The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1906-05-31

I hts regiment. however. There was no
number Oh n. u had seen too much
service. and he had not scrap OF pa
per In his pockets"
Nobody ever knew why be came
here, eh r. said Drummond. Gould he
have got on the boat by mistsker
Il wasn't born TIL some years after
ward rejoins.d. NY Information 10
all sscmdhaRd and In a very misty
copdition. II you're really interested
RI Introduce you to Miss stanbnry. tho
elder
Both. II you please" said Drum
mond. with a smile. And We strolled
across 10 the spot where they stool.
my friend muttering 10 himself: pen
duIum. Pendulum. Never heard OF n
man named Pendulum before"
In spite OF Drummond's expressed
desire TO meet pretty Margaret Stan.
bury. he devoted himself to the maiden
aunt while we remained In the burial
ground and during our walk TO the lit
tie old house where they lived, More
over, he was enthusiastic In praise OF
Aunt Jane afterward.
"a fine mind and true heart" he
declared. "A thoroughly cultivated
woman and not the least imbittered.
She could shine In the most exalted
circles OF society except for the very
trivial matter Of clothes. Is she very
hard upr'
'She ls indeed" answered, "and
| Margaret, OF course. has nothing. She
| has an eye on the typewriter. poor
girl. But what did Aunt Jane tell you
about the soldierr'
Drummond's manner instantly show
cd the reserve which characterizes a
deep thinking man when his mind IL
halting among many opinions.
''She IL sure about the name" said
he after a pause. 1T was Pendulum,
sure enough. II seems that the un-
fortunate fellow repeated II over and
over again. But Miss Stanbury says
| that his first name was not William.
| To her ear II sounded more like Willis.
| Willis y. Pendulum was the
way she heard it--but the doctor was
strong for William and carried his
point. Aud always thought that
| Yankees were smartv
This exclamation hardly seemed to
at the context, and | asked Drumm0nd
what he meant.
Either there are stupid folks In
Kingsford or I am misled by wild
| delusion," he replied. but declined to
give me any clear view OF his mind.
This mntter of speaking, In riddles"
he told me In answer to protest. lis a
reporters habit. We go out on stories
together, and every fellow Is trying to
beat the others. We keep our points to
ourselves, and as II Is very hard to re-
frain from speech entirely we learn to
talk without saying anything. And that
reminds me that I'm thinking Of going
back to the trade. haven't much of a
stake except this property down here
That's enough to save lazy man
| from work" said I. "Cut II up into
sites for summer cottages, and you can
sell them to the elect Of Boston. This
place Is getting fashionable. I tell you.
It's fortune
II believe you, my friend" said he.
"And yet I'll bet that go back to re-
porting"
"You have my permission" said l.,
somewhat annoyed, but more perplex-
ed.
by the way" he remarked a mo
msnt later. ~ suppose you know where
Miss stanbury found Lieutenant Pen
dulum? No? Well, she found him In
front OF her own gate"
"What OF itf' said !.
"Arthur Merrill, the man to whom
she was engaged. was dead at that
time, but the news had not reached
Kingsford. The cousin, George Mer-
rIli, knew 1t. however, or had known II
4 few days before. He, too, was dead
on the day when your wandering SOL
dier arrived here. He had died In a
hospital In Pennsylvania. got these
facts from Miss stanbury, and your
father verified them"
"But what bearing have they on this
case r asked. ado you mean that the
lieutenant was carrying last mes
sage from Arthur Merrill to Miss Stan
bury
.No. SIR; he was not" responded
4 Drumm0nd promptly. arthur had ev'
cry opportunity to send messages. and
he sent them, and they arrived al
right. though some weeks delayed Our
| friend Pendulum had nothing to dc
with them"
.Dh George Merrill send news OF
his cousins death by this manT
Certainly not George had no rea
son to suppose that there had been any
delay. He thought Miss stanburJ
knew that Arthur was dead. Tour m
ther bas seen letter that proves II
letter written or dictated by George
the day before he died"
IF George bad means OF writing, oi
course he did not need to send mes
senger. said l.
There has never been a notion II
KIngsford, so your father tells me,
answered Drummond, that Pendu
.Ium's coming here had anything to d
with the Merrill boys or their affairs"
Then what the deuce are you driv
ing att"
But Drummond was relapsing int
tho trance state again and would no
give me sensible reply. When we 80
home he had talk with my fathe
ana another after supper, and then b
hunted the IN.
Come" aa.d be, ~ie4's havs lool
at my estate"
went wnh him, and he led m
straight 10 the broad portal OF tls
great dark house. heard the ke.
rattle In the lock.
30 we cnfne 10 a room on the sec
cnd foor and TO sfadcwy corner
II where stood a tall old clock with
carved case of blackwood.
.whew." said DrumDond. Let ID
. eei my breath. This 10 crisis In tf'
lives OF several people. my friend. How
ever there's another one downstairs.
What In blaEs do you neanf ds
"