The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-06-10

eral murmured, as the sound of wheels
drew him at last from the age-worn but
tress back to the portico. elf he's
turned up all right [ IL try and persuade
him to .confide the secret before we 60
to bed'
But when the brougham stopped, it
disgorged no duke, but only Alec For
syth, pale Of face, and for once in his
life half afraid Of meeting his uncle's
expectant eye. But he kept his pres
ence Of mind sufficiently to control his
voice as he informed the .general-the
information being really for the serv-
ants who had appeared at the hall door
silence the general led the way to the
diningroom, and it was not until he had
dismissed the butler with the assurance
that they would need nothing more that
night that he found speech in the curt
|monosyllable, "Well?"
For answer Alec handed him tele-
sg?r Tp form r conveying the m les agX; o.
Pancras terminus.
"Come back at once, urgent. Am in
great distress. Persons threatening
duke detained here. He will be quite
safe it he goes on, tho not if he returns
with yeou-sybil Hamburg, Beauma'noir
The general glanced thru it and
Jig II. p.
"Beaumanoir was in the S:459" he
snapped. "That telegram is a forgery
and you show it to me to explain your
separation from ,him9'
Forsyth bowed his head in grieved as.
sent to both questions.
, ing that internal thing he said But
had better put you in possession. OF
the facts at once, for until I reached
Tarrant Road station and learned Of
Beaumanoir,s non-arrival from the
, coachman I had hoped that he had come
, thru all right. I ascertained at .Har
J penden, where first heard Of the
:, smash, that no one had suffered serious
, ini uury.",
, The facts as related by Forsyth were
> very simple in themselves. tho greatly
enhancing the perplexity Of the
DUKES disappearance: The two friend:
|. had left Beaumanoir house in hanson
barely time enough to catch the trai1
at ST. .Pancras They had already
taken their seats in an empty compart
ment on which the guard had, at thei
!, request, placed an engaged label
! : when a telegraph:.boy came, along tn!
!, by name; On reading the message h
2 had acted on the impulse of the moment
o and asking the duke to excuse him OF
5 the score of urgent private business
$ had left the train and driven back t,
Beaumanoir house, to find the tele
: ating from her and its contents quit
q unfounded.
y -HI expect she let you have it," tn
: general remarked, grimly.
: :" She was little Cross admitte,
> Forsyth, flushing at the "Reminiscences
= II do not see, tho, that could hav
: ignored what purported to be an ap
! peal for assistance from a woman il
& lations with her.
Ell ".Don It kick, laddie. I IN to blam
= for leaving our precious vanishing
d nobleman in the hands of man i
3. love. What next?"
4. II hurried back to St. Pancras, anc
g just missing the fast train which after
IS at the scene Of the accident, had t
n kick my heels until the last trai,
&C started. But it was no accident, Uncl
5, Jem. A big baulk Of timber had bee
: placed across the rails, they told m
Sc at Harpenden.'
70 The general knitted his brows an
J. pondaered the problem, presently sus
proof that the duke had after all gon
e in the S:45. He might, on finding hin
B, self suddenly deprived of his con
~ panion, have gone out before it started
le But this theory was at once knocke
k, on the head by Forsyth s assertion ths
10 the train had begun to move before b
ID left the platform and that Beaumanio
"a still seated in the engaged compar
r: ment, had waved him farewell. If th
ID duke had not gone out at an INTERIM
le date station, he must have disappeare
ID at the place Of derailment, the latte
a contingency being the more probabl
in Also the most alarming, because tt
stranded passengers had had to wa
#, for three quarters Of an hour at tt
to side Of the line in the dark, at remo1
Id spot surrounded by woods
IN Humph! It looks very much as
ke they'd got him this time,' was Il
st generals final comment. And
in straightaway walked over to the sid
r. board and poured himself out a gla
h, Of wine, motioning his nephew to io
he him. The action was significant
conclusiveness, and seemed to say tina
ty doom having overtaken the duke, the.
u was nothing more to be done. The O