Middletown transcript., 1905-03-04
[coNTINUED FROM LAST WEEK ]

WCtl-hLOWH JVuthdiiee
"You are Mr.. Ollett r I exclaimed.
md he bowed affirmatively. "Then
I'M quite sure that ! may show you the
hort cut across the park-if you do not
are to come up to the Court?"
He refused at once.
81 am not. in visiting TRIM" he said
'sand am really very pressed for time.
RI you would be SO kind as to put me in
the right way / should be very much
obliged, and I must hope to have the
pleasure of meeting Lady Verriker at
some future time.''
It was long walk across the park, but
Mr.. Ollett made himself so very agreea-
BILE that / did not notice the distance.
He was most entertaining man, and ne
seemed to have travelled everywhere
We discovered two or three mutual ac-
uuaintances. He knew Nigel Buchanan.
He had often met him at the New
Royers," OF which club they were both
members. As we went along he COM
mented upon the general desolatlon %
plainly visible on all sides.
ssIt is a shame to neglect place lke
this ~ he said heartily. ''But Verrlker
was one who never spent penny save
on himself And SO he is dead. Blythe
bye, didn't | hear that lie committed
suicide?'
"Oh, no y exclaimed. HE was
drowned while yachting. He-he-
paused, for it suddenly struck me that
/ had never heard any particulars OF Sir
Jasper's demise. Mr.. Ollett looked at
me with keen penetrating eyes. Il
don't know how the accident occurred,
but I have always heard that he was
drowned"
"Well, we will put the kindest con-
struction on an awkward story" he said
drily. and I noticed that his face had
grown grave and set. "But Sir Jasper
Verriker was an exceptionally fiDe swim
mer, and he used to boast that lie could
do anything in the water save drown.
He was a man who was always in diff
culties, and I have reason to know that
they crowded upon him at that particu,
lar time. 1 should say myself that he
took the shortest way out of them"
In spite Of the warm air shiyered al
his words. We had ascended somewhat
and from where we stood we had very
distinct view OF the house. Mr.. Ollett
stopped and surveyed it keenly ard in
tently.
"What place y he exclaimed. q
trust that you ladies do not live there
alone? You have plenty Of protection
Perhaps the new owner is in residence
or some masculine relation of Lady Yer
riker'sP
"Oh, no We depend for protection
upon ourselves, two women servants, ant
general factotum."
"Reallyl Yet l have always heart
that Lady yerriker was very wealthy
and that it was one Of Sir Jasper's grief
that he could not annex her persona
income"
~ don't know" I said and at tha
moment we turned into the principa
avenue and came upon Roberts smoking
in the door Of the lodge, which was hi
place OF. abode. He was astonshed T.
see me with stranger, but he unlocked
the gate.
Mr.. Ollett watched his leisurely pro
ceedings with much the same intentnes
which he had bestowed on the view 0
the house, and then bade me good day
He reiterated his thanks, and, mounting
his bicycle, went off down the road
Roberts watched him out of sight refiec
lively.
GIVE seed that clap before" he re
marked, in his usual deliberate mannt
"He we're hanging about ere some thre
months ago, only he wore blue spectacle
then and looked bit different somehow.
..You must be mistaken" / said. ''Tha
is very well-known gentleman, and b
told me that he had never been her
before. He did not know that Lad.
Verriker lived here"
"It were tile same chap" Roberts per
sisted obstinately. "And he talked +
me like a judge. He wanted to know
everything about the place, and VIII
were living 'ere and all about them
And if he told you he'd never been her
before, miss, it were lie-thats wha
it were r.
went back to the house feeling dis
tinctly uncomfortable, although | wa
eonyinced that Roberts was mistaken il
his recognition of MIR. Ollett. | coul'
not understand why man Of his.positiol
and Importance should have any reaso
n deceive me. But the uncomfortabl
impression did not lessen, and | wa
quite relieved when | drew near to th
house to see Lady Verriker standing a
one of the windows, and evidently watch
ing for me.
It was not until tea was nearly owe
that / ventured to tell her about MI
Ollett. She looked up quickly and ner
yously, and her brows twitched.
.Tm afraid took tremendous libert
! but as knew who be was thought tia
YOU would not mind. He's one Of til
best-known journalists in the world"
explained, seeing that the name evidentl
bore no meaning to her. Il hope yo
are not vexed n
"Oh, not did not matter !" An
she played nervonsly with her teaspoon
Ell don't like strangers but as yo
knew him"
"Only by repute," / interrupted. 9
had never met him before" She gaze
at me with blanched cheeks, and adde'
hastily, "But he knew my father an
other friends OF mine +
aWas lie an Englishman n she aske'
abruptly. "You-you are sure that h
was English y
II think 30. 1t never occurred to M
that he was not. He spoke English per
fectly, and be did not seem to have an,