Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1902-08-14
CHAPTER XVI.
Continued,

! t~-----,r~ Continued.
The cold drive home of George Claris
and his niece began in silence. They
group of buildings of which the Blue
Lion was the principal, when the girl,
turning suddenly to her uncle, asked:
"Uncle George, what is the matter?
Why are you different, different to
meW
There was pause. A struggle was
going on in the mans breast, strug.
| gle ptifully keen, between the love he
had always borne toward his Nell and
the attacks of doubt and suspicion. 1t
was in a husky, unnatural voice that
he presently replied, parryiag the qucs-
ton:
Different! How different"
"You know, you know" Nell whis-
pered back.
| George Clars looked at her. And
for minute the old trust came back
| into his heart, and he told himself
that he was a fool, q miserable old
| fool, to allow doubt of her absolute
| goodness and truth to enter his mind
| And then again 1he ugly thoughts
| which had begun to darken his mind,
subtly instilled by the doubt and sus-
| piciOn in all the minds around him,
| clouded over him once more. He could
| not give her an open answer, although
he felt that it would have been better
| If he could have done so. He heaved
! q big sigh, and answered without look
ing:
"Ah, well, my girl. it's not so easy
to be lively and cheerful with such
| things aB thcm," and he vaguely indi
| Gated the recent occurrence, jerking
his whip back in the direction Of
Stroan, Happening under ones very
windows, almost"
And then they both were silent, both
conscious ut the same moment that
they were close to the spot were the
body of Jem Stlckels had been found
on the previous night. Both uncle and
niece looked furtively at the spot. casi.
| ly discernible by the trodden down
condition of the wayside grass. And
then, quite suddenly, their furtive
| glances sought each others face, and
for n moment their eyes met.
Uncle" asked Nell, in a whisper,
twas the gun that fred the bullet
| found"
George Claris shook his head in an
Bwer.
| This, indeed, was the chief difficulty
with which the local police, put on
their mettlc by the presence III their
midst of Hemming, the London detec.
tive, had to contend.
The bullet found in the head Of Jem
Stckels had evidently been fired from
an old-fashioned weapon, being of
large size and Of obsolete pattern. And
no weapon had been found In the
neighborhood, after a diligent and ex.
haustive search. The theory Of the
| doctors was that the bullet had been
discharged from pistol at distance
of at least some yards; but at pres.
| ent this theory had borne no fruit ex-
cept in the brain of the detective, Hem
ming.
! That astutc person had been revolv.
ing in his mind an idea, which he took
care to keep to himself, and which led
him, within an hour of the conclusion
| Of the inquest, in the direction Of Shin
gle End.
| Where would Nell be so likely to find
weapon with which to commit the
crime which freed her from her fear
| Of Jem Stickels as at the house of an
old soldier? Somewhere about the
house, and probably In place with
which she, an habitue of the house.
was well acquainted, the old colonel
| would be sure to keep some mcmentos
Of his soldering days, an inspection
| of which Hemming felt was very like
| ly to give him the clue he wanted.
| 1t was, as usual, Miss Bostal who
opened the door to him. Her prim face
seemed to light up on seeing who it
was.
"Come in. do come in," said she,
| throwing the door wide open, and In
viting him to enter the drawlngrOom.
II do hope you have got some more
| news for us. Do you know / hope
more from what you will find out than
from all these country policemen! If
they We're to sit and talk till midsum-
mer, don't believe they would be any
nearer to finding oas who did it than
they are now"
The detective smiled.
Il think you are too hard upon them,
ma'am," said he. "They think they've
got pretty good clue already. And
they quite expect to make an arrest
before many days are over"
| Miss Bostal who had followed him
into the drawing room, and was pro-
ceeding to light a solitary candle, after
her hospitablc custom, shrugged her
little, thin shoulders impatiently.
"They always say that. But what
| j. YOU Think"
| The detective did not answer at once.
| And when she burned to inquire the
reason of this, she perceived by the ex-
| preston of his face something had
| itartled him.
| What is the matter?" she asked,
| quickly.
II suppose these doings have made
| me nervous, like the rest Of them,
| ma'am," answered he looking down at
his hat, and brushing 1t carefully with
his hand. "For l fancied 1 saw some
body looking in at the window"
Miss Bost3l looked at him curiously.
1t seemed to her that from where he