New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-03-24
A Mystery of the Moor.
BY HAROLD vALLINGs.
IN THREE PARTs-PARr l.

IN THREE p
so fear there's nothing to be done. Captain
Fielding" said the Wears sister pursuing up her
lips. And let add that. for my part. don't
approve Of these mysterious widows"
Yet all the same the vicar subjOined. chuckling
softly the name OF this Evelyn McKnstry. Is
"Of course. I'm a little curious about her. admit
ted Miss St Aubyn; but
But to a woman"-the vicar murmured this
gently. with a sly glance at his friend. Ambrose
Feildng-'the pin prick OF curiosity is toerable
pain and an n sSa s mystery 10Y s5aTp
Il scarcely see said Ambrose Fielding musingly
f56 se DsdRsqs Us SO looking 6m the high
vicarage garden down the valley Of tho Walkhami
breast OF old Dartmoor. Miss St Aubyn. pointed
powered in woods in the deep lap of the vale.
When ,,I such very young widow takes a. lGney
TO know any one but Frank and myself. she may
But Ambrose insisted with some warmth that a
desire for seclusion was natural in a widow and IN
when she CHANGED TO possess youth and beauty
word with Mrs. McKinstry. his view OF the ques-
ton was that OF a calm. Unbiased spectator aItsI
which he made his farewells and started fy-rod IN
Poor. dear Ambrose! He'll go back to Plymouth
Miss 81, Aubyn uttered the sigh Of a romantic
| ssperbsDs he will answered the vicar calmly
Perhaps, on the other han-. our supposed romance
in which case he'll continue his goling and fishing
Fielding however. since coming to his little fish
ing box on the WaIkham this spring had given
studying the movements Of Mrs NcKinstrys pony
cart. and, when invited to the vicarage with the
difficulty preserved stOCal demeanOr. In point OF
a happy young bachelor Of nine and twenty. and
Vas now returning to later learning tna1 d rs
Internationally less happy. and perhaps a trthe
older ~, He s0msh0% felt that all sm2sr MAJ s4 3
warm soft breath Of sprngtide had Of late been so
Reaching the bridge he paused for space to
fSng Dro0Gsy O fI te ISCa ,u5 nno his
elbow and. turning quickly. met the sharp gaze Of
Where have you sprung fromT' he asked. sur
Never you mind thatr' retorted the urcnin Of ten
with perfect assurance. II m ere to give you this
This was no indigenous urchln there no hint
OF the West In his speech Fsildng was asoq5 20
touching his cap cap with ,, S9me5ning between ser
Ambrose much puzzled and astonished stood
Eng after the lad then glanced at the note upon
which his fingers had closed mechanically. IL was
CAPTAIN Fielding. late Goth Hussars."
Knows my regiment even" he murmured
though never saw the writer's hand before. A
wOmans. Of eourse-but whose. in the name Of
The advice given by his own lips, though he was
perusal OF the note only deepened his bewilderment
At am most anxious to see YOU II YOU are up the
water little before sunset would you follow. the
that is my sole excuse for this strange appoint
STRANGE" he calculated TITS extraordinary
signed . : A delicate. womaniy hand.
But how could II be the hand Of Mrs McElinstry
who had only to-day so pointedly declined his ac-
A hoax. Who. out IN these wilds. could dream Of
trap? That seemed a less unlikely. though stiIl
improbable. hypothesis. His cottage. deep sunk in
out with him some plate, small In quantity. but
valuable; II he were lured away. Mrs Pengely;
the place rifed- Was the mysterious designation
Impossible to say: but his curiosity being sharply
aroused. he determined to probe the little mystery.
start Immediately. II at all. leaving his cottage to
Yet. on second thoughts would It be safe to leave
his poor old hOusekeeper TO take the possible risks
turning vsxediy in the direction OF his cottase when
he remembered on q sudden that Ars; Pengelly was
groom. and was not due home again till O'Clock
enough 10 decide him True. the absence OF his
servants rather added weight to the decOy theory.
Fielding. declining to weigh the matter further.
started at some speed up the left bank OF the
II was nearly O'Clock when after rough scram-
bic. he reached the uppermost pool Of his water.
The sun, though not quite set had dipped below
pointed track ran up a ferny slope passing thence
as he noted with touch Of misgiving-through
moments hesitation ne snatched up a dead oak
branch. the only weapon available and committed
The green gloom Of the hardwood into which he
was young strong. sound Of nerve; but Il did now
TO him that he was long from any
human habitaton. that the plate to which he had
given but passing thought might be tempting
enough bOOty-in short. that his conduct smacked
rather OF the schOolhOy than the Of sense.
Howbeit. whether fool or not. he not the man
turn back: he armed with that heavy
piece Of wood. one 10 be assaulted with impunity.
The Iarches thinned. He turned a corner a second
and sharper one: then found himself upon the open
hillside upon which fell blaze OF sunset light.
Within ten yards OF him Mrs McKinstry.
quietly sketching
1t was an odd climax. vet less startling than had
been his first glimpse at the note. Mrs McKinstry
arose from her camp stool: they bowed TO each
other. as though invisible ARIEL had pro-
nounced over them formal introduction.
II must thank YOU, Captain Fielding" she said.
IN a cordial friendly tone which must have dashed
HIS hopes had he been a vainer man. for being
little shocked and amazed as YOU seem to be"
I'm not amazed" he answered. simply. for I
know perfectly well that you would not have sum-
mOned me here without good cause
You do not dsappOint me-" She uttered little
sigh of satisfaction Il have observed you pretty
closely. and heard much OF you from your friends.