Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1906-02-08

Il fear that my intrusion mas deem
useless he observed.
/ said nothing, but waited for him to
reseat himself. He did not, however,
but, walking to the window, looked out
upon the park.
"Beautiful!'' he cried. "Charming
prospect Really. now that / have seen
it, Mr.. Greatorex, feel justified IN
advising my client to go little high
err"
81 think the view is worth an exit
f5.o0o,' 1 suggested.
81 think be might rise possibly to
E15.0OO, Mr.. Greatorex, if you viii al
low me to communicate with my eli
ent," he said softly "But my client is
a poor man, and it is a ruinous price"
"Then why ruin your client, my dear
sir?" said I.
Mr.. Barnett laughed pleasantly, as II
at my little joke, but, becoming serious
again, shook his head.
"a stiIf price, but think | can man
age it, IL said.
Il have little doubt that you can
manage anything" l said, bowling.
you agreeT' he asked.
at is not necessary" said /, .'since
you seem to have agreed for me-
TT is monstrouslv he said gloomily.
But my client has set his heart on it.
You shall have your 100000, Mr.. Great
orex.
He sighed resignedly and, having Sc
lected a document in his pocketbook,
proceeded to unfold it and smooth it
upon the table. All the spirit was out
of him. He had been worsted and
owed me a grudge, could perceive.
IF you have a pen, Mr.. Greatorex, :"
he said suIlenly, Il will fill in the fig
ures. 1 have the agreement here"
pardon me,' said l.
He looked up and, meeting my gaze,
offered an explanation against my pro-
test. There's no time like the pres
emit"
you misunderstood me, sir" said
cheerfully. 81 have no intention of
selling the CASTLE
He leaped to his feet. "Whaty' he
yelled, and his sallow face spread with
color. ..You said f20,000w
Excuse me; no." l said. 'Your eli
ent. Mr.. Barnett, did me the honor to
suppose 1 should be willing to sell, and
1 was polite enough to suppose so with
him.
There was never man in so afro
cious a temper as my little attorney.
His color went, and he grew livid
yellow with passion, and, being now
no longer at the necessity of civility,
he broke into covert inyective, pre-
senting to me a surly demeanor. ig-
nored his unmannerliness, but kept my
placid smile all the time that he was
arranging his departure. On the thresh-
old of the door he paused and, turn
ing. demanded:
SIS your decision fnal?"
1 assured him that it was absolute.
He gave me an extremely vicious look
as he disappeared.
'sYou will regret this, Mr.. Great
orex," he observed.
l understood that the phrase was not
uncommonly. used in similar scircum-
stances, but in truth need hardly say
that / should not have turned sar-
casm at the expense of Mr.. Barnett's
inoffensive client, despite Mr.. Barnett's
offensive manner, if / had not been abb
solutely certain that Mr.. Barnett's eli
ent did not exist. At least ] would
have gone bail that he was no relation
to the departed Vyvians, and ! would
even have yentured to doubt if he
knew much more of them than did Mr..
Barnett himself, for it was plain
enough to me by this time that some
person or some persons had particular
reasons for desiring to obtain posses
sion of my Inheritance. So much being
clear it only remained to determine
those particular reasons, reasons which
1 could now perceive were involved in
the secret of my dead friend and prob
ably also in the eliminating tragedy of
his death.
When I was rid of my visitor sci
forth upon a stroll in the woods. II
was in the afternoon, and the sun
shone very fercely upon the white
roads, throwing black shadows from
the trees. dropped from the roadway
into rude moss grown track that ran
into the heart Of the valley, and pres
emily, leaving the more open parts OF
the forest, struck into the deeper
brakes and tangles below. The little
stream ran here in the bottom very
pleasantly, sometimes brawling oyel
shadows and at other parts more 81
lently in eddies and drifts over darker
and deeper pools. As followed its
course 1 came shortly upon a spo1
where the channel made an elbow al
most at right angles with its former
direction, and here ! deserted the form
Of Captain Sercombe. A sound Of
voices reached me, and, cheered by the
prospect Of a companion with whom
to exchange sentences, uttered a short
ssHello!" and dived through the under
growth faxvard him When emerged