Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1906-11-01

suppose you'll come wiz the count
eh?"
| Il suppose So" replied Crowdy
Good night"
Left alone, he thrust his plate aside
and sat staring at the table, turning
the business over in his mind. In the
] first place, he had resolved to find
Candy Chatcr's murderer; on the 9th,
er hand, if, as was possible, the man
spoken of as the count had anything
to do with that murder it would OBJ
viously be impossible for Philip
Crowdy to appear before him; the
fraud would be exposed at once.
| Again. it was evident that the late
| Dandy Chatter aad kept remarkably
queer company; and that, moreover,
Philip Crowdy-as the new Dandy
| Chater--was pledged to meet some
members Of that queer company, on
the following Tuesday, at half-past
ten, at the house known as the Three
Watermen.
so far, SO good--or, rather, bad"
he said slowly to himself. I'm Dandy
+! Chater-for the present, at least, if
the man who struck the blow happens
| to meet me, he'll either die Of fright
Or denounce me. For the present
| I've got to be very careful; I've very
| fortunately discovered one or two
things which may be useful. But how
in the world am to know what Da-.y
t0r uyoS lot
what people he knew, or didn't know?
AT all events, must put bold face
on the matter, and trust to luck"
1t was not until he was undressing
for the night in the shabby little
room which had been assigned to
membered the interview he had had
with the girl on the road outside BAN
berton. He stopped, and stood stock
still, with a puzzled face.
"The girl, Patience Miller? I'd clean
forgotten her. Why, Dandy Chatter
was to have taken her to London, and
they were to be married tomorrow
Now, Dandy Chater--or the real one,
at least-is at the bottom of the river.
But where on earth is the girl?"
He slept late the next morning, and
had time, while he dressed, to con-
siaer what his future course of action
',9uld be. In part, he had made up
Lis mind the previous night; had
studied carefully the dress and APP.
pearance of the dead man, with the
object-indetinite then, but clear and
distinct now-of taking his place. He
felt now that the first move in the
game must be for him to get down to
Bamberton
No one in England knows of my
existence; only one man, so far as
am aware, knows, beside myself, of
the death and disappearance Of Dandy
Chatter. There is no one to suspect,
SO far as I am concerned there is
everything to gain and but little to
lose; Therefore. Mr.. Dandy Chatter the
Seconds you will go down into Essex
Watchful and alert-ready to take
up any faint cue which might be Of
fered him-suspicious of danger on
every hand, Philip Crowdy got back
10 London, made some slight pur-
ses, with a view to changing his
IS, and started for Chatter Hall.
Arriving at the little railway station,
he returned, with grim satisfaction,
the salutes and mods Of recognition
which ere and another bestowed upon
him, got into the fy-the only one the;
station boasted- and was driven rap
IDLY to his future home.
need all the luck I've ever pos
sessed, and all the impudence with
which Nature has endowed me-" he.
thought. why, I don't even know
my way about my own house shan't
know where to turn when ] get in
side, or what sthe servants names
are. And Iwish / knew what sort of
man Dandy Chatter was-whether he
bullied, or was soft-spoken- swore, or
quoted Scripture"
The fly drew up with a Jerk at the
hall door, which was already open. A
young servant-a pleasant looking lad
of about twenty years of age in
sober brown livery-ran out quickly.
with a forefnger raised to his fore
head, and opened the door Of the fly.
Morning, SIR" said this individual,
in a voice as pleasant as his face
Hoped you'd telegraph, sir, and let,
me drive over for you.
Crowdy alighted slowly, looking
keenly about him. II hadn't time" he
said, gruffiy being convinced, for
some strange reason, that the late
Dandy Chatter had been of some
what oyerbearing disposition. He
walked slowly up the steps, and into
Chatter Hall.
There, his troubles began; for, in;
the first place, he did not even know
his roomhe did not, as he had al
ready suggested, even Know which
way to turn. In desperation, he laid
his hand on the knob Of the first door
he saw, and walked boldly in
He found himself Ia what was eyi-
IDENTIFY the dining room. He turned, as
he was passing through the doorway,
and beckoned to the young servant,
who had taken his hat and coat, and
who was lingering IL the hall.