Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1902-05-30
began to run across the open fields as

IL occurred NJ OuCe W Cliuolu 'h"'
she must be going to take counsel
with her friend, Miss Bostal, and he
started in the direction of Single
End himself, thinking that 1t would be
a good idea for him to open his heart
to that lady, and reassnre Nell as to
his own trust in her through the un'
Improbable lips Of her elderly friend.
He went by the road, and saunterinS
along at a very sedate pace, reached
the little tumbledown residence OF
Colonel Bostal Just as Nell. emerging
from it by a back gate into the fields
started on her journey back home.
She did not see him, but he, looking
through the hedge at her, was able to
discern that her face was, IL anything.
more sad than it had been when she
left home. and that her eyes were
swollen with recent tears.
The prim old maid mad been unsym'
pathetic and harsh TO her poor little
protege, that was evident, and Cliff
ford felt that he hated the starchy
spinster for it.
He could not, however, help feeling
that he should like to hear the opinion
on the whole matter OF people who,
! like the Bostals, were acquainted with
| the family at the Blue Lion, and who
were at the same time on friendly
| terms with them.
Miss Bostal herself opened the door
| as before, and from this and other
| signs it was easy for Clifford to dis
| cover that she and her father kept no
servants. She seemed not to be at all
surprised by his visit, and when he
began to apologize OF intruding upon
her again, and at such an early hour
of the day, she only smiled and asked
him to come in.
| II must own that was engaged In
the homely pursuit of peeling potatoes
for our early dinner" said she, as she
showed him the old worn tableknife
which she held in her carefully gloved
| hands.
Very careful she was, this dried-up
little elderly lady about the care OF
her person; she never went into the
garden without q sunbonnet to pre-
serve her complexion, nor did any sort
of rough work without an old pair OF
| gloves on her hands.
She led Clifford into the drawing
room, long, pleasant apartment with
a low ceiling, with an old-fashioned
bow-window that looked to the west
land another that looked to. the south.
The sunshine showed up the shabbi-
ness of which Clifford mad noted some
traces the day before. The faded
cushions, the rickety chairs, the bare
fireplace, with nothing but small
sheet of brown paper in the crate to
Replace the winters fire, all spoke Of
desperate shifts, of the meanest straits
Of genteel poverty. But Miss Bostal
gave him very little time to look about
him.
81 can guess what you have come
about" she began, as she put down
her old knife upon the side-table in
the passage before entering the room.
at is about this dreadful thing that
has happened at the Clariss. But 1
must tell you frankly that if you have
any suspicious of old Claris or his
niece, it is of no use your talking to
me, for you will get no sympathy. l
have known old George Claris for
nearly twelve years; and as for Nell,
| don't think could care more for the
girl if she were my own sister. She is
as incapable Of theft as an angel"
The lady's thin, pale face grew pink
under the energy of this protest.
which Clifford fastened to assure her
was not needed.
II believe that just as heartily as
you do" he said, earnestly. II only
want the mystery cleared UP for their
own sake, and I thought that you.
who live so near, might, perhaps, have
d notion which would help us to arrive
at the truth"
Miss Bostal smiled triumphantly.
81 have" she said, emphatically. Il
have a very strong notion, indeed. 1
Twill tell you in confidence whom I
Suspect, and l shall try my hardest
TO find out the truth"
Clifford's face glowed with. excite
ment and expectancy.
"Who-Nho is itr he asked, breath
lessly.
"Jem Stickels," she answered with
decision.
"And who is that? You know / am
a stranger here"
"A young fisherman who owes Nell
a grudge because she would not listen
to the fellows impudent advances. He
is always hanging about the place.
though, and he doesn't scruple to
threaten the girl to do her some harm.
and he is always prattling to people
who come this way about the robber-
les which have been committed at the
Blue Lion"
Clifford listened doubtully. He re-
membered the young fisherman in the
punt, with his unprepossessirg man
ner and low type of face; and If it
had been possible to connect him
with the robbery he would have
jumped at the idea as a plausible one.
But then the hand he had touched was
certainly not that of Jem Stickeis,
and, moreover, he could not conceive
how the young fisherman could have
got into the house and out of it I'M
less by collision with some one within.
Rather disappointed, therefore. with
the lady's fantastic idea, as it seemed
to be, Clifford, upon finding that she
had no better suggestion to make, soon
took leave of her, begging her to i'm