The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1904-03-05
CHAPTER VII.-(Continued.)

,reat. but the young iadys surprise Was
Fiji more strongly marked. She stopped,
,Iasped her hands together, and Then
came ON again. with two large clear gray
eyes distended.
Mr.. Culwick. you i'm Worcester. You
have repented; you are going to your
father!''
Reuben shook his head and smiled
little.
you are foolish fellow" she said.
land almost as strange Il man as your
father is. Are you still living down that
wretched street in Camberwell?
Il can only afford to live in wretched
Streets" was the reply.
What has brought you to Worcester"
40 see Aunt Eastbell," he replied.
"and to discover if possible, the mystery
If nv nd-cousin Sarah. They are
my relatives | am more interested in
them than [ can explain. May | ask
IN return what Aunt Eastbell and my Sec
ond-cousin has to do with your
II am interested In them more than
| can explain" was the arch answer;
that's all"
Il wish you would explain something.
Who are you, to begin with y
All that's not worth elucidation" she
said IF / tell you that my name is
Holland. will til at make the position any
clearer?'
1T might" said Reuben, quickly. MY
father yished me to marry a Miss HoI-
land once, young lady whom had new
or seen. and whom / was to take upon
trust. Are you the lady?'
Yes. sir"
hau saI co. hon In,
stead of mel" he asked, satirically.
Il would not marry either of you for
twice your fathers money" she said,
frankly. II am simply his housekeeper,
at a housekeeper's wage. MY father was
his best friend. and your father has been
kind to me. in his odd way, since my
fathers death"
And now" said Reuben. will you cx-
plain why you are interested in Aunt
Eastbell. why the girl who has deserted
her corresponds with you? why you pass
Yourself off az the niece of that old
woman who has left us?'
''Ill work backward. if you will allow
me- she said. II call myself Miss Mug
geridge because the name of Holland is
familiar to your aunt. The girl GORE.
spends with me because she knows that
| read her letters to her grandmother.
aud that | am the grandmother's friend
while she is away. I am interested in
Mrs. Eastbell. and feel for the utter lone
Illness in which she is left by her friends
| have been interested in Mrs. Eastbell
for some years now, for the matter of
that"
Indeed! and her granddaughter, Sarah
Esstbell, alsO?'
"Of late days--a little. She was not
very gracious to me-she never cared To
see me here. When she got into trouble.
she thought that she would make me her
cOnfdantc. but it was too late
when she got into trOuble"' echoed
Reuben; what trouble was thatY'
Come with me. and I'll show you.
She led the way out of st. Oswald $
Into the Tithing. crossed the road 70 the
corner of the street leading to the prison,
aud pointed to the wall. in which several
bills We're posted. One was To the effect
that a reward of five pounds was offered
for the apprehension of Sarah Eastbeli.
late Of Worcester. who had cOnspired
with others for the unlawful issue of spu-
ri0us coin.
Reuben stared with amazement at the
placard.
1T is well that the old woman is
blind" he murmured. IL did not think il
was so bad as this"
Neither is it,"
You mean that"
That her brother is ut the bottom of
1t. You don't know what scamp he il. l
suppose? He gave her the money he
lieve. She offered a sovereign in all good
faith--it was detected as false coin
She was asked where she lived and how
she became possessed of it. and she took
fright and ran away
is she with her brother?'
les. She wrote to me without Civ
ing her address, stating that she must
remain with her brother Thomas for a
While. He was in business. and was TAX
IIg care of her. She left GRANDMOTHER
Eastbell in my charge, she said It's a
responsibility" she added, "but | have
accepted it."
Reuben related the story of his dis
coVery of Sarah Eastbell, of her fight
IRON him, and the way in which he had
lost her in the gardens of Saxe-GOtha.
Miss Holland reflected for a few mo-
ments, then she said:
Il wonder if her brother performs
There. He is an acrobat at times. When
he was first in prison. he was arrested
III his tumbler's Dress
In prison-an acrobatT'
Reuben Culwick remembered at once
the tumbler who had been spinning round
"n the slack rope at the Saxe-Gotha.
When he had first entered the gardens.
could that be Tom Eastbell, the scamp
VINO had brought his sister into difficult
ues' who had caused her to fly from
worcester. in order to escape the charge
OF uttering base coin?
on the following evening Reuben Cul-