The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1907-01-04
CHAPTER xxvl-continued

second letter. also for the fiftieth
time, recalled the answer he addressed
to the writer OF 1t In expression of at
fectionate sympathy and deep regret.
He recalled the waiting for the bank
er's draft which never came. He went
on to the next document In his sheaf:
Dear Mr.. Aloysius: I regret to be
the bearer Of i'll news. My poor, dear
old master has disappeared. had
been away on three days leave to bury
my brother, and when got back your
poor uncle had not been seen for more
than forty-eight hours. Mr. Alexis is
quite i'll and seems distracted. Master
had lost his temper with Mr.. Alexis
and went out about 9 o'clock at night,
taking his latch-key with him. Mr..
Alexis, being not wishful to see him
again that night, went to his own
room early. The woman who had been
called in for service took masters cup
OF tea to his room at 9 o'clock. She
says she supposed that master was
sSeping out on journey or at a
friends house. She said nothing, and
master was not missed till afternoon.
Since then we have moved heaven and
earth to find him, but there is no news
and no sign. You must excuse me TAX
ing the liberty of enclosing five.
pound note, Mr.. Aloysius, for know it
has not been your uncle's habit to keep
keep you very flush, and you are want.
ed here SO badly that you must not
lost one hour In coming. With affec.
tionate respects and deep sorrow,
Robert Sewar."
Aloysius, reading this, recalled all
the old anxieties and fears OF the
dreary journey Londonwards, and one
horrible suspicion which would in
trude upon him in spite of all the rea-
son he brought to bear against It,. He
fought 1t down Loyalty and he strangled
1t. But it sprang to life again, in
spite of the fact that everything known
to him made it improbable. He feared
lest Alexis should have been in some
way responsible for the old mans dis.
appearance. Alexis might be weak.
He had often reproached him for want
Of stability. but 1t was madness to
suppose that he had done anything de-
liberately. A chance blow, perhaps,
given in q moment OF intense irritation
and despair!
It might well be that so full life
may have ended thus And then the
horror lest In fear the hapless victim
OF his own nervous rage should have
striven to conceal the body, and so
have given himself over beyond RENE
dy into the hands of the law. But
there was not one corner of the old
Georgian house in which his uncle had
lived which would not be ransacked by
the police. n the dread were wcll
founded, detection was certain.
And then, on the other side-on the
right side, so Aloysius protected him.
self-Alexis was not man Of strife
or violence. He had had genuine re-
spect for his relative and protector.
And II the old man had threatened
him with disinheritance Alexis would
know quite clearly that It would make
NO difference to him, and that Aloysius
was not the man to profit at his cous-
ms cost, even though the cousin had
been guilty Of an act for which he
would bitterly reproach himself
throughout his lifetime. That was a
thing between his Maker and the sim
ner's conscience-not thing for Alloy.
sius Brangwyn to reap profit out OF
Alexis would know all that with
instructive certainty. But the chance
blow suggested itself over and over
again. Aloysius seemed to see It in.
fiicted in a dozen ways. The horror
was not there, but In the thought OF
concealment. In that matter OF the
girl whom he had betrayed the unpar
donable part Of the whole business
was that he had run away from the
consequences Of his wrongdoing. And
here he might-he might-he might
have acted on the same impulse, and
40 have converted accident into con
structive murder. II he had played tns
coward and the madman there the,
would find the body soon or late, ant
would hang Alexis or send him Init
penal servitude~for life.
All the old fears thronged into MI
mind. He lived that Journey from
Paris over again. a. he sat musinl
with the letter Id his hand. He re
lived the arrival at his uncle's house
| the hurry and confusion which pre-
vailed there, the search carried on D.
| the poaice-so minute that not . ca
could have been concealed about it
the hubbub In the press. the excite
| ment Of the public curiosity and won
der. the false scents on which th'
search was started, the drownet
[hodies. the starving vagrants-neithel
cne nor the other bearing the remotes
Freexmblance to the missing man
|sk klexis's 6utbursts Of wild grief an
aelfsaccuaaticn.
ss4ho ola man and / quarreled," hs
af1 niffed. Aand that quarrel sent hin
8 kls deeth He flung out Of thu
houso n i rage, and from that hour
- rono he carried money. Ht
vofe . valuable diamond on his finger
ia anofhar A his scarf-pin. Hi'
xt,ld watch Waa worth fifty pounds
Yjhere ~ hosn foul play. and II hat