The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1903-08-27
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ifoood nyseli 10 the presercs Of Whit
vhisksred old hfs eater. vto u once .
tackled me % ikoaeb ssrs 90 eneuys p
,ition.
ksov my irieod Hsidynept colonel o
The HsrsnE,di hone moss distins uishe'
of5cuf
| confessed thsi had cot the booor.
He's 10 troable. They socuse him o
theft. II hes been po, sbon. ihst be stol
. tsodsome decoration. . sisr set 10 bri
iisnts, 81 the isvee yesterday. BY George
~. monstronsl Don't you think soi
should like 10 know the facts. ] sui
sssied niiely.
TIE long sod the shor, OF il y. tbs
Colonel Hardy M cot. 10 the fall uniform o
bis corps. hsd been the day previous Y
make bic boz 10 royalty on bic return D
ter loos exile 10 the east.
lie bad entered the psisce snd vss mil
cd up With the throns Of disuitsries-p
lars Of the stale. foreign diplomstists, oflt
ers OF both services
There be made the most OF bis time. and
With oil the deIteri,y OF 90 old and prsc
tisei ihlei had collsred every thing vslus
bic that came within bis reach.
He was not caught 10 the act. Bot
wherever he went havoc and depreciation
iollowed in bis track.
Aud What might the colonel ssy him
selii o. conrse be has heard sbout II
from solne kind friend.
No, 9 word. The fact is Hardy ment
ia not TO be found.
That OF itseli looks Il did not dare fin
ish the sentence.
I'll shoot the man who accuses himl Ev
cry body's wrong. or else some o0e bss per
sonsted him.
Bot that wonll have been very difficult.
First OF all. the possession OF bis uniform,
the krovledee how to put IL op. sud il
would have been so easy to RECOGNIZES him.
to detect 90 impostor. Such 3 man o.
Colonel Hardyment would be we'll known
No, 10 this oountry. He has not been
home for years. and there we're very few
Indian III ,ers si the Ievees.
We're your
OF conrse not. Do YOU suppose that
this wonIl have happened II ! hsd been
lbert2
Isbook my head grsvsly. The whole
thing locked fsby in It's most favorable
light -kleptom,nIs ss lesst.
You must not overrste my powers. Let
a. 60 at once to Colonel Hardymenps
quarters. Where does be live. or, rather.
where did be liver
l! was . modest residence -only one
room, in q house oil chambers, 10 the
pei hborhood OF Pail Mall. The porter.
y no knew the general. accompanied % up
stsi,s end let Us into bis room With bis
pass key.
The room was oil 10 disorder, clothing
lying about. uniform Just % II hsd been
taken of and thrown en- to the bed,
which observed bad not been slept in.
When did yon see The colonel lsst2 l
asked the porter. To speak to mean.
The dsy before yesterday, cir.
He brs no servant Of his own'
No. now. interposed the general. BE
bad . man -epgsged him directly be came
home but turned him of . week or tso
,go. That vas why be came TO live here,
' here be could get a.tendsnce and be val
,ted.
l now made more searching exsmina
ion OF the room. II hsd evidently been
iummsged, riasd from end to
md. Everything valuable he'd disappear
ID; the jswel tray Of the dressing case was
'mpty. ite tops presumably silver Of the
bottles bad been removed and some Of the
,ess Of the clothes.
saw no reason TO exonerste the colonel
Until 1 caught sight Of bunch OF keys on
be floor and. stepping 10 pick them up,
ound also M unmistsksbIe picklock or
,urslsi s skeleton key.
/. was the frst suspicion Of foul play.
)olonel Hardyment under the circomstsnc
. would scarcely have left his keys be
ind him. he might certainly have forgot
On them. bu. even thst would pot scoourt
OF the skeleton key.
Tell me more about ,he colonel's late
s,vsnt. sill yoo, General Woodhslli
Where did be get himf
Through 90 sgency. ! believe. Rsskelf
Iss bis nsus smsrt. soldierlike chap
boat Hsrdyment's own sizs; had rather .
D 1k OF him. Iodeed-
Bat even % / spoke there was . sound
hurried ioottsps on the stairs. end
ome one broke suddenly into the room
wild, disheveled asure, dirty. unshorn
o ragged clothes and threw himself oil
I hesp 10 sn srmcbsir.
l, vss Colonel H.rdymeus himself. Con
srn, surprise, indigestion. we're the feel
,es expressed co both sides. spd confess
shared thsm End wss deeply sfscted
ben heard the colonel's story. which. af
u coed tose OF brandy. be wss ssrorg I
noasb 10 tell
BE bsd returned 70 bis cbsmb lste
pc night from bis club when be found
esisee waiting for him. Ao old soldier q
,iend OF his sho bad just come home srd !
.. st.yins ., the Royal hotel, Blsckfri !
%. bsd bssn taken suddenly dangerously b
|. Wo1ld CJlouel Hariymsnt come 81 q
pcs 10 the csb serts
Il. Jumped 10 snd zee driven ID rapidly b
ons the embsbtmsnt. the long line Of B
shh on which we're the lsst things be o
..auclly remembered. Somewhere there Q
. lost consciousness "a vseue recollec /