The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1906-12-06
TN finish my brandy. and go when I

The man-who appeared to be thu
landlord of the house-advanced hi
face a little nearer across the bar ant
spoke In a ~wheedling tone. I'm &c
ing up myself, Mr.. Dandy" he said II
a whisper; perhaps you'd like Il
come up with me?"
"Oh, II you like" replied Philip
c~arelessly: although this was exact
ly what he wanted. He felt that, from
the tone the man had adopted, 1t wal
evident that the late Dandy Chatter had
been q diflcult man to deal with. HI
determined to make what capital ID
could out Of that.
The man. after calling gruffiy to Z
dragged female In the inner room u
come and attend to the bar, dived un
der the wooden flap in the counter ant
stood beside Philip. The latter slowl,
and coolly drank his brandy, and ever
stopped to bite the end from a cigar
and light it-looking frowningly at the
other, who stood waiting patiently al
the foot Of some dark stairs for him
all this gave him time, and to carry
out, as fully as possible, the idea, oil
which he had somehow possessed him
self, that the late Dandy Chatter had
been a remarkably disagreeable fel
low, and that it was necessary for his
e to keep up the character.
At last, having spun out the time as
much as possible, he lounged after his
guide up the stairs, and was ushered
by him through a doorway into a room
which, from the appearance of the
single long projecting window, which
took up nearly all one side, evidently
gave on to the river. Round a table in
this room were seated, with their ell
bows upon it and their heads very
close together; the heads were turned
as the door opened, and a
apparently of relief and recognition
broke simultaneously from the four
threats. Philip Chatter, observing In
that momentary glance that they wers
all men Of an inferior type to himself
from the social standpoint, carried on
his entry with an air and staggered
I'D to the table, still with that heavy
insolence of bearing which had seemed
to have so good an effect upon the
landlord below.
Well" he said, taking a seat at the
table and coolly blowing a cloud or
smoke into the air, what do you want
with me?"
He noticed, as he spoke, that the
man who had guided him to the room
appeared to have a direct interest In
whatever proceedings were afoot; in.
asmuch as that he took a seat ar the
table, quite as a matter OF course.
where's the count?" abruptly asked
one man-a tall, sandy-haired fellow,
with gray eyes far too close together
to make his c~ountenance a pleasing
one.
"The very question l was going to
ask you,' replied Philip. Do you sup
pose I'm the Counts keeper"
well he left here with you last
week." replied the same man, in an
injured tone. I'VE supposed he'd been
staying with you, as usual"
Then you supposed something that
didn't happen" said Philip, in the
same surly tone as before. "Ive seen
nothing Of him since-since that
night" Then a sudden thought occur.
ring TO him, he added, 81 left him
down by the river"
A shrill voice-piping and thin and
unsteady-broke in from the other end
of the table. It's owner was a little
man, with a figure as thin and shrunk-
en- as his voice-a man with no linen
to speak of, yet who had whiskers
which had once been fashionable on
either side of his grimy face, and
whose shaking hand affectionally
clasped a glass of spirits. "A split In
the camp, EN-" he %squeaked out.
"Ogledon and his cousin had a row.
eh?"
Philip Chatter was learning many
things, and learning them quickly. II
Ogledon-the man expected at Chatter
hall by the housekeeper-and the man
known as the count were one and the
same person, and that person Dandy
Chater's-and his own-cousin, what
had they both to do with these men,
and why had both disappeared - the
one murdered and the other missing?
Ito Be continued.)