The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-08-26
CHAPTER ".
THE RETURN OF THE wANDERER,

CHAPTER v.
THE RETURN OF THE wANDERER.
As we fully expected. nothing came of
the police investigation. Such a wanton,
senselsss crime they failed utterly to COM
prehend. and. not knowing all that we
knew or all that we suspected, they had
little TO stimulate them TO great exer-
tions. Sometimes I doubted my uncle's
wisdom In Withholding the story OF the
sign. IL would at least have put the au-
thorities on the right track, but as my
mothers murderer was still at large and
they were supposed to be assiduously
searching for him II could have furthered
his capture but little 10 tell OF our suspi-
cions. As for making a point OF the egg
shaped symbol, that would undoubtedly
have laid US under the suspicion OF being
q marked family and as such not pleas
ant neighbors. No: take II all In all. he
was perhaps wise. The crime had been
committed. There was the evidence OF II.
IL the police captured the perpetrator. We
should know where to look for my moth
er's murderer.
them went all my uncle's patience, and
at last he told me that the strain OF In
cessant watching was proving more than
he could bear.
IT am convinced" said he. that the
police will never discover the perpetra-
tor OF this outrage, and as they cannot
AFFORD US the necessary protection we
must see 10 our own welfare. Davie. my
lad. am sick TO death OF being hunted,
and i intend 20 turn hunter myself. /
have no doubt whatever that this man
or men will follow us, so that our chance
OF one day meeting him Is not remote
You know what 10 do. XIII him without
. moments hesitation just as you would
q mad dog. But you are young yet. and
! have decided TO put you In a place Of
security. will work on alone"
Then one day without warning, we left
the house and went to London. my uncle
taking a couple Of rooms for US In Chel-
sea. He then entered into communica-
tion with his lawyer. and after some lit
tie delay he succeeded In letting his cot
tage to a couple OF highly respectable spin
sters who sighed for the fsiicities of a
was broached.a subject not at all TO my
liking. but my unole considered that an1
other two or three years at least were
necessary to complete my education. and.
feeling that he was right / consented
Moreover. my life OF the last few months
time. and I sorely needed the compan-
ionship OF youth.
So In due time I was packed of to a
school In the heart OF the Midlands. my
uncle having carefully chosen the situ-
alton. There j was known as James
Davie. my uncle. for reasons OF his own,
wishing me to take his name. Perhaps
those reasons would not be difficult TO
guess. II by chance my own name OF
Kingston should come 10 the ears of cer-
tain people, even the crowded school
might be no protection. Perhaps IL was
a little superfiuous caution on my un-
cle's part. but I could not quarrel with
II mn
particular love for my fathers honored
patronymic. Anyhow. names are not OF
much account in youth, and of the two
preferred James Davie 10 Davie King
ston.
My life was now extremely pleasant,
and. except when I got letter from my
uncle. I scarcely thought OF the horrors
OF the past. was surrounded by young
companions. j lived the free open life OF
a boy. and II did not enjoy my studies
overmuch ! made up for my lack OF In
teiiectual energy by developing a wonder
ful aptitude for games.
During this period my uncle proved
Q most consistent correspondent. dts
patching letter TO me every week with
unfailing regularity II was contract
we had entered into. for IL would be the
means whereby i might know II he was
stfll alive. In turn was 10 write as
often, but after having had a few let
ters sent to his club he begged me 10 de-
sist and send them on to his lawyer to
whom i was at once TO telegraph IN case
of an emergency. He did not explain
himself more fully, but needed no full
er expiana ton.
Then he began his wanderings. and I
got letters In succession from Hastings.
Eastbourne. Brighton, Worthing and so
on from many towns and many counties
and they all repeated the same note: "I
am still searching for the man with the
IT,
that he should not forget. and once /
even went so far as to suggest something
OF the sort. but the answer I received
made me feel ashamed OF my presump-
ton. "She was my sister" he said, "and
! yet I cannot forget but she was your
mother" Only those few underlined
words. yet what world OF meaning
they conveyed.
with the advent OF the holidays he
always came and took me away with
him, and upon each successive occasion
I saw how sadly his quest was Affect
ing him. From jolly fellow he had
grown morose and gloomy and was losing
weight IN a manner that might have been
considered alarming had II not suited
him so we'll. Truth to tell, he had been
somewhat inclined to feshinees and a
Yuddiness OF countenance OF which a
fastidious observer could not approve
Had not known the cause OF this change
III
knowing, had some difficulty IN conceal
ing my alarm. The world was not biz
enough for him and his sisters murderer
He was like one cropping I'm the dark. but
somewhere behind that darkness was the
light, and he would see ~ one day.
In the comparatively calm seclusion OF
iris school the next two years OF my
iife slipped peacefully away The past
was dropping further and further astern.
The horrors OF two years ago. II not quite
obliterated from my memory (such a
thing could hardly be with my uncle. stili
pursuing his grewsome auest, had grown
faint In the distance, and with the happy
fortune of youth 1 looked forward. with
but an occasional glance back. Not that
I had forgotten or ever could forget my
mother. but at ~ one cannot paint the
world black, paint he ever so vilely.
And yet n had ever INDUCED In the
hone that my misfortunes were at an
n .oo~. AaA sood ~auaa N reGraf ~, A.