Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1906-02-15

| parchment, without which their own
fragment was useless. / must dispose
| of this at once and get rid Of so much
peril at the least. 1t was true that
might possibly drag Sheppard down by
| the telegraph, but then again this was
| most uncertain in a man OF his tenn
permanent. He would want the persua-
| sion of a-sudden impulse and above all
a stirring narrative to thrill his pulses
| such as might be presented to him in
| a personal interview.
Moreover if went to London my pa
per should go with me. And what was
| easier than to persuade Sheppard and
secure my document at one throw?
/ These considerations pointed to jour
ney to town.. and that / must take at
once and before either Montgomery's
| ardor had failed or the enemy had pre-
| pared blow. reckoned upon an inter
| val of time after the recent exchanges
| between myself and the captain. What
| duickened my intentions was an Incl
| dent which occurred shortly after
| breakfast and while was still debat-
| ing the dangers of the situation. /
went to my room at II and began to
pack valise methodically in the man
ner of man who has all his life been
used to his own ls.4 last and
| the most important l,.s- ..-s.-dr IN this
work was to put UP my writing case
securely To make sure of my precious
paper / unlocked the case and took out
the sheet. was upon the point OF re-
placing it when l suddenly decided to
put it in my pocket, ~shich accomplish
ed l buttoned my coat tightly.
At this moment l heard the noise of
a swapping bough and hastily looked
forth by the window. The lowermost
branch of a sycamore that stood upon
! the edge of the moat hung swinging in
| the air and showing great gap of ma
ked white wood. / sprang up, put my
| head out of the window and could just
catch a sight of some one vanishing
round the corner of the building. This
news of the enemy came very sharply
upon me, and without stopping to COM
plete my packing ran out of the door
and took the stairs three steps at a
| time But no stranger was visible
| when | emerged upon the park, and I
was driven back upon Mrs. Main.
Here | had clew, for certainly a
stranger had come up to the castle by
the gates half an hour before; but, ac-
cording to the housekeeper, no mys-
terry enveloped him. He had rung man
| fully at the bell and demanded Mr..
Williams, and had been sent on to the
farm buildings by Mrs. Main herself,
who had overseen his Interview with
| the hOusemaid.
what was this man like?" asked.
He was a short, dark young fellow,
sir" said she, .sand something odd
about him." But what that oddness
was she could not tell, and completed
the picture by ascribing to him "a
squint and somethink funny-like in his
walk" adding again and with sudden
elation, Like what sailor might be-"
/ strobe off to find Williams at the
| stables. The stranger had been there.
| OF that there was no question. VIII
liams, a sharp, understood and black
| sentiment in his meager body, CON
| firmed the description given by Mrs.
Main. The man had inquired if there
was any chance of job, but seemed
| ESQ thought Williams) inconsiderably
concerned as to whether there was or
was not. He added that the intruder
was a foreigner, but to this statement
| paid no attention, as to the Welsh
and indeed to all country people the
word implies little more than stranger.
1t was plain, however, that the fellow
was my arboreal spy, and that was all
l wanted, as, in fact, it was more than
I enough. / admit that was disconcert-
| ed, but the more resolute to go forward
with my London expedition. l have
said that / reckoned upon an interval
Of truce Ny ideas were destined to a
| rude subversaI.
| 1t was upon when started to ride
| into Raymond, for upon second
| thought decided to leave my valise
behind and put up with the provision
of my own chambers in the Temple. AS
| l reached the Woodman the thin fig
ure of Hood was discernible smoking
| in front Of his door. From the distance
/ saw that he was talking with a COM
| panion, but when drew level with the
inn the second man had disappeared.
Hood Strengthened himself on the sight
of me, took his pipe from his mouth
and touched his hat with his habitual
respectfulness. / had been wondering
how the man would demean himself,
1 aware as | was of his connection in
some way with the plot against me.
But not trace of discomfort or confu-
sion showed in his face, which was as
grave as ever. He was clothed in a
suit of very dark tweed, his brown
face, cut very clean and without an
ounce Of waste flesh, cool as statues,
| the thin smoke rising from the pipe
which he held behind his back. II a
valet could wear this face Of indiffer-
WFIIW III 4 fJIO