The Ordway new era., 1906-02-23

Brpes was amazed. In full. viev. a I
not TOT crowded street. then eoas! Il
was Ike magic. The man could not
have entered store nor vanished IL a
. cellar. There was no reason why he
need think himself under surveillance,
Bruce spent the day In the Immediate
neighborhoOd OF the mysterious disap-
pearance. but to no purpose. and at
last he reluctantly owned to himself
that he might have been mistaken.
Anxious as he was to succeed in
his undertaking. and earn the reward
onered for finding Hamilton. or rather
being the means OF returning him to
Grovedale. Bruce was at last CON-
PEELED to desist from his task. Much
time and money had already been
spent. and other business was press.
ing.
Constance still continued to live In
her own home with her uncle and two
children. The latter went to school.
and their mother put on their hats and
kissed them good.by, sometimes with
smile on her face, to spare their
young hearts too much knowledge of
sorrow. Mr.. Carter. who was really
man OF excellent business qualities.
though somewhat Obscured by middle
age Inertia. attended well to the busi-
ness Mt the mill with the help of Mr..
Henderson and clerk recently added
to the Office. At the bank an excellent
cashier filled Hamilton's place for the
present. but II was uncertain how long
he corid be retained. as his health
was delicate and his means such rs
placed him above the necessity of do
Ing any business.
Tony was still there. but his position
seemed at times most irksOme. The
strain On his nerves and temper dur
Ing the investigations left an unpleas-
ant impression, for he was sensible
that for several days he had been
looked upon with suspicion. This fact
placed him in sympathy with Hamil-
ton. and he had more than once been
heard to say that he believed the
missing cashier to be an innocent
man. s
He had been informed by President
Hastings OF Brucc's discoveries In tho
West. He had not called to see Mrs.
Hamilton since he carried her the
return to the bank. Somehow he
shrank from going there. but when he
chanced to meet her he bowed with
scrupulous gravity and respect.
The summer was wearing away.
August had come with its whiting days.
and bathers often sought the shaded
river for n plunge In its cooling wat
ers. On the other side new railroad
had recently been built. The hilly por-
tions had been lcveled. hollows filled
up. and immense rocks blasted. Hun.
ireds of men were employed. and the
different gangs were located about fTe
miles apart. Many OF them were
| Italians. and four of thenf were
drowned In crossing 1t In quest OF in.
toxicants. and II is said they were
buried In the dump. uncoiiined. and
without service of any sort. by their
| companions. Low and degraded they
must have been, and II is no wonder
the people were glad when they left.
All this occurred to Osborn one day
in August. when. changing his bathing
suit for his ordinary clothes. he saw in
, the bushed. not two feet from the
place where he had deposited his own
suit. n silk ca? with weather.stained
satin lining and an embroidered mono
gram.
The letters certainly were V. C. H..
however they might stand In color.
The c. or the II. was as likely to
stand first. perhaps. but Tony felt con-
vinced that the cap he held In his
hand was once the property OF Vane
Hamilton.
It was Just such u one as wives.
sweethearts and daughters make for
their masculine dependents TO travel
in. aud Tony thought he recollected
that Mr.. Hamilton carried one in his
overcoat pocket. His wife would know
and whether he took 1t on his last
trim. II so. It proved his presence
afterwards In Grovedale as conclusive.
~ as the gold shirtstud had. 1t was
peculiar coincidence that in both In
stances he should be the finder.
ITO be continued.)