Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1902-06-19
Copyright, lS95, by
CHAPTER VIII.


NO" answered Nell, firmly.
"And now?" pursued. Clifford.
"Now l have no more idea who did
1t than you have yourself. At first l
tried to think that this Mr.. Lowndes
went to sleep with his head full of
thoughts of robbery, and that he
dreamed all that long story that he
told lis. But the more l thought about
his manner of telling Us, the more l
could not help believing that it was
not dream, after all. And yet"
"You saw no one go through your
room but him?"
mo one," answered Nell, emphatl-
cally.
Gould it have been-the-the serv-
ant, the woman l saw in the bar!"
suggested Clifford, with lowered voice.
Nell smiled sadly.
"Poor Meg? No. She has been with
my uncle for fifteen years; and, you
know, they say it is only lately. since
l have been here, In fact" and again
she grew crimson, that the thefts
to say that that night, when Mr..
Lowndes had told his story, l did so
into poor Meg's room, just to--just to
see If she was there. And she was
fast asleep; really fast asleep, not
shamming. tried her with lighted
candle before her eyes; you see l was
desperate" she added, in apology.
"And then even went downstairs and
had a look ut old Mamie"
And Nell looked deeply ashamed OF
the fact she was confessing.
But Clifford, who had naturally less
delicacy on the subject of Mamie and
Meg, secretly cherished a hope that in
some inexplicable way one OF the other
of these estimable persons might get
them all out of their difficulty by
eventually confessing to the thelts.
But he was careful to give no hint Of
this hope to Nell.
Clifford did not want to see George
Clarls, but he felt bound to do SO. The
innkeeper was, as he had anticipated,
very surly in manner toward him, and
he frustrated Clifford's intention of
opening his heart to him on the sub
ject of Nell by abruptly disappearing
from the bar almost rs soon as tho
young man entered 1t.
Clifford did not see Nell again; she
had entered the house at the back,
and he came In by the front, and al
though he fingered about until it was
almost dark in the hope that she
would relent and come out and bid
him farewell, he was obliged to re-
turn to Courtstairs and thence to town
without that consolation. Nell, on the
alert for the expected visitor, was not
long before she discovered him. He
came, only few days after Clifford s
visit, in the guise Of mild-lookinS
man with sandy hair and pale eyes,
one Of those men whose age it Is dill
cult to guess until you perceive by a
close inspection of the wrinkles under
the eyes that the apparent lad is well
over forty.
George Claris had no suspicion of
his visitors profession. In spite OF the
rumors about the house. there were
travellers staying there about five
nights in the seven. But then these
were usually of a humble class, whose
pockets might be considered not
worth the picking.
The detective himself. for such he
was, called himself u commercial
traveller, and professcd during the four
nights he spent under the roof of the
Blue Lion, to do a round business
calls In the neighboring towns. return
Ing to the inn toward evening, now
from one direction, now from another.
in q perfectly unostentatious and bust
ness-like manner On the second day
he announced that he should have
money to receive on the fourth, anu
he made this announcement in the
presence Of as many people as he
could. Jem Stickels, who still hung
about the Blue Lion with malicious
eyes on Nell, two or three other fish
ermen and couple of farm laborers
were in the bar at the time.
Jem nudged one of his companions
and winked knowingly. The detec'
tive, without appearing to do SO, saw
the wink and took note OF Jem.
When the last lingercr had boon
turned out, and the Blue Lion had
closed it's doors for the night the de
tective made a few notes in his OWL
room before he went to bed.
On the fourth night, when he was
supposed to be in possession of the
collected money. the detective went
upstairs as usual, but not to sleep
He had avoided such an accident by
a nap in the afternoon. Fully dressed
he lay down under the bed coverings
and for three hours. listening intently
TO the slightest sound in the house. ht
waited.
And presently. about two hours be
fole the dawn, the expected visitor
came.
Very softly, with the rapid, ligh
movements of an expert. the figure
crcpt round by the wall, cropping
searching. The man in bed spranG
up. leaped out, and placed his bacl
against the door.
Then for five minutes he waited II
VAN. Not a sound betrayed the pres
ence Of another person in the room
lie took box of matches from hi
pocket and struck a light. He coult