Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1902-04-26

on the whole NATE" o: pcnoic Wao.
F, like the Bostals. wer, acGua med with
the family at tht E.ue Lior. and wao
! We're mt the same time on FIJI ndiy
! terms with them.
! Miss BoSsal herself o0ened the Goor
+ rs before. ana from tniS and o.n"r
signs il was easy for Clifford TO dis
/ cover thar she and her father KEEP, no
! servants. She seemed not to be nj al
! surprised by his visit. and when Il"
began to apologize or intruding upon
her again. and III such an early hour
of the day. she only smiled and asked
| him to come III.
II must own that l was engaged in
the homely pursuit o. peelinS potatoes
for our early dinner said she. rs she
showed him the old worn tableknife
which she held in her carefully gloved
. hands.
Very careful she was. this dricdup
little elderly lady about the care of
| her person: she never went into the
| garden without sunuonnet 10 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. Il long pleasant apartment with
low ceiling. with an oid-faShored
bow-window that looked TO the west
and another that looked TO the south.
! The sunshine showed IN the shabbi-
ness % which Clifford mad noted some
| traces the day before. The faded
1 IL -, t,,,..s
fireplace. with nothing but small
sheet of brown pare" in the "-ata 10
replace the winters fire. all spoke OF
+, desperate shifts. of the reancst straits
of genteel royerty. But Miss Bcs'al
gave him very little time to iook about
him.
Il can guess what you have come
! about" she began. rs she put down
| her old knife upon the s;de-table ill
the passage before entering The room.
lit is about this dreadful thing that
has happened at the Ciaris's. But
must tell you frankly tina, il you have
! any suspicious OF old Claris o. his
| niece ii is CT no use your talking to
me. for you will get no sympathy.
have known old George Claris for
nearly twelve years: and as for Nell.
l don't think could care more for the
girl if she were my own siste-. she is
rs incapable Of theft rs an angel"
The lady's thin. pale face grew pink
under the energy Of tbs protest.
which Clifford fastened To assure her
was not needed.
I liz
you do" he said. earnestly. II only
want the mystery cleared M &C. .hei-
own sake. and | thought ,hat YOU.
VINO live so near. Nigh. perhaps. have
Il notion which would heip as 10 arrive
n The truth.'
Miss Bostal smiled triumDnantly.
Il have" she said, emphatica!ly. II
have very strong notion. indeed
will tell yoI in confidence whom
suspect, and l shall try my hardest
10 find out the truth
Cl;lrerd's face glowed with excite
ment and expectancy.
'Who-yho is it," h ac.:ei. breath
lessly.
''Jem Sticteis." she answered wi:l
decision.
And who is that? You Know am
4 stranger here"
"A young fisherman Who owes Nell
n grudge because she would not iIsleu
TO the fellows imDudent advances. He
is always hanging aDoui the place.
though. and he doesn't scruplc TO
threaten the girl 10 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 couotuily He re-
memoered the young fisherman in the
punt. with his unprcpossessing man
ner and low type o. face: and if it
had been possible to CONNECT him
with the robbery he would have
jumped ut the idea as Il plausible ore.
But then the hand he had touched was
certainly not that OF Jcm Sticke.S.
and. moreover. h. could moi conceive
how the young fisherman could have
got into the house and out of II un-
less by collision with some one within.
Rather disappointed. therefore. with
the lady's fantastic idea. as II seemed
to be, Clifford. upon finding that she
had no better suggestion 10 make. soon
took leave OF he:. begging her TO i'm
press upon Neil mis- own unwayering
belief in her innocence.
In the hope that ne might oycrtake
Nell on her way home. o. perhaps only
with the lovers wish To tread in the
loved ones footsteps. Clifford obtained
Miss Bostal's permission TO go through
the little gate ut the bottom OF her gar
den. so that he could return to the Blue
Lion by the fields. Nell was out OF
sight, however. by the time he started.
and whatever pleasure he extracted
from the walk was due only TO the
knowledge that she had passed this
way.
To be Continued.
| War In the Iron Trade.
The costly revenge that one firm en-
gagged in The iron trade took upon an