L should set out at once for the fisher
village, Graden Wester, as 1t was call
ed. look up all the newspapers l could
find, and see for myself If there seem
ed any basis of fact for these continued
alarms.
The village is one of the bleakest on
that coast. which is saying much;
there is church in hollow, a mis-
cradle haven in the rocks, where many
boats have been lost as they returned
from fishing; two or three score of
stone houses arranged along the beach
and in two streets, one leading from
the harbor, and another striking out
from ii at right angles; and at the
corner of these two. very dark and
cherries tavern, by way of principal
hotel.
had dressed myself somewhat more
suitably to my station in life. and at
once called upon the minister in his
little manse beside the grave yard. lie
knew me, although it was more than
nine years since we had met; and
when l told him that l had been long
upon a walking tour, and was behind
with the news, readily lent me an arm
ful of newspapers. dating from month
back to the day before. With these
sought the tavern, and, ordering some
breakfast, sat down to study the .Hnd-
dlestone Failure"
1t had been, it appeared, a very fla
grant case. Thousands of persons were