Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-09-02

adding that he himself would go with him
and would undertake to keep him quiet.
All three, therefore, mounted into the
trap and drove into Carstairs, where Mer-
Ger gave the man in charge Of the police
briefly stating the circumstances Of his
capture.
Beyond admitting that the man was his
father, Nigel would say nothing, but he
hung about the police station all that day.
making inquiries as to his fathers condl-
ton, and the next morning. when the pris-
oner was brought before the magistrate
charged with attempting to shoot John
Mercer, Nigel was already in court, and as
soon as the proceedings were opened offer
ed to tell all he knew.
"All you know" repeated the magistrate
who was on the bench, about this shoot
Ing case?'
Nigel looked up steadily.
About the whole lot he answered, de-
liberately. It's all got to come out now.
all, all. I'll tell the lot, sir, and I'll tell it
| as short as can
The prisoner, meanwhile, was looking at
Nigel affectionately, with evident recogni-
ton: He was still wearing Nigers best
| clothes, his Sunday black coat and light
trousers; but. in spite of this. very little
likeness could be discerned between the
sunburnt, rough-looking young man of four
and twenty and the griZZled, wrinkled pris-
oner, whose face bore evidence Of good liv-
ing and hard drinking.
Nigel. allowed to proceed. began with a
startling explanation. Hes the Mr.. Cory.
sir, that came down here with the smart
horse and trap"
There was general murmur of surprise,
and some of the spectators. thus put on the
scent were able to recognize the altered
looking sporting gentleman whose coming
with Nigel Treveddoe and subsequent dis
appearance had made SO great sensation.
Then the young man was allowed to go
on with his story.
I'D had row with my mother, your
worships," said Nigel. addressing the mag
istrates, of whom there were by this time
| three or four on the bench, land I'd gone
up to London to try to make a living there.
when l come across him and found him out
to be my father. AS he's told you himself
leastways he told John Mercer-as he d
been once before in prison, may as well
having forgiven him for It,. Since then he )
lived 1t down, been q 'boOkte," gentleman,
| on race courses, and done WELL Well. he
took fancy to me, and not being well he
give me lift in life and put me on a level
with the others what are holding their
| heads above me. Well, gentlemen, we come
down together, and him not liking for it to
story that had got about-(he was very
sensitive about having 1t known he done
time)-he called himself Mr.. Cory and came
as visitor like. But when he got to our
place there was ructions between him and
my mother, and she didn't like having to
nurse him, for IT was drink was at the bot
tom OF 1t, and he was restless and hard to
manage, and wouldn't see no doctor. And
when she got to haunting him he got nasty
and more sensitive than ever, and made us
give out he was gone, while he was a-stop-
ping in the cottage all the time for to get
round bit before going away. Well he
was very kind to me, and he gave me his
money-what I've got at home, more'n a
hundred pounds-free for my own. And the
horse and trap was to be mine, too. And
he took my part through thick and thin
he did and main nv had
luck. And all the while gentlemen, he was
that nervous and sensitive on his own ac-
count, and worried, too, by my mother a
bit; and that made him drink worse than
ever, till he usent rightly to know what
was happening, or what he was doing. I'm
! sure OF 1t. and all the while main nervous